Reviews

Capote’s infamous unfinished pseudo-novel (published posthumously in 1986) works better in legend than in print. He bragged it’d be an American Proust, but missed deadlines for decades. “Either I’m going to kill it, or it’s going to kill me,” he said. Scandalous chapters popped up in Esquire. Rumors circulated with stray pages. What his high-society friends saw—thinly-veiled exposés on their own romps with sex, drugs & hustlers—they didn’t like. Until his 1984 death, Capote was ostracized from his beloved party circuit by ex-pals like Gloria Vanderbilt. “What did they expect?” he said. “I’m a writer. I use everything.”

_lilbey_'s review against another edition

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3.0

Well. This was definitely lower on my list of Capote works to read, but after reading Swans of Fifth Avenue, it moved up. Truman certainly did out a lot of people's secrets, and not too subtly. I can see how Babe Paley would cut him off, how Gloria Vanderbilt would be livid, and even how Ann Woodward might be driven to suicide by the revelations in La Cote Basque. You can also feel how unfinished this work was, when it ended it did not feel ended. I think that feeling of loss is what made me feel like 3 stars was more honest than 4.

emmacraig's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

mollyhodg's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Truman Capote likes to gossip, and I like to listen

hatseflats's review against another edition

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3.0

Frankly, I was disappointed. Again, it was an "unfinished" work, but I think at this point in Capote's life, he was a pickled drunk, and sadly, it showed in his writing. I can't deny enjoying his scandalous spilling of the 'T' on the New York Society Ladies Who Lunch crowd in the final part of the novel though. It's no wonder he was ostracized after publishing "La Côte Basque". That was some major airing of dirty, shit and piss stained laundry, if ever there was!

katekoda's review against another edition

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4.0

It is clever, outrageous and hilarious, too bad unfinished.

michblue52's review against another edition

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Fascinating insight into Capote’s life but I couldn’t handle some of the dated language. Did not age well in many aspects. May give it another try.

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