Gilgamesh the Hero

The story of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, slayer of Huwawa and the Bull of Heaven, and his great friend, Enkidu. In a version I could actually understand! I tried a more "direct" translation, but whooee was it a tough read. So I checked this version out, the same one my 10 year old daughter is reading for school, and though the story is still a bit all over the place, I could actually follow it! Gotta keep up with my girl!

The coolest part of this read was the ark story, and how much it seems the Bible ark story copied it. Just substitute the name "Utnapishtim" for the name "Noah" and it seems pretty much the same! But this one came first! Food for thought...

I'm glad that I read this, even more so that I can help with my daughter's homework. show more And even though I couldn't make it through the more difficult translation, I can now saw I've read "the oldest recorded story in the world"!

And as for Gilgamesh? “He walked through the darkness and so glimpsed the light.” show less

My son and I have reached chapter seven of Ms. McCaughrean's wondrously lyrical retelling of the Gilgamesh story. We're taking turns reading it aloud. I can't imagine a better alternative at the intersection of Social Studies (ancient Mesopotamia) and Language Arts (fine literature), especially for middle-school boys for whom reading is something to be endured. Ms. McCaughrean wrote for younger readers, but the sparking precision of her prose will be a joy to the teachers and parents who share this work with their charges.

I've only read two children's retellings of the Gilgamesh epic, and I _really_ prefer Ludmilla Zeman's trilogy [https://www.librarything.com/nseries/28054/The-Gilgamesh-Trilogy]. Zeman's illustrations are playful and cleverly incorporate Sumerian and Assyrian influences and artifacts; David Perkins, the illustrator of this book, shows Gilgamesh in some kind of corset and a diaphanous skirt. Both authors interpret the original texts quite a lot, as far as I can tell, but in "Gilgamesh the King", Gilgamesh devises a baby nickname for his friend because he is dying, but address him as "man" beforehand, "Come on, man! Heroes like us aren't afraid of anything, are we?" This is a bit tiresome, really.

Gilgamesh came up via a Crash Course World History video on Mesopotamia and the boy was intrigued, especially after learning that it is the OLDEST BOOK. EVER. McCaughrean's re-telling is exciting and poetic and super fun to read aloud. Even if Gilgamesh comes across as the world's first Dude King at the outset.

I picked this one up at the library today because, while I've heard of Gilgamesh and know a few of his exploits, I've never really read much about him. This was such fun to read, I plan to read it out loud to my kids. McCaughrean really knows how to tell a tale. This one's full of exciting stuff: battles, quests, friends, love. . . everything you could want in a story, really.

This one says it's for ages 10 - 14, but I'm going to read it to my 5 and 7 year olds. They liked listening to The Iliad and The Odyssey, so I think they'll like this one too. And this one's much funnier than the retelling of Homer we listened to. Highly recommended.

The story chronicles the adult life of Gilgamesh. It contains the arc (transformation) of his life from hated tyrant to trusted friend to compassionate steward of his people. The story opens with a dream that portends the coming of a friend and equal for the restless Gilgamesh. It moves, quickly, to the tale of the wild Enkidu and his domestication. Enkidu travels to Uruk where he battles and befriends Gilgamesh. Together they accomplish great deeds. Their devotion to each other grows, as does their fame. When the gods take Enkidu’s life as punishment for some of these deeds, Gilgamesh falls into a state of depression. The fear of death weighs heavily on his mind. He decides to seek immortality. His quest leads him to a state of show more ragged wildness, both in body and mind. At the end of his journey he learns immortality is an impossible and an undesirable thing to achieve. Death is inevitable and natural. Once he comes to terms with this, he is able to take delight in life as the precious thing that it is. Not just his life, but also all that surrounds him. show less

Easy, enjoyable read - especially for someone unfamiliar with the stories of Gilgamesh. An interesting turn on the myth of the hero's quest. In Gilgamesh's case, he was on a quest for immortality.

I also liked the illustrations.