Breakfast at Tiffany's

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Author: Truman Capote
Acquired in: 2020

The book I possess is a collection of four short stories, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Diamond Guitar, House of Flowers and A Christmas Memory.

Among all of these, Breakfast at Tiffany's is the most intriguing. The main character Holly Golightly is a bewildering mix of charm and eccentricity that flutters the hearts of numerous men about their business in busy New York.

Beneath all that smartness and cigarette smoke, the reader may feel that she is just a poor attention-seeking teenager, wanting freedom but also affection. On many days, when experiencing 'the mean reds' or ‘angst’ in the narrator’s terms, she fantasises about Tiffany's, a posh and proud jewellery store, where nothing unexpected or disastrous ever seems to happen.

House of Flowers is one of the other pieces of fiction included and narrates the story of Ottilie, a woman living in the bustle of a town finding love with Royal, who lives in the mountains.

The Diamond Guitar is a poignant piece about Mr Schaeffer, a prisoner with a life sentence and a young Cuban inmate named Tico Feo who longs to roam the world and take in its sights and sounds. Tico’s fine guitar produces such moving music, that it brings out memories, sweet and sad, that the old prisoner tried hard to forget.

In A Christmas Memory, Capote writes a boy's memory of a delightful Christmas with his old cousin. Said to be based on Capote's relationship with his mother's old relative, the story underlines the special bond between children and the elderly, which many grown-ups don't understand (there are plenty who do though).

This is a fine compilation of stories that makes for a quick read. After having read this, I'd love to settle with another of Capote's books and hope to get my hands on one soon.

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