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In Cold Blood & Breakfast at Tiffany's
Nothing horrible can ever happen at Tiffany's, Holly Golightly knows. Capote created a lady whose name has become a part of the American language, and whose style has become a part of the literary landscape—her poignancy, wit, and naiveté continue to captivate.
- GenresClassics
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2022
About the author
Truman Capote
309 books6,472 followersTruman Capote was an American writer whose non-fiction, stories, novels and plays are recognised literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and In Cold Blood (1965), which he labeled a "non-fiction novel." At least 20 films and TV dramas have been produced from Capote novels, stories and screenplays.
He was born as Truman Streckfus Persons to a salesman Archulus Persons and young Lillie Mae. His parents divorced when he was four and he went to live with his mother's relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. He was a lonely child who learned to read and write by himself before entering school. In 1933, he moved to New York City to live with his mother and her new husband, Joseph Capote, a Cuban-born businessman. Mr. Capote adopted Truman, legally changing his last name to Capote and enrolling him in private school. After graduating from high school in 1942, Truman Capote began his regular job as a copy boy at The New Yorker. During this time, he also began his career as a writer, publishing many short stories which introduced him into a circle of literary critics. His first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks and became controversial because of the photograph of Capote used to promote the novel, posing seductively and gazing into the camera.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Capote remained prolific producing both fiction and non-fiction. His masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a story about the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, was published in 1966 in book form by Random House, became a worldwide success and brought Capote much praise from the literary community. After this success he published rarely and suffered from alcohol addiction. He died in 1984 at age 59.
He was born as Truman Streckfus Persons to a salesman Archulus Persons and young Lillie Mae. His parents divorced when he was four and he went to live with his mother's relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. He was a lonely child who learned to read and write by himself before entering school. In 1933, he moved to New York City to live with his mother and her new husband, Joseph Capote, a Cuban-born businessman. Mr. Capote adopted Truman, legally changing his last name to Capote and enrolling him in private school. After graduating from high school in 1942, Truman Capote began his regular job as a copy boy at The New Yorker. During this time, he also began his career as a writer, publishing many short stories which introduced him into a circle of literary critics. His first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks and became controversial because of the photograph of Capote used to promote the novel, posing seductively and gazing into the camera.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Capote remained prolific producing both fiction and non-fiction. His masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a story about the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, was published in 1966 in book form by Random House, became a worldwide success and brought Capote much praise from the literary community. After this success he published rarely and suffered from alcohol addiction. He died in 1984 at age 59.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 20, 2024
So sehr ich Breakfast at Tiffany's gemocht habe, so sehr habe ich mich durch In Cold Blood geschleppt. Ein furchtbarer Schreibstil. Gut 80% des Buches waren deshalb für mich nicht so relevant.
February 28, 2024
I enjoyed these!!
July 26, 2023
======================================
IN COLD BLOOD
======================================
'Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr. Clutter had in large measure obtained it.' –
'The truth was he opposed all stimulants, however gentle.'–
'“Or you might never go home. And—it’s important always to have with you something of your own. That’s really yours.”'
'“You are a man of extreme passion, a hungry man not quite sure where his appetite lies, a deeply frustrated man striving to project his individuality against a backdrop of rigid conformity. You exist in a half-world suspended between two superstructures, one self-expression and the other self-destruction. You are strong, but there is a flaw in your strength, and unless you learn to control it the flaw will prove stronger than your strength and defeat you. The flaw? Explosive emotional reaction out of all proportion to the occasion. Why? Why this unreasonable anger at the sight of others who are happy or content, this growing contempt for people and the desire to hurt them?'
'There’s a race of men that don’t fit in, A race that can’t stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin; And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain’s crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don’t know how to rest. If they just went straight they might go far; They are strong and brave and true; But they’re always tired of the things that are, And they want the strange and new.'
'We are all free to speak & do as we individually will—providing this “freedom” of Speech & Deed are not injurious to our fellow-man.'
'There is considerable hypocrisy in conventionalism. Any thinking person is aware of this paradox; but in dealing with conventional people it is advantageous to treat them as though they were not hypocrites.'
'“I was coasting along. Not knowing God is the only reality. Once you realize that, then everything falls into place. Life has meaning—and so does death.'
'“My friend Willie-Jay used to talk about it. He used to say that all crimes were only ‘varieties of theft.’ Murder included. When you kill a man you steal his life.'
'“Why? Soldiers don’t lose much sleep. They murder, and get medals for doing it. The good people of Kansas want to murder me—and some hangman will be glad to get the work. It’s easy to kill—a lot easier than passing a bad check.'
'“In attempting to assess the criminal responsibility of murderers, the law tries to divide them (as it does all offenders) into two groups, the ‘sane’ and the ‘insane.’ The ‘sane’ murderer is thought of as acting upon rational motives that can be understood, though condemned, and the ‘insane’ one as being driven by irrational senseless motives.'
'The M’Naghten Rule, as has been previously stated, recognizes no form of insanity provided the defendant has the capacity to discriminate between right and wrong—legally, not morally.'
======================================
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
======================================
'But when he offered to buy it the Negro cupped his private parts in his hand (apparently a tender gesture, comparable to tapping one's heart) and said no.'
'"I'll never disgrace myself. And I swear, it never crossed my mind about Holly. You can love somebody without it being like that. You keep them a stranger, a stranger who's a friend."'
'Of course people couldn't help but think I must be a bit of a dyke myself. And of course I am. Everyone is: a bit. So what? That never discouraged a man yet, in fact it seems to goad them on.'
'A disquieting loneliness came into my life, but it induced no hunger for friends of longer acquaintance: they seemed now like a salt-free, sugarless diet.'
'"You're wrong. She is a phony. But on the other hand you're right. She isn't a phony because she's a real phony. She believes all this crap she believes.'
'I want to still be me when I wake up one fine morning and have breakfast at Tiffany's.'
'I don't want to own anything until I know I've found the place where me and things belong together. I'm not quite sure where that is just yet. But I know what it's like."'
'"No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. You've had that feeling?"'
'It's such a useless thing for a man to want to be: the p-p-president of Brazil."'
'"It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural."'
'the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies undergo a complete overhaul -- desirable or not, it is a natural thing that we should change.'
'They would never change because they'd been given their character too soon; which, like sudden riches, leads to a lack of proportion:'
'Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.'
'But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."'
hausfrau: a woman regarded as overly domesticated
'He tells little lies and he worries what people think and he takes about fifty baths a day: men ought to smell somewhat. He's too prim, too cautious to be my guy ideal; he always turns his back to get undressed and he makes too much noise when he eats and I don't like to see him run because there's something funny-looking about him when he runs.'
'Be anything but a coward, a pretender, an emotional crook, a whore: I'd rather have cancer than a dishonest heart. Which isn't being pious. Just practical. Cancer may cool you, but the other's sure to.'
'perhaps because our understanding of each other had reached that sweet depth where two people communicate more often in silence than in words:'
'Anyway, home is where you feel at home. I'm still looking."'
'"I'm very scared, Buster. Yes, at last. Because it could go on forever. Not knowing what's yours until you've thrown it away.'
IN COLD BLOOD
======================================
'Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr. Clutter had in large measure obtained it.' –
'The truth was he opposed all stimulants, however gentle.'–
'“Or you might never go home. And—it’s important always to have with you something of your own. That’s really yours.”'
'“You are a man of extreme passion, a hungry man not quite sure where his appetite lies, a deeply frustrated man striving to project his individuality against a backdrop of rigid conformity. You exist in a half-world suspended between two superstructures, one self-expression and the other self-destruction. You are strong, but there is a flaw in your strength, and unless you learn to control it the flaw will prove stronger than your strength and defeat you. The flaw? Explosive emotional reaction out of all proportion to the occasion. Why? Why this unreasonable anger at the sight of others who are happy or content, this growing contempt for people and the desire to hurt them?'
'There’s a race of men that don’t fit in, A race that can’t stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin; And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain’s crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don’t know how to rest. If they just went straight they might go far; They are strong and brave and true; But they’re always tired of the things that are, And they want the strange and new.'
'We are all free to speak & do as we individually will—providing this “freedom” of Speech & Deed are not injurious to our fellow-man.'
'There is considerable hypocrisy in conventionalism. Any thinking person is aware of this paradox; but in dealing with conventional people it is advantageous to treat them as though they were not hypocrites.'
'“I was coasting along. Not knowing God is the only reality. Once you realize that, then everything falls into place. Life has meaning—and so does death.'
'“My friend Willie-Jay used to talk about it. He used to say that all crimes were only ‘varieties of theft.’ Murder included. When you kill a man you steal his life.'
'“Why? Soldiers don’t lose much sleep. They murder, and get medals for doing it. The good people of Kansas want to murder me—and some hangman will be glad to get the work. It’s easy to kill—a lot easier than passing a bad check.'
'“In attempting to assess the criminal responsibility of murderers, the law tries to divide them (as it does all offenders) into two groups, the ‘sane’ and the ‘insane.’ The ‘sane’ murderer is thought of as acting upon rational motives that can be understood, though condemned, and the ‘insane’ one as being driven by irrational senseless motives.'
'The M’Naghten Rule, as has been previously stated, recognizes no form of insanity provided the defendant has the capacity to discriminate between right and wrong—legally, not morally.'
======================================
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
======================================
'But when he offered to buy it the Negro cupped his private parts in his hand (apparently a tender gesture, comparable to tapping one's heart) and said no.'
'"I'll never disgrace myself. And I swear, it never crossed my mind about Holly. You can love somebody without it being like that. You keep them a stranger, a stranger who's a friend."'
'Of course people couldn't help but think I must be a bit of a dyke myself. And of course I am. Everyone is: a bit. So what? That never discouraged a man yet, in fact it seems to goad them on.'
'A disquieting loneliness came into my life, but it induced no hunger for friends of longer acquaintance: they seemed now like a salt-free, sugarless diet.'
'"You're wrong. She is a phony. But on the other hand you're right. She isn't a phony because she's a real phony. She believes all this crap she believes.'
'I want to still be me when I wake up one fine morning and have breakfast at Tiffany's.'
'I don't want to own anything until I know I've found the place where me and things belong together. I'm not quite sure where that is just yet. But I know what it's like."'
'"No, the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. You've had that feeling?"'
'It's such a useless thing for a man to want to be: the p-p-president of Brazil."'
'"It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural."'
'the average personality reshapes frequently, every few years even our bodies undergo a complete overhaul -- desirable or not, it is a natural thing that we should change.'
'They would never change because they'd been given their character too soon; which, like sudden riches, leads to a lack of proportion:'
'Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.'
'But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."'
hausfrau: a woman regarded as overly domesticated
'He tells little lies and he worries what people think and he takes about fifty baths a day: men ought to smell somewhat. He's too prim, too cautious to be my guy ideal; he always turns his back to get undressed and he makes too much noise when he eats and I don't like to see him run because there's something funny-looking about him when he runs.'
'Be anything but a coward, a pretender, an emotional crook, a whore: I'd rather have cancer than a dishonest heart. Which isn't being pious. Just practical. Cancer may cool you, but the other's sure to.'
'perhaps because our understanding of each other had reached that sweet depth where two people communicate more often in silence than in words:'
'Anyway, home is where you feel at home. I'm still looking."'
'"I'm very scared, Buster. Yes, at last. Because it could go on forever. Not knowing what's yours until you've thrown it away.'
August 8, 2023
Capote's prose is lyrical, and oddly enough, I felt that suited him best in 'In Cold Blood' the 'true crime' rather than Breakfast at Tiffany's, a short story that I found overblown and indulgent.
I enjoyed both, though.
'In Cold Blood': Capote beautifully took me to that place and (of course, as it was written then) that time, evoking the feel of the midwest small town in the late fifties. I appreciated the varying viewpoints, and even the psychological input. I read up on the crimes after and find he did make some errors, by accident and purposefully on occasion, using his fiction talents in some cases to introduce pathos to the character interactions. I didn't go in expecting an absolutely rigid truth telling, and feel like he fictionalized a lot less than I expected.
Breakfast at Tiffany's: I've seen the movie, of course, but did not go in to the story expecting it to be the same. Ultimately, it felt overblown. Too long - oddly enough - for the amount of story there was, which was minimal. I did enjoy it though.
*Warning: there are many many appalling racial slurs, many of them from Holly herself. I am still wondering what Capote was doing, and I have to think they were purposeful to reveal the ignorance (ignorance meaning the lack of education and deeper thought) of her character, but now I'm interested to know if my interpretation is correct, or if they are merely a reflection of the timeframe of the story.
I enjoyed both, though.
'In Cold Blood': Capote beautifully took me to that place and (of course, as it was written then) that time, evoking the feel of the midwest small town in the late fifties. I appreciated the varying viewpoints, and even the psychological input. I read up on the crimes after and find he did make some errors, by accident and purposefully on occasion, using his fiction talents in some cases to introduce pathos to the character interactions. I didn't go in expecting an absolutely rigid truth telling, and feel like he fictionalized a lot less than I expected.
Breakfast at Tiffany's: I've seen the movie, of course, but did not go in to the story expecting it to be the same. Ultimately, it felt overblown. Too long - oddly enough - for the amount of story there was, which was minimal. I did enjoy it though.
*Warning: there are many many appalling racial slurs, many of them from Holly herself. I am still wondering what Capote was doing, and I have to think they were purposeful to reveal the ignorance (ignorance meaning the lack of education and deeper thought) of her character, but now I'm interested to know if my interpretation is correct, or if they are merely a reflection of the timeframe of the story.
August 18, 2023
Holly Golightly is an individual spirit, living in New York and charming all around her. Her lifestyle is chaotic and dependent on men giving her money for services, or at least the promise of them, as well as visiting an old lag weekly in prison, for which she is paid. But she is very likeable.
Her neighbour is clearly in love with her and exasperated by her, as we follow her tribulations to find happiness and a good life.
Its a snapshot of life at that time, with all the pressures and disappointments life has to offer. I enjoyed it, its a very short read. Hard to equate the author with 'In Cold Blood' which was the other story in the book I bought; a totally different read.
Her neighbour is clearly in love with her and exasperated by her, as we follow her tribulations to find happiness and a good life.
Its a snapshot of life at that time, with all the pressures and disappointments life has to offer. I enjoyed it, its a very short read. Hard to equate the author with 'In Cold Blood' which was the other story in the book I bought; a totally different read.
March 25, 2023
In Cold Blood is truly a masterpiece. Capote wrote with the power of Hemmingway. His voyage into the minds of those affected by the crime is amazing. The disturbed pasts and anti social rage of two murderous psychopaths. The promising and gentle world of 16 year old Nancy Clutter, and her family. The community at large. Or the agonizing work of the detectives trying to solve a crime with few clues and no suspects. Capote displayed an understanding of human nature to rival Shakespeare.
Breakfast at Tiffany's must have been ground breaking. Still, a little hard to believe, even for fiction.
Breakfast at Tiffany's must have been ground breaking. Still, a little hard to believe, even for fiction.
March 6, 2023
I bought this as a combo and will admit I didn’t read Breakfast at Tiffanys. Truman Capote is a very talented writer. In Cold Blood was really hard to put down but it was very descriptive in the way 4 members of the same family were brutally murdered. If you enjoy gaining perspective on what a criminal might be going through mentally before and after committing a crime then you will enjoy this book. It was an interesting book to read but it won’t be a book I read again.
July 25, 2023
Breakfast at Tiffany s
Just brought the book for the Tiffany story. I was interested to see the difference between that and the film.
In the book Holly is a call girl and it's very much to the fore front of the story.
Although certain story element are reflected in the film the book is spoken through the neighbour the would be writer. Worth a read.
Just brought the book for the Tiffany story. I was interested to see the difference between that and the film.
In the book Holly is a call girl and it's very much to the fore front of the story.
Although certain story element are reflected in the film the book is spoken through the neighbour the would be writer. Worth a read.
April 29, 2024
Never gets tired…
In Cold Blood is not my cup of tea. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, though, is a masterpiece. It has many wonderful New York moments and is a witty and touching, though unconventional, love story. Holly is an unforgettable character, and has solidly achieved for Capote the immortality that he likely desired.
In Cold Blood is not my cup of tea. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, though, is a masterpiece. It has many wonderful New York moments and is a witty and touching, though unconventional, love story. Holly is an unforgettable character, and has solidly achieved for Capote the immortality that he likely desired.
March 26, 2024
As good as its legend
The writing is spare, no unnecessary words. Essentially a character study leaving the reader wanting to make Holly Golightly's acquaintance. The writer misses her and so does the reader. If you want to become a writer, this novella is a great place to start.
The writing is spare, no unnecessary words. Essentially a character study leaving the reader wanting to make Holly Golightly's acquaintance. The writer misses her and so does the reader. If you want to become a writer, this novella is a great place to start.
April 25, 2024
Breakfast at Tiffanys was not what I expected and not a great read. I haven't seen the movie but I will try to see it now just to compare it to the book. I was on a Truman Capote theme after seeing the "Feud" series that portrayed Truman and his "Swans". Time to move on.
July 5, 2022
Wonderful tale
A great story by a wonderful writer. Holly Golightly is one of the most unforgettable literary characters ever. Breakfast at Tiffany's is a must read!
A great story by a wonderful writer. Holly Golightly is one of the most unforgettable literary characters ever. Breakfast at Tiffany's is a must read!
December 13, 2023
In Cold Blood ☆☆☆
Breakfast at Tiffany's ☆☆
Breakfast at Tiffany's ☆☆
January 3, 2024
This anthology contains the following two books:
In Cold Blood
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I have reviewed each work under its own title, noted above.
In respect to the anthology, this particular Kindle edition was accurate, with few if any transcription errors; however, the Table of Contents was flawed in the it was missing not only the chapters (and links) for In Cold Blood, but entirely missing any link to the two separate books! Therefore, reading straight through both books presents no problem, but navigation directly to the second book is impossible without flipping through the entire first book, unless you add book and chapter bookmarks in your supported Kindle Device. Pretty basic flaw for an e-book in my opinion.
Both books were great, but being very different types of stories, it was a bit odd to see them paired in this anthology.
In Cold Blood
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I have reviewed each work under its own title, noted above.
In respect to the anthology, this particular Kindle edition was accurate, with few if any transcription errors; however, the Table of Contents was flawed in the it was missing not only the chapters (and links) for In Cold Blood, but entirely missing any link to the two separate books! Therefore, reading straight through both books presents no problem, but navigation directly to the second book is impossible without flipping through the entire first book, unless you add book and chapter bookmarks in your supported Kindle Device. Pretty basic flaw for an e-book in my opinion.
Both books were great, but being very different types of stories, it was a bit odd to see them paired in this anthology.
October 29, 2023
Great Work
Two of Truman Capote's greatest works side by side. A completely different experience reading them both. But excellent all the way through.
Two of Truman Capote's greatest works side by side. A completely different experience reading them both. But excellent all the way through.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews