Autobiography of Red

Back of the Book

The award-winning poet reinvents a genre in a stunning work that is both a novel and a poem, both an unconventional re-creation of an ancient Greek myth and a wholly original coming-of-age story set in the present. 

Geryon, a young boy who is also a winged red monster, reveals the volcanic terrain of his fragile, tormented soul in an autobiography he begins at the age of five. As he grows older, Geryon escapes his abusive brother and affectionate but ineffectual mother, finding solace behind the lens of his camera and in the arms of a young man named Herakles, a cavalier drifter who leaves him at the peak of infatuation. When Herakles reappears years later, Geryon confronts again the pain of his desire and embarks on a journey that will unleash his creative imagination to its fullest extent. By turns whimsical and haunting, erudite and accessible, richly layered and deceptively simple, Autobiography of Red is a profoundly moving portrait of an artist coming to terms with the fantastic accident of who he is.

We Love It Because

The genre-bending and melding that Carson provides readers with in Autobiography of Red is the definition of expansion and novelty. There is loneliness and care stunningly expressed as notions of transformation overflows within the story. Autobiography of Red feels like sorcery, engulfed with hypnotism and healing. Its elegance and rawness remains etched in whoever engages with this text.

Memorable Passage

When Geryon was little he loved to sleep but even more he loved to wake up. He would run outside of his pajamas. Hard morning winds were blowing life bolts against the sky each one blue enough to begin a world of its own. The word each blew towards him and came apart on the wind. Geryon had always had this trouble: a word like each, when he stared at it, would disassemble itself into separate letters and go. A space for its meaning remained there but blank. The letters themselves could be found hung on branches or furniture in the area. What does each mean?

About the Author

Anne Carson, born in 1950, is a Canadian poet, essayist, and classicist whose innovative and genre-defying work has garnered widespread acclaim. Known for her distinctive blend of classical literature, modern poetry, and a keen exploration of the human experience, Carson has earned a reputation as one of the most original voices in contemporary literature. Her notable works include Autobiography of Red, a novel in verse, and The Beauty of the Husband, a verse novel that received the T.S. Eliot Prize. Carson's scholarly contributions to the field of classics, coupled with her ability to seamlessly integrate the ancient with the contemporary, make her a unique force in literature. Her work challenges conventional notions of form and genre, inviting readers to engage with language and narrative in new and profound ways. Anne Carson is worth knowing for her transformative impact on poetry, her scholarly prowess, and her ability to push the boundaries of artistic expression in the intersection of the classical and the contemporary.

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