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reasie 's review for:
Other Voices, Other Rooms
by Truman Capote
It has some genuinely beautiful passages, full of the sharp imagery that Capote is famous for. I envy his ability to take a snapshot in words! That took it up to four stars.
The book starts terribly strong, with mounting mysteries, very gothic. The characters are strong and intriguing.
BUT. (you knew there was a but coming.)
The story breaks down, gets more and more mystical and dream-like as it goes, and there is more than one passage where I was flatly uncertain what had happened and what was dream. Also the portrayal of black characters is... problematic. I want more justice for Zoo. I feel like there's a way to write dialect that respects the interior intelligence of the speaker, and Capote ain't got it.
The ending made me want to make it a three star review, but I had such raptures in the beginning I thought it would be a five star review, and so, lo: four.
Worth reading for your Southern Gothic fix, and for Gay Literature History.
More justice for Idabel, while I'm at it. Never have I admired a character more!
Anyway, I also acknowledge that making me mad is winning by writer-standards. So yes, darling, Truman, you are good. Damn you.
The book starts terribly strong, with mounting mysteries, very gothic. The characters are strong and intriguing.
BUT. (you knew there was a but coming.)
The story breaks down, gets more and more mystical and dream-like as it goes, and there is more than one passage where I was flatly uncertain what had happened and what was dream. Also the portrayal of black characters is... problematic. I want more justice for Zoo. I feel like there's a way to write dialect that respects the interior intelligence of the speaker, and Capote ain't got it.
The ending made me want to make it a three star review, but I had such raptures in the beginning I thought it would be a five star review, and so, lo: four.
Worth reading for your Southern Gothic fix, and for Gay Literature History.
More justice for Idabel, while I'm at it. Never have I admired a character more!
Anyway, I also acknowledge that making me mad is winning by writer-standards. So yes, darling, Truman, you are good. Damn you.