Yay! Sometime next week, perhaps I will try to film a Gilgamesh discussion. I keep saving your videos, thinking I will respond to a one eventually. I think Gilgamesh just pushed me over.
I didn’t get around to reading Gilgamesh till way later than I should have, but fully fell in love with the N. K. Sanders “translation,” also by penguin in a svelte little copy. Sanders’ edition definitely falls in the “make a compelling story at the price of faithfulness,” and the result is a bizarre, funny, and moving version that I now recommend to literally anyone I meet. I’ve already lent my copy to two other people, and am seriously considering buying a stack to just give away. Couldn’t recommend it more, and I can’t wait to read more translations.
Yes what a lovely cover. I love those Assyrian wall reliefs. The British Museum has some of the finest; a legacy of our imperial acquisitiveness. They held a tremendous exhibition about Ashurbanipal a couple of years ago and tried to recreate his royal library of clay tablets. I resolved then to read a version of Gilgamesh but still haven't got to it, possibly because of being unsure whether to choose one like this that just presents what we have or one that fills the gaps so to speak.
One of the struggles of a high school English teacher who loves classic literature: do I present the text in its original form (or as close to it as possible) or do I present it to them with a modern, more hip version of the text that they can relate to? Rh average teenager doesn't care about the beauty of language these days, so I find myself going with the more modern adaptation, especially with Shakespeare, which breaks my heart in a way, but they still experience great drama filled with wonderful characters.
I have always wanted to read this book and honestly never found it. My last big 'reminder to self" about Gilgamesh was when it appeared as a question on Jeopardy!..... humm, I am both kinds of those readers so let me go hunting. Thanks Steve !
@ 2:33 I spat my coffee out EVERYWHERE at the punchline!
Yay! Sometime next week, perhaps I will try to film a Gilgamesh discussion. I keep saving your videos, thinking I will respond to a one eventually. I think Gilgamesh just pushed me over.
And I really want to do Sappho, too!
Please do Hannah. I would love to hear that.
Such a Sweetie!
Um...oh yeah, Steve and books. Right. On it.
EYES ON THE PRIZE, you! Remember: I'M the cute one!
I find it wonderful that we still have access to so much ancient literature. I've read that they are still finding fragments of this ancient text.
I didn’t get around to reading Gilgamesh till way later than I should have, but fully fell in love with the N. K. Sanders “translation,” also by penguin in a svelte little copy. Sanders’ edition definitely falls in the “make a compelling story at the price of faithfulness,” and the result is a bizarre, funny, and moving version that I now recommend to literally anyone I meet. I’ve already lent my copy to two other people, and am seriously considering buying a stack to just give away. Couldn’t recommend it more, and I can’t wait to read more translations.
Ordered it. Thanks for sharing.
who's a Good girl, who's a Good girl..the little bean!
Thank you, very helpful
Yes what a lovely cover. I love those Assyrian wall reliefs. The British Museum has some of the finest; a legacy of our imperial acquisitiveness. They held a tremendous exhibition about Ashurbanipal a couple of years ago and tried to recreate his royal library of clay tablets. I resolved then to read a version of Gilgamesh but still haven't got to it, possibly because of being unsure whether to choose one like this that just presents what we have or one that fills the gaps so to speak.
One of the struggles of a high school English teacher who loves classic literature: do I present the text in its original form (or as close to it as possible) or do I present it to them with a modern, more hip version of the text that they can relate to? Rh average teenager doesn't care about the beauty of language these days, so I find myself going with the more modern adaptation, especially with Shakespeare, which breaks my heart in a way, but they still experience great drama filled with wonderful characters.
Even modern adaptations are better than nothing! At least that way, SOME of your students will be intrigued enough to hunt down the originals!
I have always wanted to read this book and honestly never found it. My last big 'reminder to self" about Gilgamesh was when it appeared as a question on Jeopardy!..... humm, I am both kinds of those readers so let me go hunting. Thanks Steve !
That's the book I am currently reading! :)
♡
Tanagra!
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra that is