Story Title: House of Flowers
From:Breakfast At Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Other Stories
Author: Truman Capote
Summary
Caribbean Bordello worker Ottillie find love and marries poor mountain boy.
Favorite Line
"How do you feel if you're in love? she asked. Ah, said Rosita with swooning eyes, you feel as though pepper has been sprinkled on your heart, as though tiny fish are swiming in your veins."
My Thoughts
To tell the truth I don't quite know how to describe how I felt about this story. There was nothing wrong with it. I liked it. The characterizations were wonderful and Truman Capote does a great job a showing and not merely telling.
I guess the story's events just took me by surprise. I don't know why I was surprised by that, because last time I read a Truman Capote short story that one surprised me too. He has this way of creating settings and people that make me say: "what have I gotten into?" For instance the lead character is an implied prostitute. I was going oh no. Of course, Capote surprised me by making that fact not turn out to be crazy or overly sexual at all. The story was actually about how love can tie you to unsuspected people, and how sometimes that means you have to sacrifice some happiness to be with someone you love. Though the idea is great I felt like the story still had some weird moments. However, if you asked what was weird about it I couldn't explain it. Like I said I'm unsure about my feeling on this story.
Oh, cool fact! Truman Capote wrote a musical based around this short story. However, it seems that he changed the storyline quite a bit. The way the music is described it sounds really shiny. I guess they reissued a cast recording in 2003. I wonder if I can find it. You know I love a musical.
1 comment:
The score contains some of the most irresistible songs Harold Arlen ever wrote, and Capote's lyrics are absolutely prime. I never saw the show, but I memorized the entire album when it came out and still sing from it today. The album ranks with Candide (with Gypsy coming way behind). It's odd that both House and Candide had unworkable books, and both failed at the box office.
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