short stories

Breakfast at Tiffany's relates the story of Holly Golightly. If the name Golightly sounds somewhat contrived to your ear as it does to mine then you might not be shocked to learn that the character seems just as contrived and unrealistic. Holly is meant to be one of those exceptional people who breeze through life on sheer force of personality, oozing charisma and eccentric charm. Unfortunately, she never quite rings true. Her dialog is just a bit too breezy and her manner a touch too above-it-all. She's such a stereotype of this type of person that she comes across as more of parody than a real person.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is not awful by any means. Capote is a master wordsmith and at times his prose is compelling enough to draw you into the story. Unfortunately, there are too many moments that don't quite ring true to make this a must read. If you want to try Capote for the first time I would recommend In Cold Blood. It is a far better book with much more substantial characters.

Next to Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood, is his wildly famous and absolutely delightful novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's. The book's fame has been catapulted by the classic film with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. While the movie follows the novella fairly closely, there are some significant differences between the two works. I will not reveal them here.

In Holly Golightly, Tiffany's central character, Truman Capote has created his self-stated favorite character, a charming yet flighty high-class call girl. The book follows Holly's nights of debauchery with days of conversations and activities with a writer (narrator as well). Some plot elements involving mobsters, a person from Holly's past, a Latin playboy and a few other minor characters tie the story together into an entertaining tale. But the true joy with this book is the time the reader will spend with Holly. Despite her different station in life, readers will identify with her fears, hopes and desires for comfort (the source of the book's title). Furthermore, Capote's leisurely style of writing makes the work far more engaging.

If you have some brief free time, this brilliant work will be a lovely way to spend a quiet afternoon.

i had to write my review for the hardcover. this is a great book. i am a bibliophile with approaching 3000 books. this would be in my top 10. gotta love this book. the movie is great too/