num_pages: 149
description: 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 Geryon's 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 Geryon's 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 it's like to be red. It is a powerful and unsettling story that moves, disturbs, and delights.
language: English
title: Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse
titlecomplete: Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse
genres: Mythology, Fantasy, LGBT, Queer, Novels, Fiction, Classics, Poetry, Retellings, Canada
ratings_count: 27148
series: Red
awards: awardedAt: 883641600000
name: National Book Critics Circle Award
category: Poetry
publisher: Knopf