Truman Capote

Truman Capote was a high school dropout-turned-journalist-turned-novelist-turned-socialite who achieved tremendous success at a remarkably young age, produced one of the most iconic novellas of the 20th century (1958's Breakfast at Tiffany's), and then died in a truly spectacular crash-and-burn fashion... making him another excellent choice for anyone looking for a subject for an out-of-the-ordinary class paper! (We here at Wordcandy are all about spicing up the book reports.) In addition to Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote also wrote the absorbing and disturbing In Cold Blood, a "non-fiction novel" about the murder of a Kansas farming family. At the height of his social and critical popularity, Capote began work on what he hoped would become his masterpiece, a sort of highbrow tell-all book about the lofty social circles in which he moved, entitled Answered Prayers. This probably would have been a wild success, but unfortunately Capote planned to release the book right away, instead of waiting until the characters' real-life counterparts were safely dead. When the first few chapters were published in Esquire, the majority of Capote's rich, hard-partying buddies cut him off. Shocked by his sudden fall from grace, Capote turned to drugs and alcohol. He died in 1984 at the age of 59.

Aftertaste:
None.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
Travels With My Aunt, by Graham Greene