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)

A Wonderful, Well Read Story

This amazing, ancient story was so well read it brought tears to my eyes. I know I couldn't have enjoyed this epic story nearly as much had I read it myself. These ancient stories are meant to be heard not read. The resonance and timber of the readers voice brought this poem alive and was as thrilling today as It most likely was to the first listeners. If you liked Audible's reading of Beowulf then the reading of Gilgamesh will not disappoint.

Compelling Narration/Translation

Guidall and Mitchell seems to make a nice team. This version of Gilgamesh was much better than I expected. It felt contemporary and yet timeless at the same time. The quickly changing chapters and Guidall's effective narration kept me hooked.

The reading is not over four hours. The entire reading of Gilgamesh is about half of that. The other half is a lengthy introduction providing considerable context about the piece that sensibly is placed afterward. I did not listen to the entire introduction after the fact as I was reading about Gilgamesh online while listening.

Great way to get acquainted with one of the oldest known pieces of literature and mythology. It does not disappoint.

This version and its essay is the one to own.

At first the story seemed like an old spoken tale. This is to say simple and repetitive to make it easy to remember and recite. The words used were simple and concise. However, with its simplicity I began to notice my imagination ran wild filling in the gaps that the original author merely hinted at. The tale seemed easy to grasp and enjoyable. This is true even with the vast amount of time since the story was first recorded and the huge culture barrier between the original authors culture and my own.
After the story there is an essay from the modern translator / author. To me, this was just as interesting as the story itself. The modern author explains the characters, places, events and dissects the story to show an amazing level of depth and complexity that I completely overlooked. After listening to the essay I have an entirely new appreciation for the ancient tale.

Old wise story

I like it a lot. After listening the review at the end, now I will listen the story itself for the second time with the perspective shown in an author review.

Why listening is frequently better than reading

Gilgamesh is an old warhorse. Many versions. But this one is new and fresh. Moreover, the postscript lecture by Stephan Mitchell is precious. It exudes the love and devotion of a scholar for his subject. The combination makes a perfect example of why listening is often better than reading.

very enjoyable

I believe the author got what he wanted when he said he was hoping that the readers of this version might appreciate this story in the way the ancients would have. it has masculine prose without being derogatory. it has a wonderful simple storytelling aspect to it and, when the story ended and I wanted more, the author's explication why and how he translated this story helped me to savor the story in its many finer points.

A classic

it's never heard the entire world of Gilgamesh before and this performance, by one of the Masters, was exquisite. The essay by the author at the end was enlightening and revealing. well worth the time.

Ancient Tale

Good read for a trip or long wait. The reader had a wonderful voice and timing.

Magnificent

What an wonderful book, and even better explanation by the scholar and author behind the scene. Couldn't ask for a better read, I can't say how much I enjoyed this book.

Excellent

I've been curious about Gilgamesh for years. My history teacher in high school used to talk about him all the time. So after 20+ years, I finally got around to it. Excellent story. I love Stephen Mitchell's modern telling of the story. Great narration by George Guidall.