Red Doc

Anne Carson

Just jump into this road trip, don't worry about the form or the narrative. You'll be rewarded by stunning poetry and a surreal story with memorable characters. If you'd like to, follow up the classical references. If you don't you can still revel in the language - the short sections make it easy to read and reflect on each one. I didn't expect to enjoy this but I did and I'm seeking out its forerunner - Autobiography of Red.

Extract

The Ice Fault is a slot
in the ice as tall as a man
that vanishes back into
shadow. A smell of
something brisk and
incongruous laundry?
sunlight? lingers at the
entrance. G drops to his
knees to peer in. Cold
stabs up through his
trousers. Sad has
retreated to the car and
started the engine which
echoes monstrously
everywhere. Moving out!
Sad yells putting the car in
reverse.

Parallels