feedSummer Crossing Capote and Crossing Me
Summer Crossing : A Novel by Truman Capote
'Summer': Unpolished Capote: When an unpublished manuscript belonging to a conveniently dead famous writer is discovered, it usually turns out the stuff should have been left in the drawer. While Summer Crossing isn't Capote at his best, it does hint at the talent readers would find in Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood. Truman Capote's Summer Crossing, out this week, is an exception. ... Summer Crossings, begun by Capote in 1943, reads like a weak imitation of his later Breakfast at Tiffany's with a touch of the very early F. Scott Fitzgerald's tales of debutantes. Still, there are glimmers of unmistakable talent. The writing can be awkward, but Capote gives insights into his characters' psyches. He creates their emotional and sexual underpinnings in a fresh and original manner.I hate to be a whiner, but this is just the worst kind of reporting/reviewing/telling I can think of, and to find it in a national newspaper (yes, I expect even USA Today to know better) makes me cringe and want to run and hide. It seems to be saying that though this is a weak book, and not Capote's best, it's an exception to the rule that posthumous books are generally weak and not the author's best. Makes me want to say “Humfiffle,” and I do not think “Humfiffle” is even a word. If you were thinking of buying this book (or even checking it out from the library), what would this “information” cause you to do... besides wonder at the intent of the writer? Would you buy it? Would you call USA Today and ask for an apology? What if you were Truman Capote? Would you roll over in your grave?
tags ∴ author ⋰ Capote ⋰ humfiffle ⋰ novel ⋰ publishing ⋰ posthumous ⋰ SummerCrossing ⋰ TrumanCapote
