---
product_id: 1694991
title: "Gilgamesh: A New English Version"
price: "€ 45.27"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/1694991-gilgamesh-a-new-english-version
store_origin: BE
region: Belgium
---

# Gilgamesh: A New English Version

**Price:** € 45.27
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## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Gilgamesh: A New English Version
- **How much does it cost?** € 45.27 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/1694991-gilgamesh-a-new-english-version)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Gilgamesh is considered one of the masterpieces of world literature, but until now there has not been a version that is a superlative literary text in its own right. Acclaimed by critics and scholars, Stephen Mitchell's version allows us to enter an ancient masterpiece as if for the first time, to see how startlingly beautiful, intelligent, and alive it is.

Review: A non-specialist's humble opinion: stop browsing and read this version! - The Epic of Gilgamesh is a classic work of humankind, a tale rich in adventure, sensuality, and psychological depth and complexity. The narrator reaches out and grabs the reader immediately by inviting him or her to look around the mighty city of Uruk, to observe its walls, temples, and gardens (in our mind's eye, if nothing else)--all the works of the man-god Gilgamesh. Yet, our picture of Gilgamesh quickly becomes rather complex--we see him first as a mighty hero, then we see that he is both loved and feared by his subjects, as he fully exercises his sovereign powers. Gilgamesh tames Enkidu, his wild brother in arms, in a rather unorthodox way but in the end we see it is Enkidu who civilizes and humanizes Gilgamesh, who is forced to face his own mortality. Long after the Sumerian civilization ceased to exist and the grand city of Uruk disappeared beneath the sands, through this tale Gilgamesh lives on in the human consciousness--ironically, granting him the immortality he so desperately sought. When I set out to read the Epic of Gilgamesh, I learned that reading *THE* Epic of Gilgamesh is an impossible task--it doesn't exist! As a tale that is perhaps more than 4000 years old and likely started as a story told orally, it has been passed down in a number of versions in various levels of completeness, in a number of different languages, over a span of several millennia. When I browsed the reviews here on desertcart, I ran across a number of comments disparaging this "version" on a variety of points--the author does not speak the original languages of the tale (Sumerian, Akkadian, etc.), he has "filled in blanks" and moved around pieces of the text, etc. Some reviewers have mentioned that "truer" and "more scholarly" versions exist, but given the extremely wide and indeterminate origins of this tale mentioned above, those claims seem about valid as someone claiming to have the "true" recipe for chicken soup. What exactly does that mean, after all? I imagine a comment like that will send a few scholars into apoplexy (if the title of my review did not already), but being an academic myself (albeit in a very different field) I feel it is important to add a healthy dose of skepticism to these claims of the existence of an "original" or "true" story lest one think they are being cheated out of the "real deal" by reading a version such as this one. Likewise, as a speaker and translator of foreign languages myself, I understand the delicate balance (some might call it a trade-off) between staying faithful to the letter versus the spirit of the text--in other words, translation is as much art as it is science. The versions full of brackets and ellipses might be technically accurate, so-called "scholarly" translations of a given intermediate version (such as Sin-leqi-unninni's) or two, but at the same time it is not a faithful recreation of the experience of a Sumerian hearing the tale for the first time. Technical accuracy is easier to quantify than the aesthetic appeal of a given version or translation, but that does not mean that aesthetics are not important--especially for the non-specialist (which I would imagine includes the majority of desertcart shoppers). To that end, I highly recommend Mitchell's version as it gives the best of both worlds. Through copious notes, Mitchell cites where he varies from the older texts and translations so that one may track and compare versions. Meanwhile, he has crafted English verse that cleanly and clearly tells the tale of Gilgamesh better than any "scholarly" or other "non-scholarly" version that I have laid eyes on. His detailed introduction helps set a context for the text, its discovery, its relationship to other texts (such as epics in other traditions, and the tale's similarities with the story of the Biblical flood), and its relevance today. If you are interested in more technically accurate versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh (such as more conventional translations of Sin-leqi-unninni's "standard" version) then by all means explore other versions recommended by the reviewers much more knowledgeable than me in this area. But for people like me--the non-specialist more interested in reading the epic (with a lower-case "e") of Gilgamesh than chasing after the phantom "original" or "true" Epic of Gilgamesh--save yourself the trouble of thumbing through different versions and pick this one up.
Review: Kindle & Soft Cover - An Outstanding Read! - I just finished reading this version of Gilgamesh, and I'm still feeling the glow. I'm not new to Gilgamesh - I had read several versions already, but I am new to Stephen Mitchell. This version is by far the best I have read! Beginning with a 65 page introduction which I found delightful to read (Do yourself a favor and don't skip it - It, too is interesting and lively and you'll enjoy the author's insights) - Michell's adept writing brought life and a sense of personal connection to this work that I had missed in past readings. Mitchell's words flowed with rhythm and feeling throughout this great literature, made greater than I had remembered in the hands of other writers. I purchased this work for my Kindle, but in view of one of the reviewer's complaint that the eBook was displayed in prose rather than as it appears in print, I also opted to buy the printed book as well. Upon opening the hard copy, I was disappointed to find that the print throughout was in a fairly small and light font ... definitely not what I would have wished. So I turned to my Kindle edition: I experienced no problem at all in the "prose vs poetry" lines - The rhythm was obvious (and enjoyed by me) in spite of lack of line breaks. I'm so glad I did buy the eBook - Very enjoyable reading and with no eye strain. Only one problem: I was surprised to find that I had reached the end so soon ... I had become so engrossed in the story that the time flew, and, though I wasn't reading for speed, it was one of the fastest reads I've had the pleasure to complete.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #23,324 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in African Literary History & Criticism #8 in Middle Eastern Poetry (Books) #27 in Ancient & Classical Poetry |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,756 Reviews |

## Images

![Gilgamesh: A New English Version - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/911BUINvChL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A non-specialist's humble opinion: stop browsing and read this version!
*by C***S on January 6, 2008*

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a classic work of humankind, a tale rich in adventure, sensuality, and psychological depth and complexity. The narrator reaches out and grabs the reader immediately by inviting him or her to look around the mighty city of Uruk, to observe its walls, temples, and gardens (in our mind's eye, if nothing else)--all the works of the man-god Gilgamesh. Yet, our picture of Gilgamesh quickly becomes rather complex--we see him first as a mighty hero, then we see that he is both loved and feared by his subjects, as he fully exercises his sovereign powers. Gilgamesh tames Enkidu, his wild brother in arms, in a rather unorthodox way but in the end we see it is Enkidu who civilizes and humanizes Gilgamesh, who is forced to face his own mortality. Long after the Sumerian civilization ceased to exist and the grand city of Uruk disappeared beneath the sands, through this tale Gilgamesh lives on in the human consciousness--ironically, granting him the immortality he so desperately sought. When I set out to read the Epic of Gilgamesh, I learned that reading *THE* Epic of Gilgamesh is an impossible task--it doesn't exist! As a tale that is perhaps more than 4000 years old and likely started as a story told orally, it has been passed down in a number of versions in various levels of completeness, in a number of different languages, over a span of several millennia. When I browsed the reviews here on Amazon, I ran across a number of comments disparaging this "version" on a variety of points--the author does not speak the original languages of the tale (Sumerian, Akkadian, etc.), he has "filled in blanks" and moved around pieces of the text, etc. Some reviewers have mentioned that "truer" and "more scholarly" versions exist, but given the extremely wide and indeterminate origins of this tale mentioned above, those claims seem about valid as someone claiming to have the "true" recipe for chicken soup. What exactly does that mean, after all? I imagine a comment like that will send a few scholars into apoplexy (if the title of my review did not already), but being an academic myself (albeit in a very different field) I feel it is important to add a healthy dose of skepticism to these claims of the existence of an "original" or "true" story lest one think they are being cheated out of the "real deal" by reading a version such as this one. Likewise, as a speaker and translator of foreign languages myself, I understand the delicate balance (some might call it a trade-off) between staying faithful to the letter versus the spirit of the text--in other words, translation is as much art as it is science. The versions full of brackets and ellipses might be technically accurate, so-called "scholarly" translations of a given intermediate version (such as Sin-leqi-unninni's) or two, but at the same time it is not a faithful recreation of the experience of a Sumerian hearing the tale for the first time. Technical accuracy is easier to quantify than the aesthetic appeal of a given version or translation, but that does not mean that aesthetics are not important--especially for the non-specialist (which I would imagine includes the majority of Amazon shoppers). To that end, I highly recommend Mitchell's version as it gives the best of both worlds. Through copious notes, Mitchell cites where he varies from the older texts and translations so that one may track and compare versions. Meanwhile, he has crafted English verse that cleanly and clearly tells the tale of Gilgamesh better than any "scholarly" or other "non-scholarly" version that I have laid eyes on. His detailed introduction helps set a context for the text, its discovery, its relationship to other texts (such as epics in other traditions, and the tale's similarities with the story of the Biblical flood), and its relevance today. If you are interested in more technically accurate versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh (such as more conventional translations of Sin-leqi-unninni's "standard" version) then by all means explore other versions recommended by the reviewers much more knowledgeable than me in this area. But for people like me--the non-specialist more interested in reading the epic (with a lower-case "e") of Gilgamesh than chasing after the phantom "original" or "true" Epic of Gilgamesh--save yourself the trouble of thumbing through different versions and pick this one up.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kindle & Soft Cover - An Outstanding Read!
*by T***N on April 7, 2016*

I just finished reading this version of Gilgamesh, and I'm still feeling the glow. I'm not new to Gilgamesh - I had read several versions already, but I am new to Stephen Mitchell. This version is by far the best I have read! Beginning with a 65 page introduction which I found delightful to read (Do yourself a favor and don't skip it - It, too is interesting and lively and you'll enjoy the author's insights) - Michell's adept writing brought life and a sense of personal connection to this work that I had missed in past readings. Mitchell's words flowed with rhythm and feeling throughout this great literature, made greater than I had remembered in the hands of other writers. I purchased this work for my Kindle, but in view of one of the reviewer's complaint that the eBook was displayed in prose rather than as it appears in print, I also opted to buy the printed book as well. Upon opening the hard copy, I was disappointed to find that the print throughout was in a fairly small and light font ... definitely not what I would have wished. So I turned to my Kindle edition: I experienced no problem at all in the "prose vs poetry" lines - The rhythm was obvious (and enjoyed by me) in spite of lack of line breaks. I'm so glad I did buy the eBook - Very enjoyable reading and with no eye strain. Only one problem: I was surprised to find that I had reached the end so soon ... I had become so engrossed in the story that the time flew, and, though I wasn't reading for speed, it was one of the fastest reads I've had the pleasure to complete.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great starter edition (I think)
*by D***. on May 14, 2012*

My interest in ancient religions lead me to Gilgamesh. This is the Mitchell version, he's unable to read or translate from the cuneiform but instead took several literal and not so literal English translations, using them he created his own "version". From reading other reviews this has lead to mixed opinions, it seems that he was very loose with the translations and being so free bothers some of the purists. For me personally, I don't mind a very loose rendering, I plan to follow this up with the Andrew George edition and I got this easier to read version as a sort of commentary. The introduction on this edition is some what long about 65 pages and he gives the entire plot summary for Gilgamesh, so if one is worried about spoilers then this should be saved for the end. I read it first and knowing the plot before hand didn't seem to hurt my opinion of the story. Most of the end notes are the more literal translations of certain passages that Mitchell was very free with, I read them but since I'm about to read another edition, I don't think it was worthwhile. As for the Epic of Gilgamesh itself, it was a great read. The version was very easy to read and the story itself was pretty interesting. I got way more into this one that some of the other early texts I've read. I think the most common thing known about Gilgamesh is that it contains its own version of the flood. Of course this brings comparisons to the Genesis account of the flood and the two stories are surprisingly similar, even down to both Noah and Utnapishtim sending out some sort of bird to see if the land was yet dry. One of the main differences between the two is that the boat in Gilgamesh is smaller and cubed, which reminded me of one Genesis commentary I read/heard which pointed out that the boat in Gilgamesh couldn't possibly float so therefore this has to be myth and the Genesis account is the true one, which caused me to chuckle a little. Anyways, the flood account was less than a tenth of this book and the rest was equally fascinating. I'm looking forward to read this one again.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart Belgium*
*Store origin: BE*
*Last updated: 2026-07-10*