Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black and White Ball

If you're fascinated by the 1960s, you'll love Davis's take of Truman Capote's legendary black and white ball held in the Grand Ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in November 1966. Davis has a gift for not patronizing her readers. To those readers who were living, thinking, socially conscious adults in the 60s and can personally recall Capote's self-aggrandizing antics, she retells the familiar story in a unique and lively manner. For those readers coming to this story very much after-the-fact, she succinctly provides all the necessary background information without overloading the story with unnecessary details. What I enjoyed most was Davis's ability to convey the tone and mood of the era she's describing. Nineteen sixty-six, in retrospect, seems to have been a pivotal year. Positioned as it was at the virtual midpoint between the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, it is neither a time of great optimism (American jingoism) nor a time of open rebellion. But clearly, the old order is beginning to fray at the seams. The anxiety people felt over not being invited to what promised to be "the party of the century" is hard to fathom today and is almost touching in its pathos. And to read over the list of "the invited" (which Davis provides as an appendix) is in a strange way somewhat comforting. Whatever their faults, these people (with the possible exception of Lee Radziwill) were at least famous because of their accomplishments or social status. But clearly the era of celebrities who would be "famous solely for being famous" was not far off, and Davis does a good job of suggesting its immanence. One can't help wondering if Capote's party didn't in some way help to bring it about. The last two chapters ("Hangover" and "Afterword") close the story with sobering accounts of Capote's artistic decline and of what eventually happened to some of Capote's famous guests. As social history or memento mori, THE PARTY OF THE CENTURY is a thoroughly satisfying read.

Great Book! Great semi-biography on Capote, really looks at the society side of his life, which in my opinion is pretty interesting. It's a good reminder of the way society used to be and the granduer that can't be recaptured again. It's pretty light and easy to pick up and put down. Would be an excellent beach read or vacation read, without the feeling of a trashy novel.

After I read this, I asked myself, did I really need to read a book about Truman Capote and the party planning event of the century? I came to the conclusion that i did not need to read this but if I wanted to discover an author who was able to document some of the most intricate details of what Capote did to make all this happen, how his writing of IN COLD BLOOD ties all into this, how he made other people of wealth and privledge yearn to be on his 'kickball' team, then this book is worth its weight in expensive lace.

I loved this book! Of course everyone knows Truman Capote - and honey if you don't, do not admit it and read this book pronto. Even for the younger of readers there likely is some familiarity with personalities such as Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Candice Bergen, Kay Graham, Bill and Babe Paley, Halston, Gloria Guinness, Dominick Dunne, Lee Radziwill, George Plimpton, Adolpho, Lee Harper and many, many more. Deborah Davis brings the extended cast of characters and the era itself back to life in vivid detail. I felt like I was living the day! I couldn't wait to finish so I could start all over again - devouring the lush descriptions, the juicy details...all the dish. A delicious read worthy of seconds and thirds! Having now discovered the fabulous Ms. Davis I'm looking forward to reading her previous book "Strapless", the story of John Singer Sargent and the fall of Madame X.