4.0
Music For Chameleons
ByPublisher Description
In these gems of reportage Truman Capote takes true stories and real people and renders them with the stylistic brio we expect from great fiction.
“An incomparable stylist and entertainer . . . clean and cool . . . [with a] superb, near-perfect pitch with dialogue.” —The New York Times Book Review
Here we encounter an exquisitely preserved Creole aristocrat sipping absinthe in her Martinique salon; an enigmatic killer who sends his victims announcements of their forthcoming demise; and a proper Connecticut householder with a ruinous obsession for a twelve-year-old he has never met. And we meet Capote himself, who, whether he is smoking with his cleaning lady or trading sexual gossip with Marilyn Monroe, remains one of the most elegant, malicious, yet compassionate writers to train his eye on the social fauna of his time.
“An incomparable stylist and entertainer . . . clean and cool . . . [with a] superb, near-perfect pitch with dialogue.” —The New York Times Book Review
Here we encounter an exquisitely preserved Creole aristocrat sipping absinthe in her Martinique salon; an enigmatic killer who sends his victims announcements of their forthcoming demise; and a proper Connecticut householder with a ruinous obsession for a twelve-year-old he has never met. And we meet Capote himself, who, whether he is smoking with his cleaning lady or trading sexual gossip with Marilyn Monroe, remains one of the most elegant, malicious, yet compassionate writers to train his eye on the social fauna of his time.
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4.0
Kalila
Created 16 days agoShare
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“Here are my personal responses towards each of the five short stories from this anthology that I enjoyed reading. Overall, I liked seeing the blend between each text, showing a strong theme by this accredited author.
Music for Chameleons- I enjoyed the fun and spunky writing style used to portray the woman. I liked the general idea of demonstrating the learning one can gain from others, as well as the symbolic reference to the world as we know it in the present day. Overall, this was a charming quick read.
Mr Jones- Whilst it was the shortest in the collection, Mr Jones was one of the most memorable of these short stories. I liked the descriptive techniques Capote used to embody this character, as well as the play on the perception of time the author enabled me to grasp.
A Lamp in a Window- I enjoyed the way this text made me consider trust between various characters. I believe the eeriness of the twist towards the final section of this story resembles a great contrast between the initial consideration of the “sweet” lady next door. This reminds me of the idea of revealing yourself fully to someone after a borderline connection is formated.
Mojave- A lively tale featuring various archetypes and their relationships, this text shows the difference between different combinations of people. It was also demonstrated how various factors and conditions such as time, can oftentimes make oneself feel more alone than in a time of solitude when with the “wrong” person.
Hospitality- Appropriately named, this short story featured a beautiful tale of kindness shown to others, particularly in their time of need. While this text was, arguably, strikingly different to the other stories in this anthology, I appreciated the morals and values it shared, including the power of extending an arm and reaching out a hand of generosity and care to help. This somewhat represents the ideology between what makes someone essentially “good” portrayed by our opinions on the matter as humans.
All in all, this novel allowed me a glimpse of Truman Capote’s intriguing writing style, which I would thoroughly enjoy dabbling further into soon. I also gained an appreciation for Capote’s context and story about what inspired him to create this work within the introduction. This challenge category also gifted me a larger appreciation of short stories, emphasising the value found in words, even when in a minimal amount.”
elizabëth
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Genevieve
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Vampyress
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Hillary
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About Truman Capote
Truman Capote was born September 30, 1924, in New Orleans. After his parents’ divorce, he was sent to live with relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. It was here he would meet his lifelong friend, the author Harper Lee. Capote rose to international prominence in 1948 with the publication of his debut novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms. Among his celebrated works are Breakfast at Tiffany’s, A Tree of Night, The Grass Harp, Summer Crossing, A Christmas Memory, and In Cold Blood, widely considered one of the greatest books of the twentieth century. Twice awarded the O. Henry Short Story Prize, Capote was also the recipient of a National Institute of Arts and Letters Creative Writing Award and an Edgar Award. He died August 25, 1984, shortly before his sixtieth birthday.
Other books by Truman Capote
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