Breakfast at Tiffany's: And Three Stories
by Truman Capote
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Read in April, 2008
As part of the novella challenge, I read Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote this weekend. The novella is quite short, only 85 pages in the version I read. Still, unraveling the intricacies of Holly Golightly would take up many more pages. For a critical analysis go here.
Holly is twenty years old. She has a somewhat questionable past in that, at fourteen, she married a much older Texan with a slew of children. She had a brief stint in Hollywood, and we find her living in New York, living...more
Holly is twenty years old. She has a somewhat questionable past in that, at fourteen, she married a much older Texan with a slew of children. She had a brief stint in Hollywood, and we find her living in New York, living...more
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Read in April, 2008
I wanted to read 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' to understand how the man who wrote 'In Cold Blood' could have authored the basis for the Audrey Hepburn movie.
Here's the short answer: the novella is nothing like the film. There are certain plot points in common, and the character of Holly Golightly, and even a few strands of dialogue. But the relationship between 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', the story, and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' the movie is roughly that between 'The Little Mermaid,' the Hans Chri...more
Here's the short answer: the novella is nothing like the film. There are certain plot points in common, and the character of Holly Golightly, and even a few strands of dialogue. But the relationship between 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', the story, and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' the movie is roughly that between 'The Little Mermaid,' the Hans Chri...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to snackywombat by:
Fans of Capote's short stories
Aw, I loved this book. Of course I've seen the movie and it's one of my favorites, but the book is so much more layered and darker. This is really Capote at his endearingly detailed and socially sardonic best. He excels at creating fully-fleshed and idiosynchratic characters-- he's a portrait artist, really. The narration of Holly Golightly's story through the lens Paul (or "Fred" as Holly calls him), a struggling writer perhaps less like a Capote than a John Cheever, sets Holly...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Angela by:
People who... love the filmrecommends it for: Everyone (yes, even everyone who loves the film)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I am a huge fan of the film, so my review of Tiffany's will be from that point of view. It didn't ruin the film for me! In fact it will probably help me enjoy it more. You get a deeper look at the characters, although some of them are slightly different (or non-existant). But the writing is quite different too, because it's written from the point of view of Fred/Paul Varjak looking back on his time with Holly. Anyhow, it's well worth a read. In many ...more
I am a huge fan of the film, so my review of Tiffany's will be from that point of view. It didn't ruin the film for me! In fact it will probably help me enjoy it more. You get a deeper look at the characters, although some of them are slightly different (or non-existant). But the writing is quite different too, because it's written from the point of view of Fred/Paul Varjak looking back on his time with Holly. Anyhow, it's well worth a read. In many ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2007
Very different from my fave movie. The male lead isn't a prostitute and all signs point to him not being hetero either. Funny how 1960's America edited the catty upstairs neighbor. It made me think about how Hollywood would have dodged it nowadays. If they did, it would probably be another Jack McFarlane instead of the moody writer of the short story. A relief for my boyfriend, the cat's fate isn't nearly as bad in the book as in the movie. But they also don't get together in the end. Holly Goli...more
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Read in March, 2008
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a tale for anybody who ever went to a city and reinvented themselves. Also a tale about a successful "it" girl, maybe one of the first studies of this phenomenon. Her eventual did/ she didn't she downfall and disappearance only add to the psychological marvel of modern life and all the pitfalls and vulnerability of our "hipsters" no matter the decade. I don't know why I wanted this book to be longer or more intimate, the character does...more
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Read in March, 2008
I thought I didn't like Truman Capote because I once tried to read In Cold Blood and HATED it.
I'm glad I didn't give up on him, because I loved this little book! There's just something about his spare prose and the way he strings words together that appeals to me. The story of Breakfast at Tiffany's is fun. The last 20 pages or so are not as fun as the rest of the story, but overall it's a great story. I liked reading about what New York City was like in the 1940's.
There are also thre...more
I'm glad I didn't give up on him, because I loved this little book! There's just something about his spare prose and the way he strings words together that appeals to me. The story of Breakfast at Tiffany's is fun. The last 20 pages or so are not as fun as the rest of the story, but overall it's a great story. I liked reading about what New York City was like in the 1940's.
There are also thre...more
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Read in May, 2008
This was a difficult read for me. I expected to love it, but struggled with a couple of things. Firstly, Holly Golightly is pretty unlikeable! They did a lot of work on her for the movie (though she's pretty unlikeable in that too, at times).
But the bigger beef I had was with the racism! I realize the book was written at a time when black people might be called Nigger, colored, negro or coon-but really?! Everybody didn't speak or think that way in the 50's, so it's a definite choice for Capote...more
But the bigger beef I had was with the racism! I realize the book was written at a time when black people might be called Nigger, colored, negro or coon-but really?! Everybody didn't speak or think that way in the 50's, so it's a definite choice for Capote...more
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Read in June, 2007
I saw the movie first, and as a result the book really was nothing like what I had expected. Much like the film versions of The Color Purple (loved the book) or The House of Mirth (hated the book), and countless other adaptations, the film version really took away something that I thought was the heart of the written story, or the point of it. Basically, the book doesn't have the same happy ending as the film. The book does not end with Holly Golightly staying in New York to sha...more
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recommends it for:
Truman Capote fans
I read this book after I watched the movie (which is based on the book). I really enjoyed it, and at the same time liked the movie better. The book is about Holly Golightly, a glamourous young woman living in New York City, trying to make a living without actually having a job. You see the carefree life she leads, until she eventually has to get out of her fantasy land, wake up and realize that she has to start being responsible. I enjoyed the movie better, only because Holly was sweeter, while ...more
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Read in July, 2008
<pre>I began Breakfast at Tiffany's with great expectations. Perhaps for that reason, I didn't find it as great as I have heard. To tell you the truth, I found Holly Golightly just a tad bit insufferable. There were times when her true character shone through the make-up of "Holiday". I found these moments more interesting. I am planning to re-read the story to see what else I can gather from this particular story.
<pre>I really did enjoy the last three stories in the bac...more
<pre>I really did enjoy the last three stories in the bac...more
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Read in January, 2007
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in May, 2007
Holly Golightly is a 50s version of this day's party girls (check their names on the cover of magazines..)Nice life with many admirers, some booze, parties and some potential Mr Rights. Deep inside Holly is unsure and tries to escape something (her past). I liked Truman Capote and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The annoying little thing when reading that book was the constant humming of
"And I said "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"She said "I think I remember the film
And ...more
The annoying little thing when reading that book was the constant humming of
"And I said "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"She said "I think I remember the film
And ...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone who has seen and loved Breakfast at Tiffany's (the movie)
If you have seen "Breakfast at Tiffany's" the movie, I recommend reading the novel to get a better idea of the deeper messages behind Capote's novel of the same name. It gives the reader a further glimpse into Holly Golightly's inner workings and also is much darker in its nature. The other stories are equally dark and somewhat sobering as well.
Overall, I liked Capote's work. I appreciate his characters and his wonderful, almost tangible descriptions. Later I may try to read ...more
Overall, I liked Capote's work. I appreciate his characters and his wonderful, almost tangible descriptions. Later I may try to read ...more
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Read in January, 2003
I read this before seeing the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and I think the story is much stronger than in the film. It lacks the happy ending found in the movie, but I think that gives it a more solid, heavy feeling; Holly's problems are not the kind that can be easily solved by having a great new friend, and I think the story really carries that message home: sometimes, things just are not okay in the end. That is the general feeling I got from this whole collection of stories. So...more
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Read in August, 2008
I was surprised at how enjoyable these stories were. Breakfast at Tiffany's starts out just like the movie, but then goes in an entirely different direction. I can't help but picture Audrey Hepburn, but Capote's Holly is a blonde. And the short stories in this collection are nice little gems, as well. Capote is a skilled writer, and since In Cold Blood is so, so, so good, I think I might try to read some of his lesser known works too.
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I loved reading this so much that I wish I had written it! I think pretty much everyone I know has seen the movie, which is slightly tamer, with a happy ending ... the book is very open about sex, including homosexuality, booze and drugs, and real life in general. It seems ahead of its time in many ways, but it's exactly what I expected from Capote ... he did good! I think I actually like the ending in the book better than in the movie ... it's real, more like Holly Golightly. If you haven't rea...more
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Excellent book - Capote can sling a story and a line. That said, Holly has her moments of being less sympathetic than I'd imagined from the Hepburn movie heroine. For example, she's racist enough that even the 1940s time period makes it tough to forgive. That said, I devoured this novella in no time, and I'm only giving it 4-stars because it's still a tad thin, and because the last short story add-on, called "A Christmas Memory" or something, was such lame southern treacle that it down...more
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Read in October, 2007
This book is a collection of short stories and the longest one, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is probably one of his most well known. I didn't really like "Breakfast at Tiffany's." I didn't like the main character, Holly Golightly, and perhaps this slanted my view of this book. House of Flowers and A Diamond Guitar were only OK. I LOVED "A Christmas Memory." This short story is like a warm childhood memory that just makes you feel good when you think about it. Over all t...more
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Read in October, 1997
I did a project (a project? yes! in high school, back when we had projects) on Truman Capote on the strength of the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's alone. In the course of my research I learned he had written the character of Holly Golightly for Marilyn Monroe should a movie adaptation be made. When they cast Audrey Hepburn, he withdrew all support of the film project. I think the studio probably knew what they were doing.
Also: the images of A Christmas Memory stick with me to this day.
Also: the images of A Christmas Memory stick with me to this day.
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