Amazon Price: $11.90
List Price: $14.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Vintage
Amazon Marketplace: 71
new & used starting at $0.42
|
Buy at Amazon.com
|
Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Authors, A-Z -> ( G ) -> Gardner, John
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Classics -> General AAS
Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Unfiltered translation and insightful commentary 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
The epic of Gilgamesh would, of course, be of historical interest regardless of its content, since it seems to be the oldest written narrative in human history. Its relevance, however, goes far beyond the purely archival -- the story is engaging and powerful, and addresses fundamental questions of humanity. The combination of these two important characteristics makes for a classic creation of human culture; it is somehow comforting and at the same time humbling to know that people 3000 years ago struggled with the same questions with which we struggle still today.I have read several renderings of the Gilgamesh epic, and in my opinion this version by John Gardner and John Maier is the best overall. It is probably the most direct translation you will find. The original text from which this translation is drawn (the "Sin-leqi-unninni" version) is written on 12 stone tablets, each of which has 6 columns of cuneiform. (The appendix includes pictures of some of the tablets, along with commetnary about the translation process.) Gardner and Maier have preserved this format, dividing their text according to the tablet and column divisions of the original. They have also, for the most part, translated line-by-line from the original, rather than reorganizing it as many other renderings have done.
The result is a work of disarming simplicity. Taking little or no poetic license, Gardner and Maier allow the text to speak for itself. Not being a reader of Akkadian myself, I cannot say how literal or accurate this translation is; I can, however, say that, to me as a reader, it FEELS authentic, and I think that is at least as important. The story has a timeless quality which, in other renderings, is sometimes obscured by excessive verbal flourishes on the part of the "translation" -- not so here.
On its own, the text would make this book a worthwhile purchase, but there's more to this translation than just the story. Extensive commentary follows each column, providing a wide range of helpful information. Since this translation draws only from the Sin-leqi-unninni original tablets, which are damaged in some places, the commentary gives occasional pointers to other versions, and attempts to piece together missing sections. There is also historical and cultural background where appropriate, explaining for instance the various gods referenced, and more literary commentary on the story itself.
And, though I have not addressed it specifically as yet, the story is remarkable. It covers a broad range of emotions, and manages to tug at the heart in several ways. In some places, the action is simply stated without emotional exposition; in other places, the language becomes more expressive, and probes the souls of the characters.
Some readers may be deterred by one byproduct of the translation's careful adherence to the original: where there are gaps in the original text (due to damage to the stone tablets), Gardner and Maier have simply left the gaps in their translation. This is unusual; most renderings attempt to smooth over such gaps by drawing from other sources. This is only a superficial problem, however. Gardner and Maier DO draw from other sources to complete the picture, but they wisely do so in the commentary rather than attempting to patch the text itself. This allows the reader to assemble the whole picture himself where necessary, rather than having it handed to him preassembled from undisclosed fragments.
All in all this is a wonderful book. It concisely provides a clear version of the story and a wealth of relevant commentary.
Editorial Review:
The story of Gilgamesh, an ancient epic poem written on clay tablets in a cuneiform alphabet, is as fascinating and moving as it is crucial to our ability to fathom the time and the place in which it was written. Gardner's version restores the poetry of the text and the lyricism that is lost in the earlier, almost scientific renderings. The principal theme of the poem is a familiar one: man's persistent and hopeless quest for immortality. It tells of the heroic exploits of an ancient ruler of the walled city of Uruk named Gilgamesh. Included in its story is an account of the Flood that predates the Biblical version by centuries. Gilgamesh and his companion, a wild man of the woods named Enkidu, fight monsters and demonic powers in search of honor and lasting fame. When Enkidu is put to death by the vengeful goddess Ishtar, Gilgamesh travels to the underworld to find an answer to his grief and confront the question of mortality.
