Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Truman Capote is the most perfect writer of my generation. He writes the best sentences word for word, rhythm upon rhythm.”
—Norman Mailer


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Description

Contains:

Breakfast at Tiffany's
House of Flowers
A Diamond Guitar
A Christmas Memory

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (January 13, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067960085X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679600855
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,987 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favorite American classic!, January 23, 2004

By	CoffeeGurl (MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Breakfast at Tiffany's (Paperback)

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is There Such a Thing as Wanting Too Badly?, May 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Breakfast at Tiffany's (Paperback)

Readers tend to be sadists. How else do you explain their desire to place themselves into the lives of, or to become, fictional strangers, even when the outcome results in having your heart ripped out? The answer has something to do with "want"; readers want what characters want. Or readers want characters. Especially in this case, in which the object of desire is a tease yet a prude; glossy yet tainted; experienced yet naive. Holly Golightly is as complex a character as ever written, but a hell of a lot more desirable, and I want Holly Golightly. Capote has penned the quintessential "bitch," which can only be defined as someone with the unique ability to pull someone in emotionally while pushing them away physically. And while Holly is a "bitch" of a character, Capote is a "bitch" of a writer, and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a "bitch" of a book. At the novel's onset, I met Holly, instantly fell in love with her, and from there I spent my time chasing her, and I chased her until the conclusion, the point when I realized that my pursuit was futile. (This quest lasted for approximately two hours.) So what did I do then? I picked up the book and started reading it again. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is for gluttons for literary punishment--and I mean this in the most satisfying way--which should be anyone who enjoys reading. This is an almost perfect book that satisfies while leaving the reader longing for more.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never read Capote - until I saw the movie..., December 27, 2005

By	Lawrence J. Hines "Joe Hines" (San Jose, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breakfast at Tiffany's (Paperback)

I had never read any of Capote's works, but after I saw the movie, "Capote", I realized I had a big gap in my survey of American fiction and I knew I had to experience the writing of this interesting and tormented person.

Other reviewers have gone into detail about the stories themselves and I don't find that very interesting anyway, so I'll leave you to explore that for yourself. I will tell you that if you like Hemmingway or Fitzgerald, then Capote's observations and will strike a cord with you. His writing - clear, emotionally invoking and efficient in word is perhaps not as poetic as these two, but is their equal in impact.

The stories are rather short and I found myself wishing they were longer if only to prolong exposure to his work. If you have little experience with Capote, you will not be disappointed.