Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative [Paperback]

Herbert Mason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2003

Herbert Mason's best-selling Gilgamesh is the most widely read and enduring interpretation of this ancient Babylonian epic. One of the oldest and most universal stories known in literature, the epic of Gilgamesh presents the grand, timeless themes of love and death, loss and reparations within the stirring tale of a hero-king and his doomed friend. A finalist for the National Book Award, Mason's retelling is at once a triumph of scholarship, a masterpiece of style, and a labor of love that grew out of the poet's long affinity with the original.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Herbert Mason is William Goodwin Aurelio professor of history and religious thought at Boston University. He lives in Phillipston, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (July 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618275649
• ISBN-13: 978-0618275649
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Epic
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Single Authors > United States
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > Poetry

More About the Author

Herbert Mason, writer, translator and university professor, is the author of 15 books, including the National Book Award finalist Gilgamesh, a Verse Narrative. He is the editor and translator of the noted French Islamicist Louis Massignon's magnum opus The Passion of al-Hallaj, 4 volumes, for the Bollingen Foundation's award winning translation series. His works include novels, poetry, and scholarly studies. He is Emeritus University Professor and William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of History and Religious Thought at Boston University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mason's verse narrative impacts for a lifetime, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative (Mentor) (Paperback)

Twenty five years ago I came upon Herbert Mason's verse narrative, GILGAMESH, when I was grieving over the death of a foster son. It provided images that sustained and nourished me as I worked to be reconciled to my tragedy. It has continued to be a powerful force in my lifetime. The images and the well chosen phrases are part of me, and arise whenever they are needed. If this wonderful epic were familiar to everyone in our culture, as it was to the Babylonians who made it their national epic back in the third millenium B.C., we would be the richer for having a wealth of images to sustain us as we encounter our tragedies and walk through our dark valleys. Mason's retelling of the great story of Gilgamesh and his doomed friend, is beautiful, nourishing and empowering.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars False teeth, September 20, 2007

By 

Stefan Steinsson (Hvolsvelli, Iceland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative (Paperback)

The well meaning Mr. Mason does not represent the Epic of Gilgamesh well in his verse narrative. In fact, it is not a translation of the Epic, rather has he cooked up his own version of somebody else's translation. He did this in times when few knew much about Gilgamesh, and made many novices belive it was the Epic. I have even heard of a small country where the most prominent philosopher translated Mason's narrative into the native language. The literature professor entered it into the curriculum for early literature and everyone thought they were reading the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Mason's verse narrative is strikingly purged of place and time specific references. In his hands this complex monument of Babylonian literature has become just "an old story... that can still be told" about friendship, loss and human mortality. In Mason's popular retelling, the character Gilgamesh has been reduced to a sentimental simpleton, who cannot deal with the facts of life. Such a retelling can be recommended for children, but it is too full of anachronistic references to "thoughts" (unheard of in early texts) and other modern phenomena to deserve the attention of grown-ups. From Mr. Mason's recreation of the poem alone it would seem unlikely that the Epic of Gilgamesh had held the fascination of generations of writers and scholars, ever since it was rediscovered in the 19th century.

One former reviewer states: "If this wonderful epic were familiar to everyone in our culture, as it was to the Babylonians who made it their national epic back in the third millenium B.C., we would be the richer for having a wealth of images to sustain us as we encounter our tragedies and walk through our dark valleys." I do essentially agree, but in that case it is imperative to keep closer to the Epic itself, not to rely on an imitation. My recommendations: For those who need textual supplementary information and variant readings I recommend either of Maureen Gallery Kovacs or Andrew R. George's translations. Stephen Mitchell's New English Version should be easy to use for those who are looking for a simplified translation for a clear understanding.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deep view of the meaning of life, February 22, 2002

By 

Khaled Mahmoud Al Anani (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative (Mentor) (Paperback)

While there cannot be much doubt as to the cultural value of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the importance of the story transceds mere literary significance. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of those simple and yet deeply insightful stories that one can relate to. The verse narrative style that mason adopts, while by no means a flawless poetic translation, takes you through the events in a seamlessly captivating manner. One can infer a lot from the story about the meaning of life, especially as regards how the ancient ones chose to answer questions such as eternity and why humans cannot live forever (u'll have to figure out which part of the story I am talking about!!).
Overall this is a great reading. Shouldnt take too long to finish either, although I recommend that you take your time reading this one.