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Breakfast at Tiffany's

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"Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote is a novella that follows the enigmatic and lost character of Holly Golightly, a young woman who captivates those around her with her charm and mystery. The story is narrated through the eyes of a struggling writer who falls in love with Holly, uncovering layers of complexity and depth to her character beyond her glamorous facade. Set against the backdrop of parties, playboys, and Tiffany's, the narrative explores themes of love, happiness, and the flaws within Holly's character. The book also includes three short stories, with "A Christmas Memory" standing out as a poignant tale of love and loss.

Characters:

The characters are richly drawn, particularly Holly Golightly, whose complexity captivates readers while also revealing her vulnerabilities.

Writing/Prose:

Truman Capote's writing is rich and evocative, seamlessly blending lyrical descriptions with a grounded narrative style.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot explores the life of Holly Golightly, revealing her struggles and complexities, while offering a stark contrast to the film's rosy portrayal.

Setting:

The setting of 1940s Manhattan serves as a vibrant backdrop that enriches the story's exploration of glamour and isolation.

Pacing:

The novella has brisk pacing, allowing for a quick yet immersive reading experience that maintains engagement throughout.
I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighborhoods. For instance, there is a brownstone in the East Seventies where, during the early years of the war, I had my fi...

Notes:

The movie 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' was based on a novella written by Truman Capote and published in 1958.
The character Holly Golightly in the novella is younger than in the film, being only a few months shy of 19.
Holly is described as having a troubled past that influences her current lifestyle, contrasting her glamorous image.
The novella presents a darker, more complex portrayal of Holly compared to the more romanticized film version.
Critics often note that Holly is not a prostitute, a misconception clarified by Capote himself in interviews.
The unnamed narrator in the novella reflects Capote's own experiences as he is portrayed as a struggling writer who becomes infatuated with Holly.
In the book, Holly is considered a 'wild thing' longing for freedom but also seeking belonging, capturing the essence of her character.
The novella's themes include friendship, isolation, and unrequited love, going deeper than the film's focus on romance.
Many readers felt that Capote's writing style is exquisite, full of imagery and sharp dialogue, making the story resonate with them.
The collection also includes three short stories: 'House of Flowers', 'A Diamond Guitar', and 'A Christmas Memory', each addressing different themes but maintaining Capote's signature style.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include themes of mental health issues, substance use, and reflections on prostitution.

Has Romance?

While there are romantic undertones, the story is more focused on character exploration than conventional romance.

From The Publisher:

Immortalised by Audrey Hepburn's sparkling performance in the 1961 film of the same name, Breakfast at Tiffany's is Truman Capote's timeless portrait of tragicomic cultural icon Holly Golightly, published in Penguin Modern Classics.

It's New York in the 1940s, where the martinis flow from cocktail hour till breakfast at Tiffany's. And nice girls don't, except, of course, for Holly Golightly: glittering socialite traveller, generally upwards, sometimes sideways and once in a while - down. Pursued by to Salvatore 'Sally' Tomato, the Mafia sugar-daddy doing life in Sing Sing and 'Rusty' Trawler, the blue-chinned, cuff-shooting millionaire man about women about town, Holly is a fragile eyeful of tawny hair and turned-up nose, a heart-breaker, a perplexer, a traveller, a tease. She is irrepressibly 'top banana in the shock deparment', and one of the shining flowers of American fiction.

Truman Capote (1924-84) was born in New Orleans. He left school when he was fifteen and subsequently worked for The New Yorker, which provided his first - and last - regular job. He wrote both fiction and non-fiction - short stories, novels and novellas, travel writing, profiles, reportage, memoirs, plays and films; his other works include In Cold Blood (1965), Music for Chameleons (1980) and Answered Prayers (1986), all of which are published in Penguin Modern Classics.

If you enjoyed Breakfast at Tiffany's, you might like Capote's In Cold Blood, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.

'One of the twentieth century's most gorgeously romantic fictions'

Daily Telegraph

'The most perfect writer of my generation ... I would not have changed two words of Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Norman Mailer

Ratings (14)

Incredible (4)
Loved It (3)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (1)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (29):

Read It (14)
Want To Read (11)
Not Interested (4)

About the Author:

Truman Capote was born in New Orleans in 1925. He is the author of many highly praised books, including A Tree of Night and Other Stories (1949), The Grass Harp (1951), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958), In Cold Blood (1965), which immediately became the centre of a storm of controversy on its publication, Music for Chameleons (1980) and Answered Prayers (1986), all of which are published by Penguin. Truman Capote died in August 1984.

 
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