Truman Capote

Our local book club is reading the trio of holiday stories written by Truman Capote. I found two of the stories each in their own book at the library. But one of them, A Christmas Memory was also part of a collection that included Breakfast at Tiffany's. I had forgotten that Capote had written it. I couldn't resist.

Have I ever read Capote before? Surely I must have. I can almost remember the well-shaped sentences and honey-like descriptions in the holiday stories. But I never read Breakfast at Tiffany's and in fact, barely remembered that Capote had written it. What a delight. The book has all of the same gay, madcap fun and underlying sorrow as the movie. Capote's Holly Golightly is absolute kin to Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of her. But the similarity ends there, the movie was Hollywood-ized and tells a different story. Capote was the master of the "and then he/she went away and I never saw him/her again" ending. And Hollywood? Well you know that the guy gets the girl.

Which is better? I loved them both. Who can resist Audrey Heburn's charm. Who can resist Truman Capote's prose.