Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories in 101 Books to Read Before You Die

Feb 27, 2012 Kressel Housman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fiction, made-into-movie

I was in high school the first time I attempted this book, but having seen the movie, I disliked the differences too much to finish the original. In the past few years, though, I’ve become interested in Truman Capote, particularly because of his friendship with Nelle Harper Lee. So when I saw this was the September group read for “101 Books to Read before You Die,” I was more than happy to give it a second chance. I’m very glad I did. Holly Golightly is such a compelling character, I read the wh I was in high school the first time I attempted this book, but having seen the movie, I disliked the differences too much to finish the original. In the past few years, though, I’ve become interested in Truman Capote, particularly because of his friendship with Nelle Harper Lee. So when I saw this was the September group read for “101 Books to Read before You Die,” I was more than happy to give it a second chance. I’m very glad I did. Holly Golightly is such a compelling character, I read the whole novella in one sitting.

The book and movie are different. I was surprised there was no scene at Tiffany’s itself, which was a nice touch in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised that the cat was in the book, and though of course the movie made changes, they got the symbolism right. It was also fun to see how other details from the book were reinterpreted into the movie, the guitar playing, the breed of the cat, and the rain at the end. Of course, the movie left out some major parts, so if you’ve only seen the movie, I recommend the book, but let go of the idea that this is a love story. This is a friendship story.

One totally cool minor detail: Sister Kenny is mentioned in the book! I’d never heard about her until I read Polio: An American Story and And They Shall Walk: The Life Story of Sister Elizabeth Kenny, but such a casual mention in popular fiction proves she really was one of the most celebrated women of the 1940’s, which is when the book takes place.

Also fascinating was Truman Capote’s reaction to the film. He hated the changes, and he especially hated Audrey Hepburn as Holly. Since he envisioned Marilyn Monroe for the role, I tried envisioning her as I read, but the image of Audrey Hepburn kept taking over, which goes to prove how much she made Holly her own.

All in all, this book and its adaptation are a rarity. One diverges from the other, and yet both deserve their status as classics. The thread that runs through both is Holly and her contradictory quests for freedom on one hand and belonging on the other. The book shows it more clearly with Holly’s dislike of zoos and cages, her explanation of why she couldn’t stay with Doc Golightly, and of course, the symbol of the cat. The movie, in using her words about the cat, captured Holly’s spirit, and that’s why we can believe that classy Audrey Hepburn was the “real phony” Holly Golightly, though it's harder to imagine her as Lulamae Barnes, whose background was much more similar to Norma Jeane Baker's. But had Marilyn Monroe played Holly, she would now seem a much more tragic character – about as tragic as the author who created her. So it’s good Capote didn’t get his way on this one. The movie, like the book, is supposed to end on a note of hope.
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May 19, 2014 Helga Cohen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: short-stories, classics, favorites

I can’t think of Breakfast at Tiffany’s without thinking of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly who really nailed the character. Capote’s character in this book is seen as a darker character. In Hepburn, we see a modern woman in a little black dress, chic and who enjoys the nightlife. In this book, we learn she is a hooker with a background. She is a society girl who fled to New York from a troubled hillbilly upbringing.
Capote has created a woman whose name is now widely known in our lexicon and i ...more

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