Breakfast at Tiffany's2 starsThis is a very strange story to review. For one, the surface story really isn't what the story is about; the action in Breakfast at Tiffany's isn't the real story. The real story is that the narrator, a hopelessly lost man himself, falls in love with an equally-lost women; and, because of their detachment, they never connect. The dialogue worked really well here. Their personalities eek out in their quotes: Just like the narrator is a needy, romantic milquetoast, Holly is a needy, lost, and self-absorbed dramaqueen. But she is likeable. Mostly I felt sorry for her. I thought that Holly was a familiar character: someone who is so confused about who she is that she creates different, equally-charming personas to live in instead.House of Flowers4 starsThe writing here was beautiful. I was impressed with how well Capote depicted Port-au-Prince elegantly, and it had a lot of unexpected sensory detail. Character-wise, Ottilie was a great personality. I didn't particularly "like" her, but she had a great innocence about her. I thought that the imagined "curse" of Royal's grandmother reflected the ending. Royal was a little bit typical, and I failed to see what made Royal such a catch. But... maybe that was the intention.The Diamond Guitar2 starsI have to admit that this story didn't illicit much of an emotional reaction from me. Tico Feo didn't seem that fantastic, so Mr. Schaeffer's obsession with him became a little forced.A Christmas Memory4 starsI loved that this story was about an unconventional friendship--and it was NEVER commented-on how unconventional they were. This story is about a repetitive Christmas ritual but, really, this is about friendship. This was about an aging, slightly spinsterish woman and a seven-year-old boy who are so close that they understand each other better than anyone else. They are their best friends, and their adventures are heartwarming. I'm a dork and I love friendship stories.
