Why YOU Should Read THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

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The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest piece of long form literature that we’ve discovered, and yet, its themes and story are thoroughly modern. In this video I’ll present my case as to why I think you’ll enjoy reading this masterpiece.
Agree? Disagree? Tell my why I’m wrong in the comments below!
Timecodes
0:00 - Intro & History of the Epic of Gilgamesh
3:16 - Reason #1
4:40 - Reason #2
6:25 - Reason #3
8:35 - Reason #4
11:03 - Wrap Up
You can buy my recommended edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh here*: amzn.to/3PlTXWs
* NOTE: If you buy using the above link, I'll receive a small commission which goes towards the cost of running this channel

Опубликовано:

20 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 40

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Have you read the Epic of Gilgamesh? Heard of it? What are your thoughts?

@themagicofmoney 9 месяцев назад

I'm going to read it now -- thanks for the rec! I didn't want to click on the video originally because it was at 666 views - I didn't want to ruin it by being the 667th view!

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

@@themagicofmoney Hah. If it makes you feel better, I took a screen grab of my channel when it hit 666 subscribers, so I get it ;). Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy the Epic!

@sarahsuze7742 9 месяцев назад

Gilgamesh represents an archetype from the collective unconscious, that's why the story resonates as much as it does and has been retold as much as it has. Wonderful video!

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Again, thanks so much for watching and commenting 😀

@ReadbyFred 9 месяцев назад

I haven't read the Iliad yet, but have read the Epic of Gilgamesh a couple years back and really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of learning about the thought processes of ancient cultures, and how love, loss, hope, fear and adventure persist throughout time. Great video, thanks for posting :)

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Indeed. Features of the human experience which are apparently timeless. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 😀

@believer773 9 месяцев назад

Studied this grand epic a bit in college, and what still sticks out is how almost every bit seems just so slightly familiar since almost every ounce of all fiction and myth that followed used just a bit of the original. Fascinating stuff

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Indeed! I was vaguely aware of that fact but when you read the source it hits you right in the face! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

@joshyaks 9 месяцев назад

I only knew the Epic of Gilgamesh somewhat vaguely as the oldest surviving written story, so this was fascinating!

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

So happy it was of interest to you. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

@smsedlak8856 9 месяцев назад

YES!!! A must read, short read, but elements pop up everywhere down to the present.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Agreed! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

@GreatGreebo 9 месяцев назад

Thank you for making such a compelling review including your recommendation for which edition we should try if we’re wanting to read the actual text (versus reading someone else’s interpretation or best guess) The Epic of Gilgamesh is definitely a great read. Cheers🤘

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Thanks and thanks for your continued support!

@kjmav10135 9 месяцев назад

This is one of my favorites. Such profundity. I agree. Everyone should read this book.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

And it's short, too, so no excuses ;) Thanks for watching and commenting!

@jennabryan1783 9 месяцев назад

I've always heard of the Epic of Gilgamesh, but didn't really give it a second thought. You may have just convinced me to pick it up. Thanks!

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Woohoo! Mission accomplished! Thanks for watching and commenting 😁

@markbeck8384 9 месяцев назад

Oh, I agree: this is a good one. It reminds you of a lot of later myths, and it is also sort of sad, and a bit of a love story. Lots to think about.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Exactly. Something for everybody. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

@GreatGreebo 9 месяцев назад

P.S. Yes PLEASE to a video of you comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh to Homer’s *The Iliad* ! That would be brilliant.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Noted!

@BasicallyNeda 9 месяцев назад

Hi Adam, great video. If you like Gilgamesh and the works of Homer, I would also recommend to you to read "Shahnameh" by Ferdowsi. There are multiple translations of it. There is even "Shanameh" for Kids.😊 It is the oldest story that was told from person to person in Persia until Ferdowsi decided to write them down for the king at that time. The original version had illustrations that are to this day seen as one of the highest art work in the culture. The story is based on Zoroastrian mythology. I'm going to stop there before this becomes an essay. 😊 Hope you enjoy my suggestion.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Thanks so much for this recommendation! I love a good epic poem and at 50,000 lines, this one seems epic indeed! I will check it out. Thanks for watching and commenting 😀

@OhioEddieBlack 9 месяцев назад

I find that people who read G. are usually surprised by some of the parallels with the Bible as well as how relatable some of it is considering how ancient the story is. Some of the themes and ideas have held up for millennia. Like you said, still applicable. Very cool.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Indeed! I knew the “story” of Gilgamesh, but you can’t really appreciate everything else you mentioned without reading the original. Thanks for watching :)

@RaynorReadsStuff 9 месяцев назад

Ok you’ve convinced me. I’ve ordered it 😊. Really interesting video.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Nothing makes me happier than when someone says this. Thank you so much for watching, and if you feel like it, let me know your thoughts once you're done with it!

@RaynorReadsStuff 9 месяцев назад

@@ADudeWhoReads will do 😊

@clouds-rb9xt 9 месяцев назад

I have the Benjamin R. Foster Second Norton Critical Edition. Highly reccomend it.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for the tip. If I run into it I may pick that up for a re-read. Thanks for watching!

@ChuckCannon 9 месяцев назад

Can't really speak to the annotations or translations in this edition, but from what I gather they seem like a better fit for how I felt about the book: that the meta analysis and surrounding study has much deeper insight than the fiction/mythology, at least when translated to English. IMO writing developed quite a bit in the millennia between this and the Iliad which is one of my favorite books. Super quick read though, which is its own fun, but I could see this being a pretty enjoyable audiobook, if there's a version with boisterous acting

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

No question that writing developed a lot in the intervening centuries (I mean we are talking CENTURIES 😉). Reading both back to back is an experience. Not sure if there’s an audiobook version, but given that this was probably originally orally transmitted poetry before it was written down, no question it would adapt well to audiobook.

@TechFanC 9 месяцев назад

I am interested to hear a comparison of The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Iliad. Do you recommend a particular edition of The Iliad? I might travel with you for a while in this literary journey.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

The edition of the Iliad I have is the Wordsworth Classics edition (the Chapman translation), and unfortunately I DON’T recommend it. The prose is nearly impossible to read even for someone who reads plenty of old lit and it’s not particularly faithful to the original source material. I actually prefer the Amazon Classics edition which is free if you have a prime membership. But even then, I can’t say it’s the best. Only that it’s better than the Wordsworth edition. Also, thanks for watching and commenting!

@dom6621 9 месяцев назад

Please share more classics 🎉

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

With pleasure! I have a list of 125 classics that I want to read / re-read. Plenty more content related to the classics coming! Thanks for watching. 😀

@EricMcLuen 9 месяцев назад

Am not sure if I read all or just parts in college. The comparison of the flood story to Noah and I believe a creation story of Marduk slaying Tiamat in my Old Testament class. Then you have the Enkidu story of Nature Boy corrupted ny women/civilization you can compare to Roy Hobbs from The Natural (book) and likely elsewhere. But yes, there are a lot of themes and stories echoed in more recent works.

@ADudeWhoReads 9 месяцев назад

Indeed. That could easily be an entire video just listing the analogs! It’s such a rich work. Thanks for watching and commenting!