I liked the story. I liked what it had to say about the human condition. I would like to in the future read another translation to see what is different. I liked that the language was accessible, I felt like I could fly through it.

However, I am not sure about this translation. Since I have not read The Epic of Gilgamesh before I have no idea if this is how the translations are often done but I found the fact that the volume contained the translations of several tablets annoying. I just wanted to read the story. I didn’t really care to compare the Yale tablet with the Pennsylvania tablet. I did appreciate that in the first part they told you when they, due to missing parts switched tablets but I didn’t really need the tablet translations again in the following parts.

What I also didn’t like was the fact that at the start of each tablet they told you what happened. The language in the translations was so accessible that I had no problems following it. I didn’t need the short synopsis at the start of each tablet. It really just ruined the story for me. I feel that this edition is paradoxically an edition for high school students to lazy to read the whole thing and an edition for the scholar who wants an introduction to the different tablets. Personally, as someone who just wanted to read the story, I was not well served by this edition.

So in conclusion: good story, bad book. ( )

Every religion in the world has a great flood and human redemption narrative, but The Epic of Gilgamesh beat them all. In in attempt to be as philosophical as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the tale of Gilgamesh, a human attempting to become immortal. When the gods send a great flood, Gilgamesh is saved, and during the flood, Gilgamesh has an enlightened moment. ( )

The tale of Gilgamesh and how he becomes friends with Enkidu after a horrible fight. Eventually Gilgamesh begins his search for immortality, only to have it stolen right out from under him at the end.

I read this story in my humanities class. Much of it was humorous and I can see how it would be instructive to tell people the mistakes made by Gilgamesh as they eventually teach him to be a better person. However, we've talked the silly thing to death so my brain is a bit fried out to write much more about it. I did rather enjoy it though.

3/5 ( )

Wow! This is a wondrous story from the dawn of civilization. It brought a tear to my eye several times as I read of the love of Gilgamesh for his friend Enkidu, and how he grieved for him after his death. It includes the story of Utnapishtim and the Babylonian flood, which was the basis for the Genesis flood story. The differences between the two of the are stark. Utnapishtim is a man who morns for the loss of his fellow human beings and rails against the capriciousness of the gods. ( )

Une édition française de la partie conservée de l''Epopée de Gilgamesh.

Cette édition a été faite par le grand assyriologie Jean Bottéro (mort en 2007), ce qui est un gage de qualité malgré son parti pris littéraire revendiqué