The Epic of Gilgamesh
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4.2 • 6 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and his companion Enkidu are the only heroes to have survived from the ancient literature of Babylon, immortalized in this epic poem that dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. Together they journey to the Spring of Youth, defeat the Bull of Heaven and slay the monster Humbaba. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh's grief and fear of death are such that they lead him to undertake a quest for eternal life. A timeless tale of morality, tragedy and pure adventure, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a landmark literary exploration of man's search for immortality.
Customer Reviews
Interesting and beautiful
It's a shame this translation is so old, because I suspect we've learned a lot more about Gilgamesh in the last forty years. Still, it's fascinating to see the links between this and Jewish and Greek literature - the introduction is really interesting, with lots of background information. The epic itself is quite short, but beautiful to read, and surprisingly moving for something of this kind I thought.