Breakfast at Tiffany's

Excellent

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a true American classic. At 100 pages, it is a quick read, but a must for the faithful reader. The other 3 short stories included in this compilation are even quicker at about 20 pages each. Very entertaining. Good for a light read.

Holly Golightly is nineteen and twenty in this novel. She says things she doesn't mean, sleeps with men who don't love her, and breaks the hearts of those who do. She "goes to Tiffany's" whenever she feels herself getting depressed, which can be seen as a metaphor for the way she lives her life-- she surrounds herself with what she can't have to convince herself that she is worth the unattainable. I won't give away the two major twists in the novel, because i want you to read it, cheer for her, and cry with her, without knowing what will happen. If you enjoyed or identified at all with Catcher in the Rye, you will love Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Breakfast At Tiffany's, a book by Truman Capote, is a short novel that is very well-written. The book consists of four short stories, and although the plot of the four stories have nothing in common with one another, they are tied together by a central theme. Capote also demonstrates superb use of symbolism throughout his book. The main idea of each short story revolves around the loss of someone or something loved. The first story, "Breakfast at Tiffany's," is about two close friends, but after a series of dramatic events are forced to leave each other forever. "House of Flowers" tells of Ottilie, a girl who chooses to leave her rich, easy life and marries to a poor boy who works in the fields. In "A Diamond Guitar," one friend betrays the other, leaving Mr. Schaeffer watching "the face of his friend, suspended above him...it was so distant, judging." And finally, "A Christmas Memory," is perhaps the saddest of all four stories. Here, two lifelong friends who have spent every Christmas together, eventually grow apart due to a sudden change in lifestyles. Capote says that loss is something all must endure, and the only way to deal with a loss is to grow from it. The author relies on symbolism to bring more life to his stories, and no doubt he uses this element well. For example, the Houngan in "House of Flowers" explains to Ottilie that if she catches a wild bee and it "does not sting, then [she] will know [she has] found love." The bee represents Ottilie's heart, something wild and free. Yet if she allows herself to be tamed, then she will find true love. It is instances like this that make Capote's stories timeless. Capote engages the reader's attention in each story. His language is simple, and the reader never becomes bored with what he has to tell. But perhaps what brings his book together is the message he communicates: loss of love is unavoidable, and by overcoming it comes learning and knowledge that love will come again.

I re-read this book and was pleased to find that I wasn't wrong about it the other million times I read it. Truman Capote is one of my favorite authors and Breakfast at Tiffany's is my all-time favorite American classic. I don't read about Holly Golightly, I absorb this unique, eccentric character. The message Mr. Capote conveys in this novel is one of poignancy and charm. Holly, like her nameless cat, is a free spirit, a young woman whose quirks and unconventional lifestyle endear everyone, including the ambiguous narrator. This book overwhelms me with sadness every time I read it. Ms. Golightly's elusiveness touches me every time. I also love the film version of this novel. But the story gets lost somewhere amid the chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Peppard plays the narrator, and his character loses the mystery and ambiguity that is evident in the book. And even though I love the film's ending, the novel's conclusion is unforgettable. There are various differences between the book and the film, but they're both classics in their unique way. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, I strongly suggest you pick it up. Truman Capote is a brilliant writer, and he outdid himself with this timeless gem.

The book and the film, while both fantastic, are very different creatures. Both can stand on their own quite well. While I prefer the idea of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golighty, I like Holly herself in the book far better. She is a very frightened little girl (really, a girl-she is only 19), unsure of herself in a crazy, mixed-up world. She, of course, doesn't help the situation any. She is constantly looking for something-anything-to make her comfortable with herself and with her surroundings. The book, unlike the film, has the correct ending. The first time I saw the film, I had not read the book. And, yet, I could tell that the ending-as sweet and fairy-tale as it is-could not possibly be the right one. Holly is searching for something that she will never and can never find. I often wonder what Capote thought of the film's ending. Did he like it?? Or did he find it a complete cop out??