prolixity 's review for:

One Christmas by Truman Capote

4.0

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It’s hard to describe, but Capote’s way of telling these stories from his childhood is very... verbal. That’s not the right word, there’s definitely a word for it, but what I mean to say is that it feels much more like you’re being spoken to than reading words on a page. Something about the casual way of the telling and the use of punctuation and sentence structure makes you feel like Truman has pulled you aside and gone “Did I ever tell you about that time...” And it feels natural, like he’s reliving the events right along with you, but not scattered, like he’s told this story a million times and knows exactly where to do an impression or pause dramatically or shake his head.

The effect it produces is powerful: genuine and intimate. It’s a rare gift to be able to spin tales this way without it feeling hokey or like a put-on. And I can’t explain it but it just feels cosy, even among the sadness that lingers at the edges of this story.