There have been many readers of Breakfast at Tiffany's. A fictional one, Agent Scully from The X-Files, is pictured on the left. These readers have taken many things from the book for many different reasons. I thought that I'd share my experiences with the book instead of simply discussing how it has affected others.
I was 22 and trying to figure out a way out of my parents house with little to no money and my undergraduate graduation at college looming within a year. My best friend had passed away and my other friend was extremely sick so I'd taken up walking as a past time. Stumbling upon a bookstore while I was walking I went in and picked up the book on a whim. Reading it voraciously I fell in love with the brutal honesty of Holly Golightly’s character. A young woman simply trying to exist and “faking it til she makes it” in a big city with next to no prospects, it felt real and was extremely timely for the place I was in at that time in my life. Stuck between dependence and independence with nothing but hope in my near future. My obsession wasn't Tiffany's, it was Starbucks but I understood her depiction of a happy place that you go to more than anything right then. It struck a chord with me and it stayed in my mind for a long time after I finished reading it.
I recently left my parents finally under extremely bad circumstances and revisited this novel. It means even more to me now. All Holly wants is to be taken seriously. Her ability to still hold on to her principles and her dreams despite constantly drifting never finding contentment is so sad and yet so relatable. Like Holly I had given up a lot with the determination that when I "could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name.” Hope and determination is sometimes all you have and working at jobs you don't want to do is a must. Capote has managed to encapsulate the struggle of hope and independence on a person while trying to remain optimistic so well. He's truly created a lasting character.
I've re-read this book at least a total of 6 or more times and I can only imagine that I will continue to do so. Despite its differences a large poster of Audrey Hepburn hangs over my bed and I often look back to the book for inspiration and assurance. Breakfast at Tiffany's showcases how impactful even the smallest book can be. Books make you feel things and help you articulate feelings you already had. They are one of the richest art forms and I'm so grateful to have them in my life.
One of the main things that Breakfast has taught me is to stay true to yourself, focus on your goals, and keep your eyes on the prize.
“Reading dreams. That's what started her walking down the road. Every day she'd walk a little further: a mile, and come home. Two miles, and come home. One day she just kept on.”
― Truman Capote
I was 22 and trying to figure out a way out of my parents house with little to no money and my undergraduate graduation at college looming within a year. My best friend had passed away and my other friend was extremely sick so I'd taken up walking as a past time. Stumbling upon a bookstore while I was walking I went in and picked up the book on a whim. Reading it voraciously I fell in love with the brutal honesty of Holly Golightly’s character. A young woman simply trying to exist and “faking it til she makes it” in a big city with next to no prospects, it felt real and was extremely timely for the place I was in at that time in my life. Stuck between dependence and independence with nothing but hope in my near future. My obsession wasn't Tiffany's, it was Starbucks but I understood her depiction of a happy place that you go to more than anything right then. It struck a chord with me and it stayed in my mind for a long time after I finished reading it.
I recently left my parents finally under extremely bad circumstances and revisited this novel. It means even more to me now. All Holly wants is to be taken seriously. Her ability to still hold on to her principles and her dreams despite constantly drifting never finding contentment is so sad and yet so relatable. Like Holly I had given up a lot with the determination that when I "could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name.” Hope and determination is sometimes all you have and working at jobs you don't want to do is a must. Capote has managed to encapsulate the struggle of hope and independence on a person while trying to remain optimistic so well. He's truly created a lasting character.
I've re-read this book at least a total of 6 or more times and I can only imagine that I will continue to do so. Despite its differences a large poster of Audrey Hepburn hangs over my bed and I often look back to the book for inspiration and assurance. Breakfast at Tiffany's showcases how impactful even the smallest book can be. Books make you feel things and help you articulate feelings you already had. They are one of the richest art forms and I'm so grateful to have them in my life.
One of the main things that Breakfast has taught me is to stay true to yourself, focus on your goals, and keep your eyes on the prize.
“Reading dreams. That's what started her walking down the road. Every day she'd walk a little further: a mile, and come home. Two miles, and come home. One day she just kept on.”
― Truman Capote
Citations
Churchwell, S. (2009, September 04). Breakfast at Tiffany's: When Audrey Hepburn won Marilyn Monroe's role. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/05/breakfast-at-tiffanys-audrey-hepburn
Gristwood, S. (2010, Sep 30). Breakfast at Tiffany's: 50 Years On. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/classic-movies/8032801/Breakfast-at-Tiffanys-50-years-on.html
Snetiker, M. (2013, March 14). How Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's Gave Birth to a Cultural Icon and a Provocative Broadway Play. https://www.broadway.com/buzz/167977/how-truman-capotes-breakfast-at-tiffanys-gave-birth-to-a-cultural-icon-and-a-provocative-broadway-play/
Gristwood, S. (2010, Sep 30). Breakfast at Tiffany's: 50 Years On. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/classic-movies/8032801/Breakfast-at-Tiffanys-50-years-on.html
Snetiker, M. (2013, March 14). How Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's Gave Birth to a Cultural Icon and a Provocative Broadway Play. https://www.broadway.com/buzz/167977/how-truman-capotes-breakfast-at-tiffanys-gave-birth-to-a-cultural-icon-and-a-provocative-broadway-play/