Gilgamesh

The writing is succinct yet exquisitely descriptive. A beautiful, sad, and haunting tale. I wanted happiness for the characters (especially Edith and Jim) but instead there was only the reality of hard living.

Gilgamesh tells the story of Edith, a young woman who has begun life in rural Australia. When we first meet her it is the late 1930s, her Australian father has recently died and her English mother is struggling to cope. It is common knowledge in the district that Ada "could never take the life" and Edith and her sister watch and do what they can as their mother's mental state deteriorates.

A lengthy visit from two young men stirs life up for Edith. Leopold is a cousin from England and Aram his Armenien friend. The men tell Edith the story of Gilgamesh in the ancient, epic poem. The symbolism surrounding the character of Gilgamesh and his friend, their quests and their ultimate fates reoccurs throughout the book.

After Leopold and Aram show more have left, Edith's life can never be the same again. To say much more would be to risk spoilers but Edith travels through Europe and towards Western Asia, in search of love but becoming a pawn in a political game.

Joan London's writing is an absolute pleasure to read. It appears deceptively spare initially but positively resonates with underlying feeling and meaning. I liked the way London gives clues as to characters' true motivations which are only confirmed at the end of the book.

The story's conclusion returns to the theme of the questing heroes. Edith comes to realise the greatest satisfaction could come from the challenge of staying where she is and a hero from the next generation takes the first step on his own journey which follows on from Edith's.

Highly recommended! show less

I'm finding it hard putting what I thought about this book into words! I read it knowing nothing about it apart from accolades, and I really enjoyed reading it without any pre-conceived plot notions. It starts off in England, where an Australian serviceman meets an English woman, Ada while convalescing from a wound received during the Great War. They marry, and go to live in Australia in a tiny settlement on the southern coast of Western Australia where they raise their two daughters and try to carve out a life for themselves by clearing the bush and farming. But Frank has no luck, and Ada "couldn't take the life".

But that's just the scene setting for the story of their daughter, Edith, who ends up travelling through Europe during World show more War 2, looking for the man she loves. And that's the end of my plot summary, I don't want to give too much away.

The book spans decades and continents and generations; covers all my favourite big themes: death, life, family, love; is filled with well developed characters that may only flit past briefly; has a good plot; and is well written.

What more can one want from a book? show less

A very easy to read novel, a bit far-fetched at times. It seems incredible that our heroine Edith took her young baby on an epic journey from a farm in Western Australia to Armenia to find his father. However Edith had no idea what she was undertaking and her journey becomes a wonderful story of her resilience and the lengths to which she will go to protect her son and follow her "dream". She meets some great characters along the way and the writer links the story of Gilgamesh , a legendary king of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia with Edith's journey. I really loved her descriptions of the middle eastern countryside and the lifestyles of the people, which contrasted so much with Edith's life experience.

Enjoyable if implausible
By sally tarbox on 25 Mar. 2014
This started out brilliantly, following a family on a failing Australian farmstead in the 30s. But then it all started to feel terribly implausible, as Edith sets off for Armenia to seek her child's father...
Nonetheless it's very vivid and haunting writing.

Joan London's debut novel is the story of Edith, a young Australian girl who lives in the bush with her mom and sister. Edith knows the realities of hard country living - her parents' farm never taking off after years of effort. When her cousin, Leopold, and his friend, Aram, arrive for a visit, it's a breath of fresh air. Edith and her family are charmed by the young men's stories and antics, and slowly, Edith falls in love with Aram.

After the men leave, Edith begins to plot her own departure, a worldwide journey to Aram's homeland of Armenia. However, Edith didn't realize that Europe was about to burst with World War II, and as she draws closer to her destination, Edith becomes an unwilling pawn in a political chess match.

The fable show more target="_top">Gilgamesh is central to this story, and it fits well with the travels of many characters. London does a wonderful job weaving in texts from the poem to help the reader connect the dots between the fable and the story. In fact, my favorite parts of the book are when Edith is traveling - first on a ship around Africa, then to London, Armenia and finally northern Africa. Each stop on Edith's journey gave the reader a snapshot of life during that time.

Gilgamesh is a quick read - very enthralling with fully developed characters and great plot twists. London's writing is subtle but powerful. Fans of the Orange Prize or literary fiction are sure to enjoy this fast-paced novel. show less

This book perfectly expands on the title taken from an ancient book of friendship and adventure. Edith lives with her depressed Russian immigrant mother and her down to earth sister Francis in poverty in Australia. The girls have one pair of shoes between them but Ellen has frivolous dreams of high heels, pretty clothes and dancing that begin when her chubby, charismatic cousin Leopold from England and his beautiful Armenian friend Aram drop in for a visit. The girls learn to enjoy life, and when their company leaves they've learned that they have an ability to change their lives, and their adventures begin. Nothing happens that they would have planned, but they make plans that make their lives and the lives of others change course. show more Recommended to anyone who wants to read about living in chaos, following the paths that present themselves and finding the path that fits your needs. show less