Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories

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It's a hit!

I found 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' to be an insightful look into the mind and time of Capote. Holly's character is both flippant and adorable in more... (show more)

I found 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' to be an insightful look into the mind and time of Capote. Holly's character is both flippant and adorable in more ways than one, and the ending is perfect for such a free-willed individual - in that ultimately no one could make her change her mind about what she was going to do. The relationship that forms betrween the narrator and Holly is interesting and extremely understanding - something that intrigued me immensely.
But on top of the main attraction that most people would purchase the book for is the three little gems of stories at the end of the book - House of flowers is an interesting albeit slightly masochistic look at love, A Diamond Guitar is a good look at how an external influence can bring life to an individual, and A Christmas Memory made me cry with the beauty and simplicity of it. These short stories made the book for me. (show less)

 

 

by Jon Clay

No, it's a flop!

Capote's depiction of Holly Golightly was not the Audrey Hepburn I'd expected. As one character puts it, "You can beat your brains out for her, an... (show more)

Capote's depiction of Holly Golightly was not the Audrey Hepburn I'd expected. As one character puts it, "You can beat your brains out for her, and she'll hand you horses**t on a platter."

This book is more character- than plot-driven. Capote paints Golightly as a free spirit, one who doesn't fully belong anywhere or to anyone. Her card (artfully, I thought) reads "Miss Holiday Golightly, Traveling."

"I want to still be me when I wake up one fine morning and have breakfast at Tiffany's," she says. "Not that I give a hoot about jewelry... If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name."

The book was entertaining, but overall I wasn't impressed. (Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it.) Golightly's character was moderately intriguing, but not enough to build an entire storyline. Holly Golightly is simply no Jay Gatsby. At the end of the book, I shrugged my shoulders.

I picked up this book because it's short (about 100 pages) and supposed to be a classic. It was good for a free afternoon, but I wouldn't read it again. (show less)

 

 

by Nathan Markley

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  I was delighted to read this short novel after having watched snippets of the movie over the course of a lifetime. Capote's depiction of Holly Golightly from the viewpoint of the smitten narrator is much more craftily subversive against American propriety in showing her pursuing, consciously or not, a heroic quest for free-spirited self-assertion than the movie adaptation of her represents. Just as her actions are representative of the 1950's subculture to which Golightly belongs, the intrigu... (show more)

  I was delighted to read this short novel after having watched snippets of the movie over the course of a lifetime. Capote's depiction of Holly Golightly from the viewpoint of the smitten narrator is much more craftily subversive against American propriety in showing her pursuing, consciously or not, a heroic quest for free-spirited self-assertion than the movie adaptation of her represents. Just as her actions are representative of the 1950's subculture to which Golightly belongs, the intrigued narrator ambiguously develops her characterization using subtext to allow the reader's own insights to grasp the complexities of her ironic loneliness. Capote's style seems effortless as he takes on the persona of the idealistic, naive writer living down the hall from Golightly. The three short stories are not to be overlooked as examples of the author's subtle flair for symbolism showing our basic need for emotional affection. The autobiographical nature of "A Christmas Memory" is apparent in Capote's sentimental details. A great vacation-time read! (show less)

   

  by Jeremy Bearden on Jul 28, 2009 at 01:31AM

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  Reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s had the savor of listening to a fun anecdote: I enjoyed it while it lasted, but will probably not remember it for long. The objective style of Truman Capote’s anonymous narrator, who keeps the expression of his feelings to a minimum and puts the spotlight on Holly, was a very positive choice in my opinion. His writing focuses very much on facts and actions, which makes the novel and its characters very vivid and evident movie material to me. Moreover, this writi... (show more)

  Reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s had the savor of listening to a fun anecdote: I enjoyed it while it lasted, but will probably not remember it for long. The objective style of Truman Capote’s anonymous narrator, who keeps the expression of his feelings to a minimum and puts the spotlight on Holly, was a very positive choice in my opinion. His writing focuses very much on facts and actions, which makes the novel and its characters very vivid and evident movie material to me. Moreover, this writing style gives the reader free reign to search in his own feelings and experiences to imply character emotions. Holly’s story is a little too eccentric to be believable, but some of her concerns can be related to. Hers, after all, is a very human tale: that of a young woman trying to define her place in the world. Even though it hasn’t in any way been a revelation to me, I can only advise Breakfast at Tiffany’s to others : it is short, fun, and easy to read. (show less)

   

  by Facebook-gebruiker on Jun 19, 2009 at 01:48PM

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