I've read a little over half of the stories in this book, and almost all of them seem very pointless. Gilgamesh was disappointing as hell. The flood was okay. My main problem is that the characters do these huge things, like setting out on a quest to cut down a pine forest or kill somebody's sons, for no apparent reason. There is no clear motive for their actions. It leaves me very confused. Am I just retarded?
Maybe it's just evidence that the art of storytelling as we know it is the result of thousands of years of evolution and refinement. Maybe Gilgamesh is a great book in the same way that Charlie Chaplin movies are great movies. Worth reading, very important, but not that good compared to things that came after them.
But Chaplin is still great even when I watch him now. Much of the shitty comedies coming out nowadays are hinged on endless pop culture references that will be outdated in a few decades, while the Tramp is eternal.
Ian Smith
>the book you need to read
Asher Clark
I just skimmed the wikipedia article Seems great, I'll add it to my list!
Wyatt Brooks
>Maybe Gilgamesh is a great book in the same way that Charlie Chaplin movies are great movies. Worth reading, very important, but not that good compared to things that came after them. City Lights is a GOAT candidate movie.
Brayden Perez
>Maybe it's just evidence that the art of storytelling as we know it is the result of thousands of years of evolution and refinement. Maybe Gilgamesh is a great book in the same way that Charlie Chaplin movies are great movies. Worth reading, very important, but not that good compared to things that came after them. People will call you a pleb for this, but yes. Ancient stories are very rarely "good." Most of the enjoyment of reading them comes from the fact that it's cool to read something extremely old and get a window into a distant culture.
Lucas James
Why are so many people getting enjoyment from the Bible?
Benjamin Lewis
that type of shit didn't happen until cervantes wrote don Quixote op
Parker Rogers
Yeah, that's definitely why I'm still reading I read a book about Egyptian myth and that shit was fucking weird. There are some very strange stories there.
Idk, I love the stories from Ancient Greece, even though tragic theater and oral tradition is a little different from the format of a novel. Many (if not most) of the characters had really good reasons for their actions and the stories had actual arcs.
But the mesopotamian stories were as old to Homer as Homer is to us.
William Reyes
it's fantastic
Ethan Walker
Its more or less The Pentateuch for Retards.
Andrew Walker
Can somebody please tell me what bible to read?
Luke Lewis
Unironically kjv but your mother's one will do.
Bentley Morales
Buster Keaton > Charlie Chaplin
Both are GOATs tho.
Mason Watson
KJV or you may as well not bother
Connor Reed
I agree with this but Gilgamesh still had a pretty profound emotional effect on me. You can guess what part.
Tyler Rodriguez
oxford annotated bible for scholarly accuracy + kjv for literary value. yes you need both.
Daniel Lewis
>There is no clear motive for their actions. It leaves me very confused. Am I just retarded?
You have to understand that the ancients didn't have genres of literature. Gilgamesh is history, religion, fiction, myth, philosophy, comedy, tragedy, etc. all at once.
If you read it thinking you're reading one thing or another, you are bound to get confused or disappointed. It requires a special sort of reading to truly enjoy. One that takes in the text without imposing modern categories or expectations.
Kevin Perry
I really liked the Great Dictator
Ian Jones
that makes sense, I'll keep that in mind as I continue reading. It's truly impressive given the amount of information people had.
Charles Hall
I read Gilgamesh for an online, really enjoyed it. Funnier than I expected, with all the bro shit. Felt like JoJo to me for some reason. I reckon the course's lectures are worthwhile. They're unlisted so you'll have to go on EdX to watch the rest (HUM12.1x: Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature)
