Book Review Truman Capote Short Stories
Stories from the author of Ib Cold Blood and Breakfast At Tiffany’s.
BOOK REVIEW – TRUMAN CAPOTE – SHORT STORIES 1958 Penguin Books
The Breakfast At Tiffany’s book, being so short, carries three other memorable stories by Capote. HOUSE OF FLOWERS the first and weakest may be his most bizarre contribution to literature. It was even turned into a modestly successful musical, by Capote himself. It tells a macabre tale of rival brothel keepers who play nasty tricks on one another. One kills he others pets. In revenge, instead of burying the animas, the victim cooks the dead animals into a broth and feeds them back to their killer. It gets worse from there, believe me.
The remaining stories are much better. A DIAMONG GUITAR is a story about chain gang convicts, one of who has a reputation for being the hardest man in the prison, until a new inmate arrives bearing a home made guitar, with diamonds set into the bridge. The man plays it divinely, but he is deeply unhappy in prison. Though due for imminent release, he comes up with an escape plan. The old timer (in for life,) offers to go with him, but he is torn between helping and hindering his plans, with tragic consequences for all. The story may well have been an influence on the Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke.
A CHRISTMAS MEMORY is a deeply moving and realistic tale that may be autobiographical for Capote in parts. Several TV, radio and film versions have been made. Some spoiler caution should be added here for anyone wishing to read further).
A young boy, Buddy, in a poor American family in the 1930’s hits on a way of raising money to buy presents for his friends. He gets a some moonshine whisky from a local Indian dealer, and bakes the whisky like drink into cakes, and cookies, to sell to the people of the town. Even President Roosevelt has orders for the cakes, though Buddy never meets his most illustrious customer. Buddy’s older cousin (unnamed,) helps out and gets drunk on the moonshine whisky left over once the cakes are made.
Buddy and his cousin both get kites as presents 9fromone another) and spend a happy day flying them round. It will be the last real happy Christmas they know, as the cousin is due to join the army, and Buddy’s best friend suffers from early onset Dementia. Soon he will have no memory of Buddy at all.
The events of that Christmas become very special to Buddy, and haunt him for the rest of his own days. It’s a very evocative tale, deeply warm, human, with its sadness never becoming depressingor overtly sentimental.
Arthur Chappell
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