Book Report: Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

Autobiography of Red: A novel in verse by Anne Carson: Torgo disapproves

Don't get me wrong. This is a good book. Carson is one of those writers whose work is often uncomfortable. Her characters are intensely revelatory with their emotions and desires. Their actions are frustratingly life-like. It can be unnerving.

That's great. Good for her.

I'm upset because she went and took an incredible title from the world. There are only so many great ideas, and "Autobiography of Red" as a title is one. I love that title. I want to read the book that has that title.

The plot is also a good idea, though it's not her original idea. She takes Geryon, a mythical, red, winged monster, moves him from the myth where Herakles has to kill him as one of his Labors, and puts him in a romantic, tragic modern-day gay love story, where Geryon is the naive, forgotten lover and Herakles is the dominant, carefree object of affection.

Transposing a myth like this has been done, and done better. I'm disappointed in how Carson doesn't exploit the red metaphor fully. It comes and goes and for long stretches, she's far too caught up in Geryon's longing for Herakles, Geryon's self-pity, and general wallowing.

The title's too interesting for a standard-issue tragic love story. In fact, Carson's character analysis is better than the story itself. The plot feels random and forced. When they end up in Peru, that seems inexplicable, but when they wind in the Andes perched atop a volcano that suddenly corresponds via local myth to winged red monsters, that's just silly.