Book Review #66 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote

Hey guys!

Today’s post is going to be about Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote.

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Recently I read another of Capote’s books, In Cold Blood (I posted my review here) and I totally feel in love with his writing. But before that, I found this beautiful (and super cheap, I might add) copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at a flea market, so I just bought it without thinking a lot.

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the movie with the same name as this book, staring Audrey Hepburn. I mean, that’s probably what most people think about when they hear the tittle. Of course, this book contains that, but it’s not all. It also contains other short stories, like House of Flowers, A Diamond Guitar and A Christmas Memory. From what I can understand, most editions of this book contain the four stories.

I read this when I was at a particular busy time in school but that didn’t stop me from completely devouring this book! I will talk a bit about each story.

This title starts with the one that names it, of course. It was the one I was most looking for. I still haven’t watched the movie in all its whole. No particular reason for that, I just can’t seem to find the will power. We follow a man and his tale of how he met and became acquainted with his neighbour, Holly. Right from page one, I was fascinated. This story has very long dialogues, but never one is dull. Holly is a completely mesmerising character, that I too ended this story completely obsessed over her. She’s not supposed to be a loveable character, and you can’t believe anything she says but that only adds to the her magic. The plot, although not particularly new or inventive, is entertaining.

House of Flowers was a pleasant surprise. It tells the story of a prostitute who marries a poor guy. This story is a bit mystic, which I really wasn’t expecting of Capote. The setting (Haiti) and the topic of it were really unusual to me, something I can appreciate dearly. I also really loved the kind of “teaching the man a lesson” ending of the narrative. And the main character was marvellous, again!

The third tale, A Diamond Guitar, was my least favourite one. It was about two prisoners who are planning their escape. I couldn’t really relate to any of their struggles, past and present. It had some fun parts sure, but overall I didn’t really care for it. This read was more of a chore than anything.

But the final story was just one of the most lovely things I’ve read, possibly ever. It talks about a boy, his old lady cousin and their beautiful friendship that culminates every Christmas. This story was so heart warming in every way! The relationship between the two characters is pure and deep, touching me deeply. I couldn’t help but smile all the way (until the end, when it gets sad). The most simple human relations seem to be the most engaging ones! The tale reflects the true spirit and mood of Christmas. If only all were as loving as the ones lived by these two wonderful characters! I’m jealous of them.

This book was an incredibly enjoyable read! I find Capote’s writing just fascinating and I’m in love with it. It’s beautiful and touching, in an non-obvious way. I really really want to read more of his books, he has the potential of becoming one of my favourite authors really. And I really like american literature, maybe I should dive a little more into that as well.

Here’s a wonderful quote:

You call yourself a free spirit, a “wild thing,” and you’re terrified somebody’s gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you’re already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it’s not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It’s wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.

Do you guys like his work? And do you have any recommendations?

See you guys soon,

Cat.