I've not yet seen the classic film with Audrey Hepburn, but I know enough about it to say that this book is decidedly different. Truman Capote's voice is clear, concise and brilliant, as always (it was interesting for me to see his abilities as a 'prose' writer after having already read the starkly brilliant In Cold Blood) but Holly Golightly is anything but clear. In this novella, Holly is a lost, wandering little girl who plays at being a glamorous woman. She's charming, but only by way of her stubbornness, confidence, and airy nature; she does not seem to have any inner light. If anything, she's shallow and a shell of a true woman. I found her more vulnerable than admirable, a sort of beautiful train wreck that you can't stop watching. As she stumbles around high society (the disenchanted nature of her dealings reminds me quite a bit of The Great Gatsby, but without as much insightful perspective from the involved narrator), Holly just flits from place to place. Clearly, she's supposed to represent a wandering soul, a girl searching for a home, but the book lacks any detail that suggests this will happen, so Holly's journey just makes me sad. Much like Gatsby, the book left me feeling somewhat empty. Whether this is desirable or not is really a matter of reader opinion. Certainly, the book is gorgeously written, and it offers a light, breezy read that explores the emptiness at the heart of "high society". Holly is likable enough, but not for the reasons she is in the movie. It's a quick enough read, and I don't regret reading it, but I didn't find the book as captivating as the modern Holly Golightly persona.