The Norton Critical Edition of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is a fairly recent translation of what is currently the oldest known epic. The epic was translated by Benjamin R. Foster. The book also includes "The Sumerian Gilgamesh Poems", translated by Douglas Frayne, and "The Hittite Gilgamesh", translated by Gary Beckman. In addition, there is "The Gilgamesh Letter", several essays discussing the epic, and an Introduction section which helps those who are new to the Epic with their first reading. The translation uses the "standard version" associated with Sin-leqe-unninni as its base, and supplements it with parts from other versions where there are gaps. There are also comments in the text to help the reader follow the passages easier.
An area of weakness of this book was in the area of editorial comments. For example, Mr. Foster states in the introduction:
"There is no evidence that The Epic of Gilgamesh began as an oral narrative performed by bards or reciters and coalesced into a written text only later. In fact, the poem as we now have it shows many signs of having been a formal, written, literary work composed and perhaps performed for well-educated people, especially scholars and members of a royal court."
This is in sharp contrast with other opinions which I have read regarding the origins of the Epic. While it may be that there is no conclusive proof one way or another, there clearly is some evidence to support the theory that it did begin as an oral narrative, just as there is evidence that it may not have. If Mr. Foster completely disregards the evidence on the other side of the argument, then one is left to wonder if there are other "facts" provided by the editor that are equally suspect. When comparing this translation to those by Alexander Heidel and Stephanie Dalley, one can see significant differences at the start of the epic where the other editors use as evidence which suggests that this was an oral narrative originally. Mr. Foster's translation though is worded in a way that does not suggest an oral origin.
On the whole, this was a very readable translation of the Epic. The supplementary material included is also very good. While I may disagree with some of the editor's opinions about the history of the work and the way he presents the evidence, this is still a good choice to read.
ISBN-13: 978-0393975161
ISBN-10: 0393975169
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but needless to say I'm glad I did as it provides a really good translation ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2015
Paulo Leite
A interminável busca do homem pela vida eterna
Reviewed in Brazil on October 22, 2016
A interminável busca do homem pela vida eterna
Reviewed in Brazil on October 22, 2016
Quatro mil anos se passaram desde que foi escrito em argila, e mesmo assim o “Épico de Gilgamesh” continua fascinando os leitores contemporâneos, com seu líder Gilgamesh, rei de Uruk – primeira cidade histórica do mundo –, e seu companheiro – o “selvagem” Enkidu. O épico inicialmente chamou a atenção dos críticos bíblicos pela descrição do dilúvio – reportado muito antes do antigo testamento. Igualmente fascinante foi a abordagem do conflito entre deuses, a luta do homem com a natureza, e o reconhecimento de sua própria mortalidade; espelhando assim a eterna tentativa do homem em achar o seu lugar na sociedade e dentro do cosmos; muito parecido com os dilemas encontrados nos poemas de Homero, Hamlet e Eclesiastes, certo? Além de abordar importantes temas metafísicos, o épico narra a saga de dois amigos, Gilgamesh e Enkidu; a devoção recíproca, que persiste mesmo após a morte. Em suma, o épico contém tudo o que os leitores esperam de uma grande e intensa narrativa: paisagens fantásticas (em nossa imaginação), personagens exóticos, missões desgastantes, viagens difíceis, batalhas heroicas, seres sobrenaturais. Gilgamesh é, acima de tudo, a emocionante estória de um herói épico que se levanta para cada desafio com grande coragem e determinação.Reviewed in Brazil on October 22, 2016
# Por juntar fragmentos de narrativas de antigas versões, esta edição é bem mais completa e tem a minha predileção.
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