The Epic of Gilgamesh is a series of poems derived from tablets made in Ancient Mesopotamia, roughly 3500-4000 years ago. It portrays the journeys and hardships of King Gilgamesh and has many morals and lessons in it.
It is likely fiction, but it is unknown what elements are and are not true. The genre is epic poetry and I would say the book is for anyone who is interested in ancient mythology and history. I liked it because it was drastically different to what I usually read, as I have never read an epic in its entirety before. The fact that it was so hard to understand at times only added to the feeling of awe at just how long it has survived for. The translation was very well done and managed to convey the flow of the poetry that would have been originally intended by the creator. The beauty of epics like this and other well-known ones such as the epic of Beowulf is that they are incomplete, and so it really feels like the reader is experiencing history as it is created.
Unfortunately, there are many gaps in the text due to around 500 of the 3000 lines being missing. I am sure it will be an even more riveting read once more lines and verses are discovered. Since the poems were probably seen as nonfiction for a while, the writer was clearly transcribing the poems with this in mind and so it is hard to say what could be changed. It might not appeal to every reader, but I read it and enjoyed it due to my immense fascination with ancient myths and cultures, and for anyone of similar interests, I would certainly recommend it.
Torgua Lee Imnadze recommends The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sign of Four is a detective novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which follows detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion. In this book, Sherlock is approached by a lady called Mary Morstan who dishes to understand why she has been receiving valuable pearls yearly as a gift, but while investigating this, Holmes finds a murdered man and uses his resources and skills to connect the two mysteries in an exciting manner.
It is a fiction, detective thriller book. I believe that most readers can understand and enjoy the book, however, the slightly old fashioned language may make the book harder to understand. I found the book exciting and enjoyable: I believe that by Conan Doyle only truly revealing the mystery near the end, I felt myself compelled to read more in order to understand what was going on. In addition, the elements of action and chases in the book are exciting and provide a change in pace from the rest of the novel.
Finally, this book also humanises both Holmes and Watson. It shows Holmes’s struggle with drugs and also introduces a love story in Watson’s future wife, Mary. I also liked that the book was written in a relatively simple and concise manner, allowing the reader to focus on the mystery of the story more, especially since for this style of book that is the most important part. I believe that at times, Doyle is too upfront with his descriptions of the characters’ opinions and emotions, and rather could be more subtle in how he showed these things. Moreover, I think if the book took more time and in general was longer, we would be able to better understand Sherlock’s character. But I would absolutely recommend it: I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it is an exciting and fun read for anyone.
Daniel Peachey recommends The Partner by John Grisham
Patrick Lanigan faked his own death in February 1992, and four weeks later, the firm he worked at lost $90 mil. The beginning of the book is set four years later when the FBI and third party organisations manage to find Lanigan in rural Brazil. He gives his girlfriend Eva control of the entire fortune, to put into off-shore accounts, as he is dragged back to the US. Given Lanigan’s thorough planning during these four years and his expertise as an ex-partner at a law firm, he spends his time managing civil and federal legal battles, trying to avoid death-row and retain his fortune, hoping to get away scot-free.
I’d best describe this book as a legal thriller. Cases like these are not beyond the realm of possibility and so I’d recommend the book to someone interested in the field of law, and it is a very easy read. I liked the fact that the plot came together in the last 50 pages of the book and there seemed to be no loose ends. Also, the legal terminology wasn’t too complicated, but at times prompted me to search up legal words and phrases. I also enjoyed the style - I thought that the constant changing of perspective: Lanigan, his lawyer, partners at the firm, the District Attorney, his girlfriend, etc. suited the pace of the book, and worked favourably in unravelling the plot.
However, I felt that Lanigan and his lawyer had too similar an attitude towards his case to the point that they almost seemed like the same person with the same motives, even though his lawyer didn’t know many of the details about the money and potential murder for the majority of the book. Perhaps Grisham could have slightly slowed down the pace of the book (maybe by giving it another 100 pages) and spent more time on individual characters, as there seemed to be many characters about whom we learned quite little, and this undermined their relevance. But overall, I would recommend The Partner to people who enjoy reading about trials and cases.
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