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herelieshenry's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Truman was an incredible writer, and I think overall the prose here is as masterful as his tends to be, but it’s worth noting that this book has a lot of depictions of people having deeply entrenched biases and using very derogatory language. Personally, I find the “historical accuracy”/“it’s of its times” argument complicated at best when it is employed: to be clear, I’m willing to approach a work where it’s at, but if I think the bigoted sentiments being depicted are being endorsed within the narrative or by the author, the time and place in which it was written doesn’t make a difference in my judgment of something. Ultimately, I don’t think Capote was agreeing with the characters in this work (or in much any of his work, really), so much as showing us a lense into the world he saw around him. That being said, I still wouldn’t be able to in good conscience recommend this to people as an “entertainment” read, especially without huge caveats for period-typical language and depictions of various kinds of bigotry.
Something I find interesting about Holly Golightly in the book, as opposed to the film, is that she is far more overtly flawed and ergo more human—I know a lot of people say she’s the manic pixie dream girl prototype, but to me, the film embodies that much more than the book. The book contains fragments of that, for sure, but it feels more like a story about people perceiving someone in that way than a story pushing the concept; Holly’s presence is ephemeral, fleeting, but also incredibly sharp and sometimes callous, and in her, I can’t help but see Nina Capote (or Lillie Mae Faulk), Truman’s mother. I think that in itself is a big part of why she’s seen in such a glittering way despite being a relatively bad friend and person, not to mention the animosity broiling beneath the narrator’s surface towards her just as much as his affection for her. Glamorous, hell-bent on becoming part of a particular upper echelon of society, and ultimately, as cruel beneath the surface as they are enthralling: these words describe Holly, Truman, and Nina each in their own right.
At its core, this is a story of home, of belonging, of identity, and of the search for that: but central to that, too, is both hopefulness and uncertainty. The characters at play, obviously save for the cat, are generally not very likeable. The facts about Holly Golightly are on unstable ground, and how accurate the narrator’s interpretation of her is, as well; as for the narrator, his identity in the story is built up entirely around his connection to Holly, and despite us knowing his life extends beyond her, he does not share it with us. Their characters are reflected in the cat, who ultimately may have found a name of his own, but as he doesn’t belong to Holly or to the narrator in the end, we never learn it; he is ultimately both a symbol of freedom and of belonging, and in the end, it seems he may be the only one who has settled into a home. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a dreamlike snapshot of New York café society from its fringes, transient and grimy, longing for home and leaving us wondering if the narrator or the central heroine ever found it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, and Antisemitism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
sveni's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Quick and easy read. A good pallet cleanser. Perfect spring read
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Racism
treestostars's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-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
2.0
Maybe this would be enjoyable enough if you just removed the racism, racial slurs, sexism, homophobia, pedophilia, domestic violence, entitlement, fatphobia, classism, and subpar plot of the book. The MC was annoying at best and down right horrible at worst. He casually fantasized about violence of the female interest Holly and said he loved her multiple times while also saying she was an idiot because she doesn’t enjoy reading? It’s all very bizarre. The writing style was fine but each character was a disappointment and not lovable. Still unsure why this was a classic unless all that was required was to be like wealth and be white. Cause that’s all that was offered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming
sillyduckie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I gave this a 4 when I read it in 2013 but I must’ve been high, or else I read a very different edition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Blood, Pregnancy, and War