In the Shadow of the Muses a View of Akkadian Literature

Benjamin Foster has provided scholars and laymen with a compendium of annotated English translations of Akkadian literary works. This anthology presents an opportunity to analyze the definition of Akkadian literature and the varied application of diverse terminologies. In this review, it is argued that the texts of ancient Near East literature do not actually "speak" to us; inevitably, we impose our own cultural preconceptions and interpretations on the surviving compositions.