A captivating character study with prose like champagne
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Breakfast at Tiffany's takes its cue from Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Both are short, beautifully written New York novels in which semi-invisible narrators wrestle with more self-indulgent characters, who take centre stage - and with whom the narrators enjoy ambiguous, shifting relationships.
In fact, the narrator in Breakfast at Tiffany's is so invisible he doesn't even have a name - apart from those the central character, Holly Golightly, gives him. The novel is a hymn to Holly - the narrator desperately wants to understand her, just as Nick Carraway struggles to understand Gatsby. Ultimately, though, hero and narrator are too different, with the heroes in both novels behaving exactly as heroes do: bolder, more inventive and almost certainly less stable than their narrators. Also like Gatsby, Holly Golightly has a hell of a backstory, slowly revealed.
Capote's prose is not dissimilar to Scott Fitzgerald's: poetic, but perhaps a little simpler and with a lighter touch, including some wry humour. Attractively written, it's difficult not to be as spellbound as the narrator is by Holly - however maddening she is. A captivating character study with prose like champagne - classy, and with fizz.
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Loss, nostalgia and wistful sadness.
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`Breakfast at Tiffany's' is a very slight affair. I'd seen the film ages ago on TV, and I realise now that there was a lot of embellishment: there is scanty material here for a feature-length film. I rather preferred the three short stories that are also included in this collection, especially the last two: `Diamond Guitar' and `A Christmas Memory' are both extremely poignant. The central theme of all of these pieces is loss, and the mood is one of nostalgia and wistful sadness.
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excellent
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Having seen the movie version of Tiffany's on TV years ago when I was a child I was curious to see what the original novel had in terms of story telling. Ultimately, the story although short, takes a while to warm to. Mainly due to Capote's concise writing style, we are straight away introduced to the characters and subjected to lines of dialogue that instantly immerse you into the environment and the quirky character of Holly Golightly. I have to admit, this is the only book I've read of Capote and it took me a while to get use to his way of developing character through dialogue and conversation. Nonetheless, I was really gripped half way through the story, and leads to a rather solemn ending.
I have to confess that the extra short stories are what made this book worth the money. Unlike 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' the short stories are, well, even shorter and seems more poetic and considered than the main course. In 'House of Flowers' Capote seems to capture the resonance of good drama and love in a tale that was well observed indeed. The characters seem more real, and his portrayal of a loving relationship is subtle and very clever indeed. The other two stories are just the same, Capote is able to portray characters that feel incredibly real and humane. The book ends with 'Christmas Memory' and is a sincere account of his last innocent Christmas. A thoughtful and melancholic book from a well observed writer.
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Forget the movie and read the book
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Before reading Breakfast at Tiffany's you need to erase the image of Audrey Hepburn in a Givenchy dress from your mind. Though thoroughly delightful and beautifully written, this book deals with themes that are very dark indeed. It tells the story of Holly Golightly, an eighteen-year-old call girl with a tragic past who makes her living by keeping company with older, degenerate men. She refuses to accept the reality of her profession as she convinces herself that her companions are just generous towards her with no strings attached. Yet despite her debauched lifestyle she is stylish, witty charming and thoroughly engaging, as are all of the characters in the book. Forget all about the film, this book is so fresh and appealing that it could have been written yesterday and, as it is only 100 pages long even the most reluctant reader will love it.
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Meet Ms Holly Golightly. Just like her neighbour Fred, we all end up under her spell.
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"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is straightforward, uncomplicated story-telling, written in simple, accessible prose. This short story is inhabited by marvellously memorable characters, the principal of which is the extraordinary Holly Golightly, surely one of the best known gals in popular American fiction. The tale is told by her apartment neighbour, a budding writer, whom Holly christens Fred.
Of course, Fred quickly falls in love with her. But life for the outrageous Holly is about other things, money in particular. It's a remarkable testimony to Truman Capote's writing that we grow so fond of this totally selfish, amoral girl. Like Fred, we all end up under Holly's spell. Definitely recommended.
This collection includes 3 other Capote short stories, "House of Flowers"; "A Diamond Guitar" and "A Christmas Memory", all of which are worthwhile although somewhat in the shade of the wonderful main event.
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