Gilgamesh the King (The Gilgamesh Trilogy)

by Ludmila Zeman

Paperback, 1998

Status

Available

Call number

398.21

Collection

Publication

Tundra Books (1998), Edition: Reprint, 24 pages

Description

Gilgamesh, half-god and half-man, in his loneliness and isolation becomes a cruel tyrant over the citizens of Uruk. To impress them forever he orders a great wall to be built, driving his people to exhaustion and despair so that they cry to the Sun God for help. In answer, another kind of man, Enkidu, is sent to earth to live among the animals and learn kindness from them. He falls in love with Shamhat, a singer from the temple, and he follows her back to Uruk. There, Enkidu, the "uncivilized" beast from the forest, shows the evil Gilgamesh through friendship what it means to be human.

User reviews

LibraryThing member themulhern
The first book in a Gilgamesh trilogy. A particularly charming illustration shows the two heroes fixing to fight and yelling cuneiform threats or insults at each other. After the celebrations, the heroes kick back with an enormous pipe. What are they smoking? Generally the illustrations seem to mix
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up Assyrian and Sumerian art, we see the standard of Ur, and what looks like a Sumerian battle wagon, but also some Assyrian bulls and armor. The effect is pleasant. The story seems rather freely adapted, almost too much so.
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Awards

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Picture Books — 1996)

Lexile

660L

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

11.44 x 10.25 inches

ISBN

0887764371 / 9780887764370
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