Surprise ending

The ending to the Epic if Gilgamesh was definitely not what I had expected. Perhaps I have grown to accustomed to American literature and entertainment where the hero always wins. A place where happily ever after in one form or another has become a familiar status quo. The Epic of Gilgamesh was not either, but seemed to be much more real then I had expected. It was filled with success and tragedy, with life and death, and with both victory and defeat.
 I can see why some have said this is about Gilgamesh growing up. For as the story closes you get a feeling for his maturity. He seems less like the raging bull we saw at the beginning of the book. Perhaps I felt this way because of his lack of enthusiasm or eagerness in the final chapters, or perhaps it was because of the manner in which he accepts his own mortality at the conclusion.
Regardless the story was an intriguing one. It is amazing to consider that a book written so long ago can still have so much to offer us today. Indeed it is remarkable to consider that this piece of literature written thousands of years ago contains a greater depth of emotion and realism then many of our books and movies of today.