The story of Gilgamesh is certainly a strange one. He’s the
king of a Mesopotamian city, who refuses to advances of a goddess or priestess,
kills the mythical beasts sent by the gods to punish him for his insolence, and
comes across a wild man named Enkidu out in the woods. As for Enkidu, he’s a
wild man who acts as a foil to the more civilized Gilgamesh, even though they
become best of friends.
Regardless of the legend, Bernarda Bryson’s version is wonderful.
She write the story very simply, without too many long words to complicate
things and bore the reader. Since the original story was written in Sumerian
cuneiform, it doesn’t make much sense to write the English translation with
Shakespearean levels of prose, and this version is perfect for kids. The
illustrations are wonderful too. They follow the style of the original clay
tablets on which the legend was documented, without all the over-the-top
bombardment of a lot of today’s children’s books.
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