The Epic of Gilgamesh

Name: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9781609807931
Price: 47.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Kent H. Dixon

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3.81

( 296 ratings, 59 reviews)

Summary

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known epic tale, tracing the journey of Gilgamesh, a flawed king who transforms through trials, battles with monsters, and the profound confrontation with mortality. Originally inscribed on 5000-year-old clay tablets, this coming-of-age story explores wisdom, humanity, and the meaning of life. This graphic novel edition, translated and adapted by scholar Kent H. Dixon and his son, artist Kevin Dixon, presents the entire epic with visual wit and artistic nods to classic comic masters, offering a fresh, immersive reading experience.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This graphic novel suits mythology enthusiasts, readers interested in ancient literature, and fans of visually rich storytelling. It is ideal for those who appreciate a blend of classic narrative with contemporary comic art and subtle humour.

A graphic novel adaptation of the most complete Gilgamesh in translation - including the new discoveries from tablet V.

The most complete Gilgamesh in translation--including the new discoveries from tablet V.

Description

The most complete Gilgamesh in translation—including the new discoveries from Tablet V.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the epic—the hero's journey, quest, and education—inscribed onto damp clay tablets several millennia before Odysseus or the priest of Ecclesiastes found their voices. Sumerian versions of the epic date back almost 5000 years. It is a Bildungsroman of a bad king learning to become a proper human being and therefore a wise king, and to do so, besides defeating lions and monsters and surviving great physical and emotional suffering, he must face, and answer, the first (and last) great question: mortality.

Translated into English and presented here in its entirety as a graphic novel, this version of The Epic of Gilgamesh is a father/son project by scholar and translator Kent H. Dixon and his son, the comix artist Kevin Dixon, who bring a fresh take on this great work. The reader is slowed down by the artwork and visual jokes and the artist's wry hat-tippings to various masters (Crumb and Gilbert Shelton alongside Schultz and Capp, Popeye and Krazy Kat, Uderzo's Asterix and Herge's Tintin), and then, once the reading pace has shifted into lower gear, having all these aspects complementarily drawn out, makes for an especially satisfying counterpoint to the low-key, the wise and cynical and morally sophisticated, and sometimes sublimely Olympian humour.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise the Dixon father-son team for their authentic yet accessible graphic adaptation. Publishers Weekly calls it "required reading for any lover of mythology," noting its avant-garde approach. Dr. Matthew J. Smith highlights the blend of scholarly translation with imaginative, humorous storytelling that appeals to both new and familiar readers. Essayist Rolf Potts applauds the playful and engaging tone that captures the timeless themes with a fresh, fun perspective.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781609807931

Publisher: Seven Stories Press,U.S.

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 June 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Seven Stories Press,U.S.

Illustration: 1 Illustrations

Contributors:

Illustrated by Kevin H. Dixon

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 210.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 204

Collections

Fiction Graphic Novels Kent H. Dixon Penguin Books

About the Author

KENT H. DIXONis primarily a prose writer, but has published in all genres. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared inThe Iowa Review,TriQuarterly,The Georgia Review,The Antioch Review,The Gettysburg Review,The American Prospect,Shenandoah, and many other journals. Recent translations include Mallarme'sL'apr s-midi d'un fauneand Rilke's "Leichen-W sche," Sappho and Baudelaire inTransference, andhibakusha(A-bomb survivor poetry) inLuna- A Journal of Poetry and Translation. With his artist son Kevin, he created the opening graphic novel excerpt ofThe Epic of Gilgameshin editor Russ Kick's 2012 three-volume anthologyThe Graphic Canon. Kent was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. from University of Iowa-the Writers' Workshop. Until retiring in 2013, he taught creative writing and literature at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where he lives with his writer wife and continues to teach whitewater kayaking. KEVIN H. DIXONis known for the autobiographical series ...And Then There Was Rock, "...true stories about playing in a crappy loser band." With collaborator Eric Knisley, he producedMickey Death and the Winds of Impotence, for which they won a Xeric Award. Kevin has done cover art for small presses in Chapel Hill NC; run comic series in local newspapers; hosted 'underground' talk radio shows; and contributed the cover to the first volume ofThe Graphic Canon, an Oliver Twist for the second volume, and a Brothers Grimm tale forThe Graphic Canon of Children's Literature. Kevin lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and their three cats.