Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

Paperback. Jonathan Cape. 1999. New Condition.

In this extroardinary epic poem, Anne Carson bridges the gap between classicism and the modern, poetry and prose, with a volcanic journey into the soul of a red monster named Geryon. 

There is a strange 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 even further into the world created by his camera, until the glass house is suddenly and irrevocably shattered by Herakles’ return. Running throughout is Geryon’s fascination with his wings, the colour red, and the fantastic accident of who he is.