What is it that made this a classic?

[Stephen]

I finally read this after years of tangential familiarity with the author's other works, the plays, movies and stories about him, etc. And after having seen the movie version of Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Of course the Capote mystique, the Hepburn connection, the iconic movie images, even the Moon River song all add to the overall impact but as a stand alone story I'm not sure why this one has garnered the attention that it has.

The character portraits are well crafted and engaging but that's sort of where it ends for me. I can't really understand why it's as highly regarded as it is.

My criteria for a great work generally include:
1) characters that I care about or enjoy spending time with.
2) an epiphany generating idea
3) a novel / permanent change in perspective
4) an engrossing or thrilling or fantasy fulfilling story
5) amazing new imagery
6) a sense of new-found worth, discernment, and/or understanding

This story sort of succeeded on criteria 1 but, for me, that's all.

Can anyone enlighten this philistine?

[Feliks]

Great question. As I recall, Capote already had huge fame for his stunning first novel, "Other Voices, Other Rooms". So, he didn't have to either find, or win over, an audience with 'Breakfast'. That's the first factor.

Then, I also believe the character of Holly caught the public imagination; her bohemianism. Thirdly, I believe it was a story which caught some of the glamor of New York.

But the main strength of the tale comes from the manner in which Capote writes. Polished and finished and refined like the facets of a diamond. Highly stylized and flairful prose; prose that winds its way through your head and stays there. Who does not think of his description of Autumn in New York, after reading the first few pages--anytime one experiences Autumn?

He just had a 'voice' which 'took' with people; and he wrote deeply and sensitively about people and sex and relationships and the social life of the time. He was a craftsman and he picked up followers. He himself became a famous socialite who's name everyone knew. It easily attained classic status with all this going for it.

[John]

Good response, Feliks. I think you nailed it with the description of the polish of Capote's writing. Capote had the ability to take readers places with words and descriptions that feel effortless. I think this short work, more novella than novel, was simply the work that cemented that association with the public.

If you've never read Capote's "A Christmas Memory," do yourself a favor and read it. It is one of the finest short stories I've ever read, with Capote's flowing, captivating style on full display from start to tearful end.

[Monty J]

Stephen wrote: "This story sort of succeeded on criteria 1 but, for me, that's all. Can anyone enlighten this philistine? "

Ditto to what Felix said and to what John said about "A Christmas Memory" and to Stephen's list I would add 7) Accurate and revealing representation of a life and time.

This was accomplished through the character of Holly Golightly, an archetype for the female "orphan hick from the sticks" who escapes a dim agrarian existence in search of opportunity in the city using what resources she has--looks, charm, sexuality and guile.

Holly, based roughly on Capote's mother, highlights the struggle of a category of American women rarely addressed in our literature. Poor and unskilled women of this post-World War II era who lacked education had few options but to perform housework or become a homemaker. Holly wanted more. Rags to riches was her chosen path with sex appeal as her chief means of transport. The horse in the book is a strong metaphor; she was an accomplished "equestrian."

A perfect example of what Holly was aiming for, to marry well, was accomplished by a Polish immigrant, Barbara Piasecka Johnson. Barbara died at age 76 in April, 2013, capturing headlines just as she had when she married a consumer products tycoon who dumped his wife of 30+ years and left Babs the bulk of his substantial fortune. Barbara was a non-English-speaking immigrant example of Holly when she arrived at Ellis Island--poor, attractive, uneducated. And wily. Barbara was more successful than Holly, but then Holly was still in the hunt.

Here's a link to an article describing Barbara: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/nyr...

I readily recognized Holly because she is very much like my mother, one of a precious few things Truman and I share in common.

Capote made Holly even more intriguing by giving her an existential dilemma; she prized freedom as much as she did wealth and was caught in a guilded cage of her own making in the pursuit of wealth through marriage.

There's a little bit of Holly in more than a few women today. Most of them want to marry well and use their looks, charm, sexuality and guile to get them there. Holly is as fascinating to them as she is to men, perhaps more--a "classic" example.

[Stephen]

Thanks to everyone who responded to this question. And, Monty while I understand your answer, I'd disagree with one small part of it. While Holly wanted to have her money problems taken care of, I don't think she really wanted to marry, per se. She was already married and never bothered about a divorce. She hated cages as she told "Fred" the narrator.

I note that all the respondents to this question were male. One of my favorite books lately is Pride and Prejudice and the pursuit of marriage is much more a plot element in that and it's fans are mostly female. I'm wondering if women have the same reaction to Breakfast at Tiffany's as men do.

[Monty J]

Stephen wrote: "I don't think she really wanted to marry, per se. She was already married and never bothered about a divorce. She hated cages as she told "Fred" the narrator."

I think you're being generous. Here's the evidence from the book:

(p.81) ["Fred" narrating] "...she rarely spoke a sentence that did not begin, "After we're married--" or "When we move to Rio--" Yet Jose [Ybarra-Jaegar] had never suggested marriage. She admitted it. "But, after all, he knows I'm preggers. well, I am, darling. Six weeks gone. I don't see why that should surprise you. It didn't me. Not un peu bit. I'm delighted. I want to have at least nine.

(p. 86) [Holly] ..."He'll marry me, all right. In church. And with his family there. That's why we're waiting til we get to Rio."
"Does he know you're married already?"
"What's the matter with you? Are trying to ruin the day? It's a beautiful day: leave it alone!"
"But it's perfectly possible--"
"It isn't possible. I've told you, that wasn't legal. It couldn't be." She rubbed her nose, and glanced at me sideways. "Mention that to a living soul, darling. I'll hang you by your toes and dress you for a hog."

(p. 100) [Holly, after Jose jilted her] "I did love him. The rat."

(p. 102) [Holly, after announcing she's heading for Rio.] "Anyway, home is where you feel at home. I'm still looking."

(p. 103) ...Do me a favor, darling. Call up the Times, or whatever you call, and get a list of the fifty richest men in Brazil. I'm not kidding. The fifty richest: regardless of race or color."

The clincher, per the above, shows her getting pregnant with Jose to trap him into marrying her ("He knows I'm preggers. ...I don't see why it should surprise you. It didn't me.")

She used men like figures in a chess game to get what she wanted, sustenance, until she could make the big score, Jose. Jose flaked, so she got another hunting list.

[Holly]

Hi Stephen.....you wanted the reaction of a woman reader? I read this book for personal reasons; my name is Holly (born shortly after the film came out, I think the name became part of the mass subconscious)and I first read this book while I was attending NYU. I was a small town girl from the midwest wanting to embrace the whole NY experience, from legend to reality, so I went on a binge of reading New York themed fiction.

I think Capote wrote BaT simply to show what his New York life was like at the time. It makes an interesting story which has become a classic due to its edgy timepiece qualities.

I have read some of his other stuff: A Christmas Memory was wonderful and I still re-read Music for Chameleons from time to time. I really like the visual quality of his writing; the way his descriptions add dimension and texture to his characters and settings.

Oh, and, regarding marriage-hunter novels: I never really cared for Pride & Prejudice; my favorite novel in this theme was Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers.

[Kirsten]

I think that this is a classic becuase of the 'it' girl charisma that Holly had. She is a hard character to read, to pin down and this makes her intriguing. Even though we don't really agree with much of what she does she draws us in like those personalities today in reality tv that are famous for simply being who they are.

[Christine]

I was always intrigued by the 'chutzpah' of Holly, her daring, charm and guile. Probably back in the 50's not many books like this had been written about NYC. Capote is a sharp and witty writer, the pure style of the book makes it a classic.