Fiction Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's

As usual, there was a book included with the goodies in my Easter basket, and this year it was Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (the Easter bunny has good taste). I saw the movie adaptation many years ago, but I had never read anything by Capote before. My copy of the book included the novella plus three very different short stories, and I enjoyed them all.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is the story of a young woman named Holly Golightly who lives in New York City in the post-WWII years. The novella is told entirely from the point of view of an unnamed narrator, a man who lives in the apartment above Holly's in a brownstone in the East 70's. The story begins years later, when a joint acquaintance asks the narrator if he's seen Holly lately. The rest of the novella is a flashback to those post-war years and his time spent getting to know Holly, who was largely unknowable. She was a mysterious figure in New York at the time, a stylish, charming young woman who hosts fabulous, loud parties on a shoestring (much to the annoyance of other renters in the building) and who spends her time with older, wealthy men. But Holly's past is a mystery, and the narrator only slowly gets to know the real Holly behind the glitz, glamour, and poise. To say much more would give too much away, as the intrigue in this novel is that gradual reveal of the "real" Holly. 

After the novella, the book included three short stories, each very unique. House of Flowers takes place in Haiti. It's about a young woman named Ottilie who escapes from a life of prostitution in Port-au-Prince to join a man named Royal in his house, covered with flowers, up in the hills. In A Diamond Guitar, an older man named Mr. Schaeffer is well-respected in the rural prison work camp where he spends his life. A young Cuban man shows up at the camp one day with an embellished guitar and gradually bonds with Mr. Schaeffer, trying to convince him to escape with him. The last story, A Christmas Memory, was my favorite. This is the only one I'd heard of before (I think we even have a copy of it among our holiday books) and is said to be autobiographical, about a young boy and his elderly cousin. The two of them are both treated as outcasts in their family but are very close to each other and have wonderful traditions they carry out each Christmas season.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the novella and all of the short stories. Having seen the movie all those years ago, I didn't remember much of the plot but couldn't shake the mental image of Audrey Hepburn as Holly (ironic since the character in the book has blond hair). I can see why Capote is such an acclaimed writer, as this and all of the stories are filled with rich descriptions and dialogue that make you feel as if you are there, whether in NYC in the late 40's or the hills of Haiti or rural Alabama. All of the stories are thoughtful and intriguing, digging deep into their characters. A Christmas Memory is sweet and poignant, and I can see why it's considered a holiday classic. I don't know why it took me so long to discover Capote for myself, but I am looking forward to reading more from him.

178 pages, Vintage International

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