The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
cherryredmarlene's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3 stars for Breakfast at Tiffanyâs itself but 3.5 because I liked the other stories included in this edition, especially âA Diamond Guitarâ. I actually donât see the value Breakfast at Tiffanyâs has for readers today except your interested in Truman Capoteâs works in general. The society and people depicted in this are all quite disgusting, very naturally racist and white supremacy also isn't anything other than some quirky character trait in here. I of course see how racism at that time was much more widely accepted than today and can differentiate, but because in Breakfast at Tiffanyâs I donât see any other aspect than the writing style (which is good but also doesnât blow your mind) for which this story would be worth reading, I am a little disappointed after finishing it and expected a bit more since this story is made out to be so iconic.Â
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Misogyny
sherbertwells's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
âThe brownstone is midway in the block, next to a church where a blue tower-clock tolls the hours. It had been sleeked up since my day; a smart black door has replaced the old frosted glass, and gray elegant shutters frame the windows. No one I remember still lives there except Madame Sapphia Spanella, a husky coloratura who every afternoon went roller-skating in Central Park. I know sheâs still there because I went up the steps and looked at the mailboxes. It was one of those mailboxes that had first made me aware of Holly Golightlyâ (4)
This book makes me appreciate The Great Gatsby because it is so much worse.
Both Fitzgeraldâs classic novel and Truman Capoteâs novela Breakfast at Tiffanyâs are set in New York, and several similar characters appear in bothâthe judgemental queer narrator, the enchanting and misunderstood parvenu, the rich bigots, the âinferiorâ women, etc. Both are slim volumes about charming, awful people.
The difference is in how those people are framed. While Fitzgeraldâs Nick Carraway balances utter disdain with infatuation, Capoteâs nameless narrator feels nothing but resentment. I get it, Mr. Capote. Rich men are dumb. Being a writer is hard. But calling your friendâs current beau a âpreserved infantâ and gossiping about his âplump and spankable bottomâ isnât going to make you feel better (15).Â
To be fair, all the men in this book are trash. I asked my teacher about why this is, and she suggested that the narrator was an avatar for the author, and he initially takes his resentment out on every other man around him. The real story, then, is about Capote coming to terms with himself. If thatâs the case: cool. Good luck with that. Your character is too forgettable to be despicable.
I donât hate Holly Golightly, who has an actual character. Sheâs a very messy person: flighty, occasionally racist (as all the characters in this story are), but resilient and animated by a traumatic childhood. Her iconic portrayal by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film is probably better than the character on the page.
âWas my outrage just a result of being in love with Holly myself? A Little. For I was in love with her. Just as Iâd once been in love with my motherâs elderly colored cook and a postman who let me follow him on his rounds and a whole family named McKendrick. That category of love generates jealousy tooâ (34)
I donât feel pure hatred toward this story, just disappointment and disdain. I expected a wonderful friendship and got 50 pages of rotten crowds and masculine angst. It took me four days to read because the tone was so vitriolic. If you donât mind writer characters and biting quips, you might like Breakfast at Tiffanyâs. I just got nothing out of it.Â
Well, not quite nothing. Thereâs a cat in the story, and heâs worth the whole damn bunch put together.
Moderate: Racism, Pedophilia, Death, and Blood
Minor: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
More...