About 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.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
\"Anne Carson is, for me, the most exciting poet writing in English today.\" --Michael Ondaatje
\"This book is amazing--I haven't discovered any writing in years so marvelously disturbing.\" --Alice Munro
\"A profound love story . . . sensuous and funny, poignant, musical and tender.\" --The New York Times Book Review
\"A deeply odd and immensely engaging book. . . . [Carson] exposes with passionate force the mythic underlying the explosive everyday.\" --The Village Voice
Editions of Autobiography of Red
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780375401336
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780676972658
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771018138
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780375701290
- EBook
- ISBN 9780345807014
Read an Excerpt
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.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
\"Anne Carson is, for me, the most exciting poet writing in English today.\" --Michael Ondaatje
\"This book is amazing--I haven't discovered any writing in years so marvelously disturbing.\" --Alice Munro
\"A profound love story . . . sensuous and funny, poignant, musical and tender.\" --The New York Times Book Review
\"A deeply odd and immensely engaging book. . . . [Carson] exposes with passionate force the mythic underlying the explosive everyday.\" --The Village Voice
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Autobiography of Red about?
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.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
\"Anne Carson is, for me, the most exciting poet writing in English today.\" --Michael Ondaatje
\"This book is amazing--I haven't discovered any writing in years so marvelously disturbing.\" --Alice Munro
\"A profound love story . . . sensuous and funny, poignant, musical and tender.\" --The New York Times Book Review
\"A deeply odd and immensely engaging book. . . . [Carson] exposes with passionate force the mythic underlying the explosive everyday.\" --The Village Voice
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Autobiography of Red?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems
Where can I read a sample of Autobiography of Red?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780375401336
Is Autobiography of Red part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Vintage Contemporaries
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Autobiography of Red?
Anne Carson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Autobiography of Red is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780375401336) and paperback(ISBN 9780676972658) and paperback(ISBN 9780771018138) and paperback(ISBN 9780375701290) and ebook(ISBN 9780345807014)
Where can I buy Autobiography of Red online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Autobiography of Red from below
Where can I buy Autobiography of Red?