Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse

Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse by Carson, Anne. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780375401336.

In her first novel in verse, Anne Carson bridges the gap between classicism and the modern, poetry and prose, with a volcanic journey into the soul of a winged red monster named Geryon. There is a strong mixture of whimsy and sadness in Geryons story. He is tormented as a boy by his brother, escapes to a parallel world of photography, and falls in love with Herakles--a golden young man who leaves Geryon at the peak of infatuation. Geryon retreats ever further into the world created by his camera, until that glass house is suddenly and irrevocably shattered by Herakles return. Running throughout is Geryons fascination with his wings, the color red, and the fantastic accident of who he is. Autobiography of Red is a deceptively simple narrative layered with currents of meaning, emotion, and the truth about what its like to be red. It is a powerful and unsettling story that moves, disturbs, and delights.