I can't praise this series enough. It will spoil you for anything else you'll read in the future because nothing will be able to compare to it. The plot couldn't be more epic, the emotions couldn't run stronger, the art couldn't be more awe-inspiring (particularly in later volumes), and I guarantee that Berserk will traumatize you for life - in a good way! There are no flat characters here, and you can look at the story from any one of their perspectives to learn something new and valuable about the Berserk world. There's rape and violence galore, but this manga isn't just about Guts kicking ass, it actually has deep philosophical themes woven throughout which I take great pleasure in exploring.

One thing I do want to add is that the manga does not start at the chronological beginning. I strongly recommend that if you want to avoid major spoilers and get the most emotional impact from the story, you start reading at VOLUME 3 PAGE 169 ("Golden Age, Chapter 1"). This is the chronological beginning of Berserk. It is an ~11-volume flashback that frames the rest of the story. In the middle of volume 14 there is a "2 years later..." time skip. When you reach the "2 years later.." mark, this is when you go back and read volumes 1 through 3 completely, then continue with 14.