Book Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Holly Golightly. She is no ordinary woman. She is beautiful, funny and the ultimate seductress. She is a free bird. She breaks all conventions. She is charm personified. She is a heart breaker. She is lonely. Truman Capote's girl is nothing short of a 'top banana in the shock department' and continues to be so even now for the novella's terrific exploration of human relationships in the fickle world we live in.

Heartbreaking

Holly's past is mysterious and painful, but she enjoys a fashionable life switching multiple millionaire and gangster boyfriends. Mind you this is New York in the 1940's right at the time of World War II. Though unfortunately for her the aims of settling down for a happy and peaceful life seem as elusive as ever.

She lives with her cat in a small apartment, where she encounters the unnamed narrator of our story. She calls him Fred as he reminds him of her brother who is at the time fighting the war. Fred is initially attracted to her just like the others despite her quirky nature but their relationship soon hits a platonic note and he becomes one of the very few men, aside from the bartender guy Joe Bell, who genuinely wish her well in her life.

That Fred is portrayed (though not explicitly) as a homosexual only adds weight to whole proceedings. Although Capote offers scarce details about his life, he is nonetheless central to the narrative and is more of a window to learn about Holly.

Coming back to her, Truman has created such an enigmatic character that one is surrounded by a multitude of questions which I think makes her so layered and real. Is she a bad girl? Are we supposed to despise her for what she does? Will she pay for her carefree and irresponsible lifestyle? In the end we are left with conflicting emotions towards Holly, and yet one cannot help rooting for her, wanting her to become successful in her journey of life. Running just about a 100-odd pages, Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's is brilliantly concocted, breezy and heartfelt.