Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Christmas season doesn't go by that I don't reread A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. I start to get the urge to read it on the morning that I wake up and realize that "it's fruitcake weather". A must read.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I didn't get to this during the Christmas season but what's wrong with mid-January? This is an exquisitely written story that is perfectly emotive and nostalgic but not overly sentimental. I dare you to read it without a lump in your throat. It's been a long time since I read any Capote and this new-to-me book reminds me of why I have always loved him.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I listened to an old recording of Capote reading this himself & I would enthusiastically recommend doing so (it’s pretty easy to find online). Warm, sweet, and incredibly melancholy. Parts of this broke my heart in how familiar they felt.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol
Period-typical mislabeling of an indigenous man; Very brief underage drinking; also a brief portrayal of internalized ableism on the cousin’s part that hit home
Some of the best Christmas stories I have read that don't contain ghosts or Herdmans. That is, these stories feel authentic. Sentimental without being sappy--mixing just enough of the bitter (broken home, school bully, Alabama during the depression) with the sweet.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes