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wakingaube's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say I liked the movie better. But I enjoyed Michael C. Hall's narration immensely.
lucysnowy's review against another edition
3.0
i am not a big american lit girlie but since nat was such a massive fan of capote's other work i was very happy to give this a go!
holly is such a complex character - racist, deeply unlikable, selfish, thoughtless ... and yet somehow compelling. she refuses to be caged. that image of the cage, that she buys for the narrator, is powerful.
we don't get her full backstory. the narrative voice keeps us distant from her life - we are only able to see the moments when her story intersects with his. that definitely adds to the mysterious and unknowable sense of her. we can never truly grasp her true self, sans performance.
"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell," Holly advised him. "That was Doc's mistake. He was always lugging home wild things. A hawk with a hurt wing. One time it was a full-grown bobcat with a broken leg. But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."
excited to discuss!
holly is such a complex character - racist, deeply unlikable, selfish, thoughtless ... and yet somehow compelling. she refuses to be caged. that image of the cage, that she buys for the narrator, is powerful.
we don't get her full backstory. the narrative voice keeps us distant from her life - we are only able to see the moments when her story intersects with his. that definitely adds to the mysterious and unknowable sense of her. we can never truly grasp her true self, sans performance.
"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell," Holly advised him. "That was Doc's mistake. He was always lugging home wild things. A hawk with a hurt wing. One time it was a full-grown bobcat with a broken leg. But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."
excited to discuss!
camiwagner11's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Wildy entertaining! (Though outdated at some points.)
This may be a rare case in which the argument of the movie being better is actually valid. I see the movie as almost a different story entirely, though it keeps some of the core elements — the 60s New York Atmosphere, Holly’s whimsical charisma, and that goddamn cat.
This may be a rare case in which the argument of the movie being better is actually valid. I see the movie as almost a different story entirely, though it keeps some of the core elements — the 60s New York Atmosphere, Holly’s whimsical charisma, and that goddamn cat.
graciegrace1178's review
4.0
I have been informed that if I wish to *have* written reviews for books I must, in fact, write them. Baffling news, this.
PT: classics, classic books, books that have been on my TBR for too long, CAPOTE!, adjacent to the Rory Gilmore reading list, books that take place in October,
WIL
1) Author choices of grief. It is a common plight of the modern world that the grieving character TM must PHYSICALLY demonstrate their grief, and because Hollywood is a nightmare industry, it often comes to pass that the grief physically manifests itself as weight loss. But oh ho! Diversity here!!! a grieving character *gains* weight. (Ref: page 101 in my text.)
2) WONDERFUL close. "Flanked by potted plants and framed by clean lace curtains, he was seated in the window of a warm-looking room: I wondered what his name was, for I was certain he had one now, certain he's arrived somewhere he belonged. African hut or whatever, I hope Holly has, too." I MEAN!!! Heckin fantASTIC. A textbook example of a DELIGHTFUL close to a short story. Establishes continuity of character ( protag's enduring affection for Holly), maintains some ambiguity/leaves the reader wanting more (dunno wHAT is happening with Holly actually), creates a symbolic connection (the cat), creates a very very subtle layer of closure. My god that is a DIFFICULT thing to accomplish. This last section is the main reason this book got four stars instead of three. Genius. Chef's kiss. J'adore.
3) "Holly GoLightly" bit heavy-handed, yea? Still. Awesome. Ended up working out well here, oddly enough.
4) Quotes
"i swear it never crossed my mind about Holly. You can love somebody without it being like that. You can keep them a stranger, a stranger who's a friend."
"but there were moments when she played songs. that made you wonder where she learned them, where indeed she came from. "
"I'll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead."
"Tell me, are you a real writer?" "It depends on what you mean by real."
"She isn't a phony because she's a *real* phony. She *believes* all this crap she believes. You can't talk her out of it."
"She's such a goddamn liar, maybe she don't know herself anymore."
"If I do feel guilty, I guess it's because I let him go on dreaming when I wasn't dreaming a bit. I was just vamping for time to make. a few self-improvements: I knew damn well I'd never be a movie star. It's too hard; and if you're intelligent, it's too embarrassing. My complexes aren't inferior enough: being a movie star and having a big fat ego are suppose to go hand in hand; actually it's essential not to have any ego at all."
"I don't mean I'd mind being rich and famous. That's very much on my schedule, and someday I'll try to get around to it."
"It's a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I haven't any right to give him one: he'll just have to wait until he belongs to somebody. We just sort of took up by the river one day, we don't belong to each other: he's an independent, and so am I. I don't want to own anything until I know I've found the place and me and things belong together."
"You can make yourself love anybody"
"It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural."
"[she had] flat eyes that only turned towards the stars to estimate their chemical tonnage"
" the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies undergo a complete overhaul--desirable or not,, it is a natural thing that we should change."
"Everybody has to feel superior to somebody...but it's customary to present a little proof before you take the privilege."
:"Everyday she'd walk. a little further: a mile, and come home. Two miles, and come home. One day she just kept on."
"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell... you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."
"I assure you, we were laughing when the sadness came."
"A person ought to be able to marry men or women or--listen, if you came to me and said you wanted to hitch up with a Man O' War, I'd respect your feeling...love should be allowed. I'm all for it. Not that I've got a pretty good idea of what it is."
"I'd rather have cancer than a dishonest heart. Whih isn't being pious. Just practical."
"I loved her enough to forget myself, my self-pitying despeairs, and be content that something she thought happy was going to happen."
"I love you." "Damn fool."
"Home is where you feel at home. I'm still looking."
"My yardstick is how somebody treats me."
"certain shades of limelight wreck a girl's complexion."
"Ah, Mr. Bell. A lady doesn't vanish every day. Won't you toast her?"
"WIDL
1) Distinctive Gatsby feel. I just don't like Gatsby. Yea yea i know, how dare I, etc etc. This has much the same tone. Not my thing, thanks! It's too,,, baseball radio announcers ca. 1920. It just feels too much like the author is putting on a show or recounting the events of some othER event that could be better witnessed through some other medium. (Yknow? Does that make sense at all?) Just felt like Capote kept waltzing around the main points. I'm not *opposed* to that style per see, but when he does the waltz around the main point, Capote also still uses a casual tone? It's embellishment for *embellishment's sake*, which is just not my thing. Sorry, Capote.
2) human people characters. Okay, yes, ofc Holly is larger-than-life in her,,,, how to say,,, absurdities. But?? Capote chooses to depict these larger-than-life characters at their most human moments and only references the absurdities in passing. And yes while this literature is important in the larger media collection of the world, it's not exactly fun to read, is it? It drags like an eight-year-old's mud-caked cape at 11:31 PM on Halloween.
PT: classics, classic books, books that have been on my TBR for too long, CAPOTE!, adjacent to the Rory Gilmore reading list, books that take place in October,
WIL
1) Author choices of grief. It is a common plight of the modern world that the grieving character TM must PHYSICALLY demonstrate their grief, and because Hollywood is a nightmare industry, it often comes to pass that the grief physically manifests itself as weight loss. But oh ho! Diversity here!!! a grieving character *gains* weight. (Ref: page 101 in my text.)
2) WONDERFUL close. "Flanked by potted plants and framed by clean lace curtains, he was seated in the window of a warm-looking room: I wondered what his name was, for I was certain he had one now, certain he's arrived somewhere he belonged. African hut or whatever, I hope Holly has, too." I MEAN!!! Heckin fantASTIC. A textbook example of a DELIGHTFUL close to a short story. Establishes continuity of character ( protag's enduring affection for Holly), maintains some ambiguity/leaves the reader wanting more (dunno wHAT is happening with Holly actually), creates a symbolic connection (the cat), creates a very very subtle layer of closure. My god that is a DIFFICULT thing to accomplish. This last section is the main reason this book got four stars instead of three. Genius. Chef's kiss. J'adore.
3) "Holly GoLightly" bit heavy-handed, yea? Still. Awesome. Ended up working out well here, oddly enough.
4) Quotes
"i swear it never crossed my mind about Holly. You can love somebody without it being like that. You can keep them a stranger, a stranger who's a friend."
"but there were moments when she played songs. that made you wonder where she learned them, where indeed she came from. "
"I'll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead."
"Tell me, are you a real writer?" "It depends on what you mean by real."
"She isn't a phony because she's a *real* phony. She *believes* all this crap she believes. You can't talk her out of it."
"She's such a goddamn liar, maybe she don't know herself anymore."
"If I do feel guilty, I guess it's because I let him go on dreaming when I wasn't dreaming a bit. I was just vamping for time to make. a few self-improvements: I knew damn well I'd never be a movie star. It's too hard; and if you're intelligent, it's too embarrassing. My complexes aren't inferior enough: being a movie star and having a big fat ego are suppose to go hand in hand; actually it's essential not to have any ego at all."
"I don't mean I'd mind being rich and famous. That's very much on my schedule, and someday I'll try to get around to it."
"It's a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I haven't any right to give him one: he'll just have to wait until he belongs to somebody. We just sort of took up by the river one day, we don't belong to each other: he's an independent, and so am I. I don't want to own anything until I know I've found the place and me and things belong together."
"You can make yourself love anybody"
"It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural."
"[she had] flat eyes that only turned towards the stars to estimate their chemical tonnage"
" the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies undergo a complete overhaul--desirable or not,, it is a natural thing that we should change."
"Everybody has to feel superior to somebody...but it's customary to present a little proof before you take the privilege."
:"Everyday she'd walk. a little further: a mile, and come home. Two miles, and come home. One day she just kept on."
"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell... you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."
"I assure you, we were laughing when the sadness came."
"A person ought to be able to marry men or women or--listen, if you came to me and said you wanted to hitch up with a Man O' War, I'd respect your feeling...love should be allowed. I'm all for it. Not that I've got a pretty good idea of what it is."
"I'd rather have cancer than a dishonest heart. Whih isn't being pious. Just practical."
"I loved her enough to forget myself, my self-pitying despeairs, and be content that something she thought happy was going to happen."
"I love you." "Damn fool."
"Home is where you feel at home. I'm still looking."
"My yardstick is how somebody treats me."
"certain shades of limelight wreck a girl's complexion."
"Ah, Mr. Bell. A lady doesn't vanish every day. Won't you toast her?"
"WIDL
1) Distinctive Gatsby feel. I just don't like Gatsby. Yea yea i know, how dare I, etc etc. This has much the same tone. Not my thing, thanks! It's too,,, baseball radio announcers ca. 1920. It just feels too much like the author is putting on a show or recounting the events of some othER event that could be better witnessed through some other medium. (Yknow? Does that make sense at all?) Just felt like Capote kept waltzing around the main points. I'm not *opposed* to that style per see, but when he does the waltz around the main point, Capote also still uses a casual tone? It's embellishment for *embellishment's sake*, which is just not my thing. Sorry, Capote.
2) human people characters. Okay, yes, ofc Holly is larger-than-life in her,,,, how to say,,, absurdities. But?? Capote chooses to depict these larger-than-life characters at their most human moments and only references the absurdities in passing. And yes while this literature is important in the larger media collection of the world, it's not exactly fun to read, is it? It drags like an eight-year-old's mud-caked cape at 11:31 PM on Halloween.
jemmabright's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
caitowen26's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theuncultured's review against another edition
3.0
Thankfully the edition I own doesn't have a picture of Audrey Hepburn on the cover.
I didn't think too much of Breakfast at Tiffany's but that says more about me than the story. Capote has an interesting style, one could almost say that his attention to minor emotions is rather indulgent (in a good way.) The rest of the stories in the book were quite charming and lovely to read. However, I want to re-read the whole thing again in one sitting, a quieter space, and see how I feel about it then. I truly think that I didn't give it the best mind. I'll keep Capote on my list, still, because I feel like he is on to something.
I didn't think too much of Breakfast at Tiffany's but that says more about me than the story. Capote has an interesting style, one could almost say that his attention to minor emotions is rather indulgent (in a good way.) The rest of the stories in the book were quite charming and lovely to read. However, I want to re-read the whole thing again in one sitting, a quieter space, and see how I feel about it then. I truly think that I didn't give it the best mind. I'll keep Capote on my list, still, because I feel like he is on to something.