Gilgamesh Audiobook By Stephen Mitchell - translator cover art

Gilgamesh

A New English Version

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Gilgamesh

By: Stephen Mitchell - translator
Narrated by: George Guidall
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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 Classics Fairy Tales Fantasy Literary History & Criticism World Literature Fiction Magic Funny

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)
Ancient Literary Masterpiece • Timeless Themes • Masterful Narration • Complex Hero • Engaging Epic Tale

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Having only read portions of this work in College I was impressed the power of the narrative in this version. I was running while listening and found parts strangely inspirational. However, sexual content came as a total surprize. While the influence of this work may be limited in our literature it certainly reveals the universal themes that cause humanking to create art. All this in a short 3 hour program, time well spent. The bonus lecture is very helpful. After listening I felt prepared to lecture on the epic myslef.

Impressive, Odd and Inspiring

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Truly timeless brought to life. Mitchell has made this ancient story flow seamlessly and Guidall performs it perfectly, a true story teller.

A fantastic tale

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How it predates and supports future works - including the Bible. The prose alone made it worth the reading

Historic

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Mitchell's translation makes this story so accessible, and Guidall was the ideal choice of narrator. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this classic - far more than I did the first time in World Lit.

Perfection itself

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This story reveals deep knowledge and is eye opening, (third eye if you understand it). Not for the uninitiated.

So good

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