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I have read several renderings of the Gilgamesh epic, and in my opinion this version by John Gardner and John Maier is the best overall. It is probably the most direct translation you will find. The original text from which this translation is drawn (the "Sin-leqi-unninni" version) is written on 12 stone tablets, each of which has 6 columns of cuneiform. (The appendix includes pictures of some of the tablets, along with commetnary about the translation process.) Gardner and Maier have preserved this format, dividing their text according to the tablet and column divisions of the original. They have also, for the most part, translated line-by-line from the original, rather than reorganizing it as many other renderings have done.
The result is a work of disarming simplicity. Taking little or no poetic license, Gardner and Maier allow the text to speak for itself. Not being a reader of Akkadian myself, I cannot say how literal or accurate this translation is; I can, however, say that, to me as a reader, it FEELS authentic, and I think that is at least as important. The story has a timeless quality which, in other renderings, is sometimes obscured by excessive verbal flourishes on the part of the "translation" -- not so here.
On its own, the text would make this book a worthwhile purchase, but there's more to this translation than just the story. Extensive commentary follows each column, providing a wide range of helpful information. Since this translation draws only from the Sin-leqi-unninni original tablets, which are damaged in some places, the commentary gives occasional pointers to other versions, and attempts to piece together missing sections. There is also historical and cultural background where appropriate, explaining for instance the various gods referenced, and more literary commentary on the story itself.
And, though I have not addressed it specifically as yet, the story is remarkable. It covers a broad range of emotions, and manages to tug at the heart in several ways. In some places, the action is simply stated without emotional exposition; in other places, the language becomes more expressive, and probes the souls of the characters.
Some readers may be deterred by one byproduct of the translation's careful adherence to the original: where there are gaps in the original text (due to damage to the stone tablets), Gardner and Maier have simply left the gaps in their translation. This is unusual; most renderings attempt to smooth over such gaps by drawing from other sources. This is only a superficial problem, however. Gardner and Maier DO draw from other sources to complete the picture, but they wisely do so in the commentary rather than attempting to patch the text itself. This allows the reader to assemble the whole picture himself where necessary, rather than having it handed to him preassembled from undisclosed fragments.
All in all this is a wonderful book. It concisely provides a clear version of the story and a wealth of relevant commentary.

Much of the twelve tablets on which the poem were written has been lost, but enough survives (through various copies and versions of the work) to be able to piece it together into a fairly coherent form. Gardner and Maier do an excellent job here of presenting the text, of translating it in a reliable and enjoyable manner, and of providing sufficient notes (actually, over half this book is notes!) to give the reader a very good feel for this beautiful poem.
This is an epic in many senses of the word, but it differs somewhat in scope from the Greek and Medieval heroic poems that we have. Still, for fans of the epic, for those interested in Homer, Virgil, Dante, or Milton, Gilgamesh provides an interesting look at an early Babylonian/Sumerian text.


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