Reviews

Summer Crossing by Truman Capote

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hadiii's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing

3.75

21eljuanpaaa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

issieburton's review

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1.0

I picked this up as I’m a big fan of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and this was described to me as a precursor. Whilst I appreciate the beauty in finding a lost manuscript, this novel really misses the maturity of Capote’s better known works. His youth and inexperience is palpable throughout as it lacks structure and the characters lack the substance and liveliness he is known for. It’s an honourable early attempt, but I think had Truman have had the chance to refine it, I’d be rating it higher.

My favourite part of this book was actually the afterword. Alan Schwartz explains how Summer Crossing was discovered and imagines Capote’s response to its publication with an endearing nostalgia for their friendship.

hannahlockwood's review

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dark emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

lexityack's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

msvenner's review

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3.0

I feel unqualified to review this work, but here goes. This is my second Capote work, the first being In Cold Blood. Capote' prose stunning, even in this early work. The story, however, is lacking. Despite the brevity of the novel, I found my mind wandering. There was little plot to hold the interest until the end and then it was jarring. Capote' use of language is mesmerizing but was better used in the gripping literary nonfiction tale of In Cold Blood. This story read beautifully but bored.