Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Autobiography of Red

I have some familiarity with Carson’s other works, but this is the first time I sat down to read Autobiography of Red, and… I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. It felt like something was missing… I couldn’t tell you what, though. And maybe that’s why it’s so hard to write a proper review for this book, because I’m trying to find the words to properly describe how I felt while reading this. I certainly felt the melancholy and yearning that softly came and went. I also appreciated the particular tenderness of most lines. Sometimes, it was what was being described that was tender, but oftentimes, I felt it was the word choice that created a dreamlike space; mythical, even, which makes sense, considering the way Carson reimagined one of many ancient Greek myths. I also say dreamlike in the sense that it doesn’t feel as though this is happening in real life— Occasionally, there are nightmarish elements that appear as Geryon acknowledges his trauma that Carson explores with grace. It also helps that Carson has a particular lyricism that’s alluring and tugs at your heartstrings.

I think one minor(ish) gripe that I have about this book is that I have really mixed feelings about coming-of-age narratives where trauma/abuse shapes the protagonist, which doesn’t happen quite explicitly in Autobiography of Red, but there are elements of it that appear here and there that remind me of this “trope,” if you will.

Ultimately, I feel that this is one of those novels that needs to be read more than once to have a better grasp and understanding of what Carson is presenting. I think then I’ll find whatever that piece is that made this seem somewhat incomplete.

Content Warnings

upward_not_northward's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

An interesting, modern-day adaptation of the Herakles/Geryon myth with elements of Peruvian folklore thrown in, all told in verse form. One of the more unique things I've read. My only complaint is that the edition I read, Vintage Contemporaries, has the narrowest interior margins on the right-facing pages that had me feeling like I was breaking the spine of the book just to be able to read them.

Content Warnings

typewriterworries's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

With this book; I think I committed my personal cardinal sin of trying to focus on more than one book at a time. I read this book while trying to read another book that's a part of a series and this book just didn't grip me the way I wanted it to. After all of the accolades I saw this book have, I guess I just expected a little more.

Anne Carson is someone who writes strikingly beautiful words and passages but this entire body of work just seemed like a little bit of a let down to me. That said, there's some quotes from this book that I think about often, but that's also what I expect from Carson. Fragments that fracture.

I plan to pick this book up again for a re-read when I've found some time to focus on this book and only this; and I hope that my rating will change.

Content Warnings

weus's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

one of my fave books ever. all the main characters are male & race is rly only specific for one character, but they’re all gay or bi which is why “its complicated” for a diverse cast

Content Warnings

sophiesticatedselections's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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