/lit/ - Literature

>>19728455
A very helpful anon just told me this about Gilgamesh:

>Which epic of Gilgamesh translation should I read?
The new Benjamin Foster translation is both up-to-date and quite nice, if we're talking English translations only.
>Would it be better to read the oldest fragments or the standard text by Sîn-lēqi-unninni?
Many editions contain excerpts from the older Sumerian and Old Babylonian Gilgamesh compositions. While some of them are very interesting and quite good compositions in their own right, they're *mostly* of interest to academic students of the cultures. The Standard Babylonian version is completely sufficient for someone interested in the broad strokes of literary history.
>Who has the best commentary?
Andrew George's two-volume scholarly edition is still the standard for students, but for commentary directed at a more general readership Foster should be fine.
>How are Robert temple and other verse translations?
I've read fairly few Gilgamesh translations, so I can't help you much in the regard of comparison. Foster translates into free verse (as most worthwhile translations of Ancient Near Eastern poetry do), which keeps the poetic parallelism that the integrity between the verses rely on intact. Andrew George's Penguin translation is less up-to-date, but very good also.

pic, ant religion

>>19572599
Benjamin Franklin's was pretty fun. I have a few of my relatives as well. They were interesting. Hopefully I do something my descendents want to read about.