Gilgamesh

By: Joan London

Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein

Edith and Frances, living with their mother on a tiny farm in the south-east of Australia, are visited by their cousin Leopold and his Armenian friend Aram. The two young men are taking the long way home after working on an archaeological dig in Iraq. It is 1937. The modern world they say, is waiting to erupt. Among the tales they tell is the story of Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk, in ancient Mesopotamia. Gilgamesh's great journey of mourning after the death of his friend Enkidu, and his search for the secret of eternal life, is to resonate through all of their lives. In 1939 Edith and her young child set off on an impossible journey of their own, to find themselves trapped by the outbreak of war. The story of this journey is the story of encounters and escapes, of friendship and love, of loss and acceptance.

©2001 Joan London (P)2002 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Written in a wonderfully economical prose, alternatively bristling and resonating with suggestiveness." (Australian Book Review)

"London writes with deft, poetic economy that makes every page sharp and of interest." (The Age)

"This is a writer who understands both the power of myth in our lives and the ties which bind humanity." (The Bulletin)

Epic pleaser

the story flows, with information about the characters, setting, and situations in an engaging and interesting story that continued to keep you interested.

Unsatisfactory

A strange and unsatisfactory book. The author prepares a canvas on a heroic scale, but then largely populates it with trivialities. The writing style is excellent, as is the reader, and the idea behind the story is promising. However, the main character seems to be one of those people who are peripherally associated in momentous events without becoming involved in them. I was left feeling dissatisfied, given how much more the author could done with these characters.

Gilgamesh

Direct simple prose and a deceptively simple story that has touches deeply.Narration superb.

Great Book!

I loved this book. The writing was interesting and engaging. I loved the narration it really brought the story alive.

Clear, luminous prose

Set in Australia and Armenia, this novel is beautifully written. The bleak and wild landscapes compliment the characters as if one is a reflection of the other. Paced neither slow nor fast, enough action takes place to keep you interested. Reccomended.