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i didn't realize how fragmented different parts of the story were. However, the story was enjoyable to read and the translation read well. Remarkable parallels to different bible stories.
There are two different versions of this book being sold by Amazon.The one version is the more current and is translated by: Andrew GeorgeYou can get that one here:http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Gilgamesh-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140449191/ref=sr_1_1.ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263331576&sr=8-1Then there is the older version translated by: N.K. SandersYou can get that one here:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014044100X/ref=oss_T15_productI needed the one by N.K. Sanders for my college class and bought the wrong one at first because I didn't know the difference.To make it nice and easy.The Andrew George Version has a pegasus (horse with wings) on the frontThe N.K. Sanders Version has (Stone people with Beards or monkeys) on the front.Be careful which one you buy so that you don't have to ship it back like I did.
Sandars edition. Warning. The Kindle edition is missing all of the extra Babylonian and Sumerian texts. Do not buy this edition. It is NOT the current Penguin edition translated by Andrew George, but the digitization of the elderly N.K. NOT WORTH IT. DON'T DO IT.
The prose format of the story combined with the expressions contained in it as well as the simple fact that certain lines and couplets are incomplete do make this a bit of an acquired taste. This version has a fairly informative preface introducing the reader to some of the academia behind the story and while it didn't really engage me overmuch it was admittedly useful in understanding the story.And the story touches very much on a number of central tenets of humankind which is perhaps why it's proved so popular not only amongst an academic readership.
I'm sure I've gotten the quote slightly wrong. Or something like that.
Based on the story of a great god-king fellow it is does not appear to have come down to us totally 100% complete. But be that as it may it does very much sum up much of this stories reason to be.
The epic of Gilgamesh comes down to us from Sumerian times though its kernel may indeed be older than even that. Comprehensively taking the reader into subject areas such as mans quest for power, his insecurities regarding mortality and the nature of friendship and indeed some philosophy of leadership and it's relation to those ruled this book is a very good addition to any `classics' library you may be building up for yourself or your children.It must be pointed out however that this isn't the sort of ancient classic I'd hand to a newcomer to the genre.
Certainly I'd visit Homer or Virgil first and perhaps stuff like Beowulf before diving headlong into this somewhat more obtuse read.
I need this book for my freshman orientation class and instead of paying fifteen dollars for a new (and taxed) copy, I bought it in near-perfect condition for seven bucks. This was a great find.
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