Individual stories first published between 1945 and 1982. Published together as a collection by Penguin Classics on the 29th October 2020.
One of my Classics Club Challenge reads, a More Than One challenge read, and a Book with a Vegetarian Character.
How I got this book:
How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Tender and bittersweet, these stories by Truman Capote, the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's, are a captivating tribute to the Christmas season
Selected from across Capote's writing life, they range from nostalgic portraits of childhood to more unsettling works that reveal the darkness beneath the festive glitter. In the Deep South of Capote's youth, a young boy, Buddy, and his beloved maiden 'aunt' Sook forage for pecans and whiskey to bake into fruitcakes, make kites - too broke to buy gifts - and rise before dawn to prepare feasts for a ragged assembly of guests; it is Sook who teaches Buddy the true meaning of good will. In other stories, an unlikely festive miracle, of sorts, occurs at a local drugstore; a lonely woman has a troubling encounter in wintry New York. Brimming with feeling, these sparkling tales convey both the wonder and the chill of Christmas time.
Each of the six stories takes place during the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas so the collection is perfect reading for this time of year. I was pleasantly surprised though that the stories don't ever take advantage of that connection to dissolve into saccharine sweetness. Some are nostalgic, another is creepily disturbing, bullying and racism feature prominently, and their characters are generally either in serious poverty or just clinging to respectability. I hadn't given Capote much attention before, but these stories blew me away. I think I definitely need to make an effort to read more of his classics next year.