The oldest epic poem in existence, this has been on my reading list for ages. And it's so worth reading - the Gilgamesh myth has bubbled beneath the literature of (literal) millennia, and there are familiar things here that, when reading, you realise where they actually came from.

Honestly, as an epic poem I don't love it as much as Beowulf, but in his introduction Mitchell argues for a genuine subtlety here (that the Beowulf poem admittedly lacks) when it comes to questions of good and evil. This is a world with a lot more grey in it, and although I can't say that I actually like either of the heroes, I didn't particularly like Beowulf as a person either. But then I'm not sure epics like these are read for character-building. They're read for sources and inspiration and image and common culture, and in that this translation is a success I think. Granted, I can only claim that with half-knowledge, as I've not read any other translation of Gilgamesh before and so have nothing to compare it to. Still, Mitchell's focus has been on producing an accessible edition, so that readers can read for all those things listed above. Both the poetry itself, and the context-giving introduction, are clear and compelling. It may not be the most scholarly version of this story out there, but it takes great pleasure in the sharing of it.