Gilgamesh

A New English Version

By: Stephen Mitchell - translator

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

This brilliant new treatment of the world's oldest epic is a literary event on par with Seamus Heaney's wildly popular Beowulf translation. Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium.

In the ancient city of Uruk, the tyrannical King Gilgamesh tramples citizens "like a wild bull". The gods send an untamed man named Enkidu to control the ruthless king, but after fighting, Enkidu and Gilgamesh become great friends and embark on a series of adventures. They kill fearsome creatures before Enkidu succumbs to disease, leaving Gilgamesh despondent and alone. Eventually, Gilgamesh moves forward, and his quest becomes a soul-searching journey of self-discovery.

Mitchell's treatment of this extraordinary work is the finest yet, surpassing previous versions in its preservation of the wisdom and beauty of the original.

©2004 Stephen Mitchell (P)2004 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"Stephen Mitchell's Gilgamesh is a wonderful version....This is certainly the best that I have seen in English." (Harold Bloom)
"Here is a flowing, unbroken version that reads as effortlessly as a novel....Vibrant, earnest, unfussibly accesible....The muscular eloquence and rousing simplicity of Mitchell's four-beat line effectively unleashes the grand vehemence of the epic's battle scenes." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Mitchell seeks language that is as swift and strong as the story itself. He conveys the evenhanded generosity of the original poet....This wonderful new version of the story of Gilgamesh shows how the story came to achieve literary immortality: not because it is a rare ancient artifact, but because reading it can make people in the here and now feel more completely alive." (Publishers Weekly)

Wonderful!

This was the best audio version of Gilgamesh I’ve ever heard. And the Epic of Gilgamesh is ...well..epic!

Excellent and mega interesting!

After the whim to look up this great hero, I had come upon this highly rated volume. No regrets at all! The presentation and essay really made the whole thing come together. Although, if a section or additional historical references, the read would've been even better! Overall, the reader was engaging and the overall work is solid! Check it out 😁

Wow! Amazingly. Ineffable

Treat yourself. Love love love love love love love the book. Outstanding narration. I would love Mitchell 's Tao Te Ching read by this narrator. Next to Mitchell's Tao books, this is next favorite. Mitchell and his wife have greatly improved my life. Thank you.

awesome

I read the older version I like this one it's up to date and translated better.

Interesting Translation!

Much easier to read and understand than others I've seen. Overall enjoyable. He skips much of the repetition that plagues the original. This makes it so much better for modern readers.

Quite Good

Quite good just wish that in the commentary at the end that the author would make up his mind to be atheistic, pluralistic, or monotheistic. The story itself is quite fascinating.

Actual "Noah" story 1000 yrs older than bible

This is a scholarly exposition of a collection of stories engraved in cuneiform over 3000 years ago around what us today Mosul, beginning with the actual story, translated into English and adapted for rhythm and language. Fascinating for that alone...I found Stephen Mitchell's analysis that followed increased my enjoyment and understanding of the story 100-fold. As I heard the story (with not a THOUGHT as to its source), I was annoyed by the childish motivations and repetition, explicit sexual references, shocked by the literal copying of the Noah story, several analogues to hero friend warrior cycles (Genghis Khan, Alexander, Pharoahs, Trump...). Then after...to find that it pre-dated ALL of those tales by 1000 to 3000 years--!! Mind blown. The stone tablets were found over time, but it took a travelling Victorian scholar to translate the cuneiform and present the information to the "modern" world. The work was verified by multiple scholars and disciplines and cultures over the past century. It is far more than a glimpse into the incredible advancement of humankind (descriptions of the buildings and gardens and markets of 3000 years ago) but also their thinking (oral tradition being scarce) (eg invocation of assistance from God against rulers not treating their people well)

Missing parts of the story

For the length of the audiobook I thought it would have a lot more of the episodes. Instead the audiobook told the same story twice and added a view point of the researcher plus added some social views that weren't necessary or added to the story in any way.

Mind stretching

This retelling is stimulating to the imagination and informative concern get the times of its origination I highly recommend it.

Enjoyed the story and the essay

I really enjoyed the essay afterward. It's optional, but like taking a mini college class. I have never heard the Gilgamesh story before.