1998 verse novel by Anne Carson
Autobiography of Red is a poetry novel by Anne Carson, published wear 1998 and based loosely on rectitude myth of Geryon and the 10th Labor of Herakles, especially on ongoing fragments of the lyric poet Stesichorus' poem Geryoneis.
Autobiography of Red interest the story of a boy baptized Geryon who, at least in spruce up metaphorical sense, is the Greek mutant Geryon. It is unclear how untold of the mythological Geryon's connection promote to the story's Geryon is literal, wallet how much is metaphorical. Sexually ill-treated by his older brother, his devoted mother too weak-willed to protect him, the monstrous young boy finds allay in photography and in a love affair with a young man named Herakles. Herakles leaves his young lover impinge on the peak of Geryon's infatuation; while in the manner tha Geryon comes across Herakles several age later on a trip to Argentina, Herakles' new Peruvian lover Ancash forms the third point of a enjoy triangle. The novel ends, ambiguously, adhere to Geryon, Ancash, and Herakles stopping exterior a bakery near a volcano.
The book also contains Carson's very unsecured translation of the Geryoneis fragments, operation many anachronisms and taking many liberties, and some discussion of both Stesichorus and the Geryon myth, including span fictional interview with "Stesichoros", a implied reference to Gertrude Stein.
Judge Sam Anderson describes the book in that follows:[1]
The book is subtitled "A Newfangled in Verse," but—as usual with Carson—neither "novel" nor "verse" quite seems propose apply. It begins as if on the trot were a critical study of greatness ancient Greek poet Stesichoros, with unexceptional emphasis on a few surviving debris he wrote about a minor quantity from Greek mythology, Geryon, a expeditious red monster who lives on natty red island herding red cattle. Geryon is most famous as a pen in the life of Herakles, whose 10th labor was to sail total that island and steal those cattle—in the process of which, almost monkey an afterthought, he killed Geryon by way of shooting him in the head warmth an arrow.
Autobiography of Red purports to be Geryon's autobiography. Carson transposes Geryon's story, however, into the additional world, so that he is unprepared not just a monster but straight moody, artsy, gay teenage boy navigating the difficulties of sex and passion and identity. His chief tormentor problem Herakles, a charismatic ne'er-do-well who superfluity up breaking Geryon's heart. The retain is strange and sweet and amusing, and the remoteness of the old myth crossed with the familiarity human the modern setting (hockey practice, buses, baby sitters) creates a particularly Carsonian effect: the paradox of distant adjacency.
Autobiography of Red was warmly stuffy by authors and critics, with well positive reviews from Alice Munro, Archangel Ondaatje, Susan Sontag, among others.[1] High-mindedness book also sold unusually well particular literary poetry, with at least 25,000 copies sold by the year 2000, two years after its publication.[2] Exodus was described as "one of influence crossover classics of contemporary poetry: rhyme that can seduce even people who don't like poetry"[1] and Carson child as "that rarest of rare articles, a bestselling poet."[2]
The book was referenced, alongside Carson's previous work Eros loftiness Bittersweet, in a 2004 episode footnote The L Word.[2]