Scan barcode
albon's review against another edition
4.0
(Review from 2013)
Ah, what I wouldn't give for this to be a finished product.
There are two things that make this a four-star book instead of a five-star.
1. It's not finished. It's an unfinished novel, and that means that a lot of the plot-lines were left unresolved, we didn't get to know what all the build-up was for, and we didn't find out how he ends up in the situation that he is in in "present-time", which I'm sure we would've gotten to know in a finished product.
2. The last thirty pages. I though I was gonna fall asleep. A few of the stories about the different people (that were completely unrelated whatsoever to the plot?) were interesting, but some of them were boring, and in the end it just didn't matter. I would rather that Truman Campote devoted the last pages he wrote to the story, and not to characters that I don't think would've been mentioned again. (Of course, for all I know, they might have been supposed to be really important later on. It just didn't feel like it.)
Still, I loved this book. And here is the number one reason: The voice of the main character, P. B. Jones. Those are not words I use a lot. Other people do, I usually stick to the general "I love the main character." But in this case, I have to say that I love his voice, even if I barely know what that means. It just feels right. He wasn't the most honorable character, or the nicest, or the meanest. He was cold and distant. He made promises that he didn't keep. But I found something real in his voice and I liked his story and the way he told it and the funny moments, and that what was made the book for me. I noticed something in this book that I never notice, and that, in my opinion, makes a book stick out.
The book is very short, so saying that I devoured it isn't really saying a lot. But for what it's worth, I did devour it. I devoured the names of the actual real people, and I stopped to googled them and look at pictures of them and found the authors on goodreads and read their biography on wikipedia. You know how rarely I do that? Well, obviously rarely because most of the books I read do not contain real people, but still. I like to think that my point stands.
This isn't something I usually read. I saw it one day at a library, and the cover caught my attention. The back sounded interesting. I didn't have my library card on me, so I came back for it a week later, so it wasn't as spontaneous as I like to think.
I'm very happy that I read this. It gave me something special, as corny as that sounds.
(but w o w reading unfinished novels 1/10 would not recommend it will bring pain from not knowing how it's gonna end and knowing that you'll never know)
Ah, what I wouldn't give for this to be a finished product.
There are two things that make this a four-star book instead of a five-star.
1. It's not finished. It's an unfinished novel, and that means that a lot of the plot-lines were left unresolved, we didn't get to know what all the build-up was for, and we didn't find out how he ends up in the situation that he is in in "present-time", which I'm sure we would've gotten to know in a finished product.
2. The last thirty pages. I though I was gonna fall asleep. A few of the stories about the different people (that were completely unrelated whatsoever to the plot?) were interesting, but some of them were boring, and in the end it just didn't matter. I would rather that Truman Campote devoted the last pages he wrote to the story, and not to characters that I don't think would've been mentioned again. (Of course, for all I know, they might have been supposed to be really important later on. It just didn't feel like it.)
Still, I loved this book. And here is the number one reason: The voice of the main character, P. B. Jones. Those are not words I use a lot. Other people do, I usually stick to the general "I love the main character." But in this case, I have to say that I love his voice, even if I barely know what that means. It just feels right. He wasn't the most honorable character, or the nicest, or the meanest. He was cold and distant. He made promises that he didn't keep. But I found something real in his voice and I liked his story and the way he told it and the funny moments, and that what was made the book for me. I noticed something in this book that I never notice, and that, in my opinion, makes a book stick out.
The book is very short, so saying that I devoured it isn't really saying a lot. But for what it's worth, I did devour it. I devoured the names of the actual real people, and I stopped to googled them and look at pictures of them and found the authors on goodreads and read their biography on wikipedia. You know how rarely I do that? Well, obviously rarely because most of the books I read do not contain real people, but still. I like to think that my point stands.
This isn't something I usually read. I saw it one day at a library, and the cover caught my attention. The back sounded interesting. I didn't have my library card on me, so I came back for it a week later, so it wasn't as spontaneous as I like to think.
I'm very happy that I read this. It gave me something special, as corny as that sounds.
(but w o w reading unfinished novels 1/10 would not recommend it will bring pain from not knowing how it's gonna end and knowing that you'll never know)
flick_reads's review against another edition
sad
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
3.0
hannahsonia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
britlm's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-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
it was a fun quick read but not much going on
jackb_93's review against another edition
Frivolous, but enjoyably gossipy and very readable
ichundelaine4711's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
laurenjeffers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
carolinerandolph's review against another edition
3.0
My second Truman Capote book, but the far less superior one. This is not a book I would have chosen had I not found it for 50 cents at a thrift store. It was an interesting read, but quite choppy and confusing at times. It’s also a bit too vulgar for my liking. I’m still not entirely sure what it was even about. It seems like a book compiled from three random stories that never quite get resolved. If you’re going to read a Capote book, I recommend “In Cold Blood” instead.
jcarolm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
clmckinney's review against another edition
4.0
After reading Swan Song last year, I have been meaning to read Truman Capote's Answered Prayers. They are great companion pieces. I liked this book. I appreciate his sharp wit, and interesting stories. I mean the stories here are very tawdry. They are all about gossips and illicit behaviour. His dry delivery is comic and tragic at the same time. There is something interesting about Truman Capote. Especially the mythical proportions of this book of stories. Getting it published seemed a herculean effort. And then you see how he was capable of such incredible malice. He takes this precarious seat at the table of gay auteurs who have contributed to gay culture. There is definitely some questionable stuff described in this book, but his story telling propels you past the obvious blemishes. I will tackle Music For Chameleons at some point. This one gets a 4/5.