05-08-2012, 12:16 PM
@TheEternal: My initial impressions of this book are that it is a very worthwhile read, and I'll be saving this for later immersion on my own time, but something tells me that there's a slight chance the professor will end up saying that it doesn't count as a literary work and is 'philosophical' or autobiographical instead. Thanks a ton for this recommendation though! 
@seejay: You might have just saved my ass here! It is a short enough read, a foreign epic, and plus it gives me the opportunity to familiarize myself more with the character of Gilgamesh considering I only know him more from the Final Fantasy video game series.
@Meerie: o___O; 1.8 million words... by Friday... -hides under rock- Maybe if I had Ra or Q'uo helping me out analyze this book, sure! I could improvise, but just in case the professor is familiar with it I'll be interrogated on whether I have superhuman speed reading abilities. Thank you, though!
@Oldern: I've had quite a few Asian friends in the past so I have heard of this story before. This might also prove to be a good option and will be added to future reading material as well simply because of this first verse:
Though considering the length, probably won't be using it for my paper, but I thank you nonetheless for this.
@Observer: I'll be sure to write about how the Mahabharata centers on a tale of a magical roti pancake with arms, legs, and psychic powers making his way to a divine stream of everflowing curry that grants immortality to the drinker and a spicy hot journey to the bathroom later.
Thank you all for these recommendations! I'm now deciding between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Rubaiyat, the latter still because given that the questions of "How do the cultural norms, traditions, and myths play a role in shaping this literature?" and "What obstacles have these writers faced in their pursuit of truth in their writing" might be tricky to answer for the former considering the authors of the Epic are anonymous and its writing was accomplished over an obscure and elongated period of time. I'll go do a bit more research on this though.
@seejay: You might have just saved my ass here! It is a short enough read, a foreign epic, and plus it gives me the opportunity to familiarize myself more with the character of Gilgamesh considering I only know him more from the Final Fantasy video game series.
@Meerie: o___O; 1.8 million words... by Friday... -hides under rock- Maybe if I had Ra or Q'uo helping me out analyze this book, sure! I could improvise, but just in case the professor is familiar with it I'll be interrogated on whether I have superhuman speed reading abilities. Thank you, though!
@Oldern: I've had quite a few Asian friends in the past so I have heard of this story before. This might also prove to be a good option and will be added to future reading material as well simply because of this first verse:
Quote:The Divine Root Conceives and the Spring Breaks Forth
As the Heart's Nature Is Cultivated, the Great Way Arises
Before Chaos was divided, Heaven and Earth were one;
All was a shapeless blur, and no men had appeared.
Once Pan Gu destroyed the Enormous Vagueness
The separation of clear and impure began
Though considering the length, probably won't be using it for my paper, but I thank you nonetheless for this.
@Observer: I'll be sure to write about how the Mahabharata centers on a tale of a magical roti pancake with arms, legs, and psychic powers making his way to a divine stream of everflowing curry that grants immortality to the drinker and a spicy hot journey to the bathroom later.
Thank you all for these recommendations! I'm now deciding between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Rubaiyat, the latter still because given that the questions of "How do the cultural norms, traditions, and myths play a role in shaping this literature?" and "What obstacles have these writers faced in their pursuit of truth in their writing" might be tricky to answer for the former considering the authors of the Epic are anonymous and its writing was accomplished over an obscure and elongated period of time. I'll go do a bit more research on this though.