I read Gilgamesh in college for a class on myth and ritual. The professor was great when he was on, but a lot of days, he gave half-hearted lectures and let us out early. On the day we read Gilgamesh, he gave the greatest lecture I ever saw out of him. He really got down to the nitty gritty, I wish he could remember what his exact words were, but it was a passionate speech about the love that Gilgamesh held for Enkidu, which compelled him to go to the underworld to bring Enkidu back.
If you like Gilgamesh, seek out the story of Innana as well. There's a great translation of it that we read for the same class. The language is beautiful. There's a section where Innana, who is a goddess, goes to the underworld to recover her human lover, much as Gilgamesh did with Enkidu. There is also a section describing the courtship of Innana and Dumuzi, with wonderful imagery. I'll have to find my copy, and post some.
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