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Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Narrated by: Michael C. Hall
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Anthologies & Short Stories
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Editor reviews
Editors Select, February 2014 - Although very familiar with the iconic film, I'd never actually read the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. When I heard that actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) was narrating it for Audible, I jumped at the chance to listen. Capote's classic is simultaneously darker and more wistful than the film, and the famed Holly Golightly a little more calculating than charming. Michael C. Hall delivers a mesmerizing performance, giving each character their own unique voice. Hall's cadence perfectly matches Capote's words, and he forced me into my own whirlwind friendship with Holly. I'd never before experienced a narrator who seemed to so completely understand an author's intentions – the effect was magical. —Katie, Audible Editor
Summary
Golden Globe-winning actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) performs Truman Capote's provocative, naturalistic masterstroke about a young writer's charmed fascination with his unorthodox neighbor, the "American geisha" Holly Golightly. Holly - a World War II-era society girl in her late teens - survives via socialization, attending parties and restaurants with men from the wealthy upper class who also provide her with money and expensive gifts. Over the course of the novella, the seemingly shallow Holly slowly opens up to the curious protagonist, who eventually gets tossed away as her deepening character emerges.
Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote's most beloved work of fiction, introduced an independent and complex character who challenged audiences, revived Audrey Hepburn's flagging career in the 1961 film version, and whose name and style has remained in the national idiom since publication. Hall uses his diligent attention to character to bring our unnamed narrator’s emotional vulnerability to the forefront of this American classic.
Critic reviews
"[Michael C. Hall] uses his diligent attention to character to bring our unnamed narrator's emotional vulnerability to the forefront of this American classic.... I felt content and comfortable in Hall's hands as the tale unfolded. He did a wonderful job giving each character voice, especially that of Holly." (Caffeinated Book Reviewer)
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What listeners say about Breakfast at Tiffany's
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- I OFarrell
- 06-10-15
Timeless
What does Michael C. Hall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
His voice was perfect for the role; it was made for him.
Any additional comments?
The story differs greatly from the film and is set in a completely different era. It is beautifully crafted and portrays the difficult life of Hollie Golightly via her neighbour and best friend’s eyes. His love for her is shown through both of their heartaches and Hollie’s tragic and destructive behaviour. I love this story and I love the characters; it is truly timeless.
13 people found this helpful
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- Zoska
- 06-04-16
This is one of my favourite storis
Much as I liked Audrey Hepburn, I didn't really appreciate the film " Breakfast at Tiffany's". Audrey simply wasn't Holly and the film had an artificial happy end. I have always loved the story, though, for me this -and not "In cold blood" - is the masterpiece of Capote. Michael C. Hall (aka Dexter!) reads it with a very appropriate nostalgic twist. Lovely. And kind of sad, but with hope underneath.
12 people found this helpful
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- Phillippa
- 03-01-20
Watch the film!
I remember the film Breakfast at Tiffany's with great love but this book disappointed. I know the book comes before the film but, in this case, the film won. I very rarely say that. I was left wanting and didn't much like the narrator.
4 people found this helpful
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- Amanda Bowden
- 02-02-18
fab
a truly memorable and bitter sweet love story. better than the film adaptation. well worth a listen.
4 people found this helpful
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- TriciaN
- 18-11-15
The beautiful voice of Michael C Hall
What made the experience of listening to Breakfast at Tiffany's the most enjoyable?
I give this 5 stars if only for the beautiful voice of Michael C Hall. Unlike many readers, Michael C Hall changes his voice and style of speaking subtly for each character, so that you always know who's speaking and you are drawn into the dialogue without being conscious of being read to. I suppose I should add some appreciation of the writing of Truman Capote here, but I am just dazzled by this recording.
8 people found this helpful
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- JB
- 08-11-17
WHY?
WHY did I never read this before? I loved the film, of course - who didn't? But this - the layered, utterly engaging storylines, the edgy yet luminous prose -hit me on the face and left me desperately wanting more again and again! Straight to the top of my everlasting old friends book list!
3 people found this helpful
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- Liam
- 03-10-17
A wonderful, stylish and shockingly timeless read
If you are, like me, a lover of Truman Capote's work, then you can't get much better. Capote's pros are both effortless and undeniably cool, and Michael C. Hall does a fantastic job of enhancing these qualities while bringing both the characters and the time period to life. I can't think of a single thing I would change so it is an easy five star listen for me.
6 people found this helpful
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- jackie
- 20-07-16
Surprisingly modern tale
Beautifully understated narration. Wonderful writing by Capote. Great way to spend a couple of hours!
6 people found this helpful
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- Susan Henderson
- 24-02-14
Excellent listen
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I actually walked the long way home on a couple of days because I didn't want this to end. I have read the book before but really enjoyed having it read to me. I really felt transported to the moment of the story.
Who was your favorite character and why?
There are a lot of interesting characters in this book but of course Holly is the star. She isn't the nicest person in the world and you know you shouldn't like her yet its difficult not to feel a little jealous of her life and admire her spirit.
Which character – as performed by Michael C. Hall – was your favourite?
Michael Hall performs excellently. His accents are wonderful. I especially enjoyed his portrayal of Holly's "husband" ,Doc.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book made me happy. It reminds us that life is an adventure and we should never "settle".
5 people found this helpful
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- craig
- 03-08-17
Amazing story and narrator
A thrilling story made even better by the presence of Dexter himself, A.K.A Michael C. Hall.
1 person found this helpful
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- W Perry Hall
- 12-02-14
"Better to look at the sky than live there"
First, Michael C. Hall did an excellent job on the narration, lending a personality and voice to each character. You always know when the narrator does a great job when you lose track of him in the characters; that is, you forget that this guy speaking is the guy on that Dexter TV show. You don't remember the narrator until the audio is near finished. I wish I could give more than 5 stars. This narration job is up there with Will Patton's best work and at times is even better.
As for the Book,
I'd always seen the commercial highlights/trailer for the movie version of "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and the phrase is even iconic of that era and place. Yet, I'd never seen the movie or read the book--until now. I didn't know what to expect besides basically the description on the audible version of the book - the basic storyline. So I know if I say too much here in the review of the couple of twists and the ending, I'll be spoiling the enjoyment of this audio for another listener.
With that in mind, Truman Capote's masterful short novel displays this young lady's complexities of character underlying the shallow facade. Some can rise above the admixture of nature and nurture and dream so much they will follow it to the ends of the earth. Holly Golightly was a dreamer extraordinaire or as Capote put it, a "lopsided romantic" whose trait of personality would never change.
A poignant line which I think captures a major theme of the novel is Holly's observation that:
"it's better to look at the sky than live there; such an empty place, so vague, just a country where the thunder goes and things disappear."
I've read somewhere that Capote ran in the same circles as Marilyn Monroe and parts of Holly Golightly are loosely based on Norma Jean's personality and her early years. I don't know if that's true, but it sounds right, based on what I know.
I must add my thoughts that an outcast sissy-boy from Monroeville, Alabama at the time (and even today) was likely extremely sensitive and keenly observant of his environment in the Big Apple and the fact that he was also a gay man from down South up in the big city probably served to further enhance his remarkable attention to details in that society at that time. The difficulties he endured in those years likely integrated into his makeup as an artist who could and would so vividly paint the outsider trying to fit in with the clouds, "an empty place," as it turns out, "where the thunder goes and things disappear."
112 people found this helpful
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- Autodidact
- 09-09-17
the movie is fake 60's pap
just like Butterfield 8 by John O Hara was ruined by Hollywood's idea of the pristine mind and behavior even while attempting to titillate, T.Capotes novella Breakfast at Tiffanys is a gem.
I recommend, Dear Weinstein Bros, if your listening. Remake one or both of these while staying true to the author and have yourself a hit! in the meantime, listeners...Enjoy both!
8 people found this helpful
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- John
- 07-10-16
American Geisha
Years ago, when my wife and I first dipped into AbFab, we learned that the show’s British creators were puzzled by the American reaction to what they had created. Having produced nothing short of a comic morality tale on How Not to Live, they found it was embraced here as a Guide to Good Deportment. Something got lost in translation.
I think something similar has happened to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Some of the blame, no doubt, can be laid at the feet of the movie (if movies indeed have feet). Audrey Hepburn’s sweeter, more sympathetic portrayal of Holly and a plot substantially reworked to Hollywood sensibilities—the most outré detail retained from the book was, I believe, the Japanese photographer asking her for another session—all conspired to leave us poor slobs who had seen the movie thinking we had read the book, too.
The real Holly is, in fact, far nearer the knuckle. In a 1968 interview Capote called girls like her, “the authentic American geishas”. “She had no job, but accompanied expense-account men to the best restaurants and night clubs, with the understanding that her escort was obligated to give her some sort of gift, perhaps jewelry or a check… if she felt like it, she might take her escort home for the night.”
The movie aside, what really fogs our goggles is the desire to see what we want to see. Holly fits so neatly, it seems, into our preconceptions of the pre-1960’s universe: “she is at odds” wrote William Nance in The Worlds of Truman Capote, “with the literalistic and moralistic society”. Certainly on the strength of the movie I had no problem casting Holly as an outrider for the social upheaval that was still 20-some years in her own future (remember, the book is set in 1943-1944, making Holly, by the Summer of Love, middle-aged).
Again, something got lost in translation. And, again, reality is far more interesting. First up is something I sensed while listening and have since had confirmed by Jay McInerney (The Telegraph, August 2013): Holly was no proto-70’s feminist. While she cynically uses men, she also truly and unapologetically likes them. And, as McInerney points out, though a free spirit she would be appalled by “hippie sartorial practices”.
I also sensed that her sophistication, for all her dark glasses and little black dresses, was skin deep. She has fled from her downhome roots, true, but she’s unashamed of those roots. Rather than deny them she just leaves them as she leaves her cat, her city friendships, her apartment.
Many critics believe she is really driven by a fear of death; since they have the larger context of Capote’s complete output to judge this book against, I’m not going to argue. I’ll just volunteer the suggestion that, as I listened, I got the sense Holly was really fleeing the loss of her youth and, consequently, her looks—a sort of fear of death but not quite. It’s more a fear of loss of income (see above), hence stability. And stability is the thing she yearns for most even as she refuses to do anything to create it for herself, assuming it is something “out there” that can be found rather than made here and now with, perhaps, that nice aspiring writer who lives downstairs.
Yet for all her flippant disdain for the guardrails of convention, Holly understands that the “price of unorthodoxy” (Ihab Hassan, Birth of a Heroine) is a loss of stability. True, when it looks like her South American diplomat might come through with a ring, her sudden immersion in the routine chores of domesticity is playacting pure and simple, nothing but another parlor game. For her sincere (sincerity, that bane of the sophisticate) admission that stability, normalcy, convention might be good things we have to wait till the very end, when she admits what she’s known all along: we all should belong somewhere to someone. The scene moved one New York Times reviewer to dub Capote, “perhaps the last of the old-fashioned Valentine makers”, proving what Holly and Capote already knew, that sophistication has its mental and moral limits.
And there is a moral to this book. Once again I am reminded of the words of Oscar Wilde. Though in the preface he stoutly denied that The Picture of Dorian Grey had a moral, when the book was attacked as immoral he came out swinging: “there is a terrible moral in 'Dorian Gray' - a moral which the prurient will not be able to find in it, but it will be revealed to all whose minds are healthy.” The moral of Breakfast at Tiffany’s is perhaps a little less terrible but no less true and poignant for all that.
It goes without saying that the book itself is a gem of the writer’s craft. The man who famously said of the Beat Generation, “…they’re not writers. They’re typists” was no typist himself. Michael C. Hall does it all more than justice, giving each character a unique voice and letting the writing—its shape and cadences—speak for itself.
Note: Many thanks to The Critical Evolution of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, found at Ms. Brigitte’s Mild Ride. Among its numerous merits, this "discursive bibliography" is a storehouse of critical perspectives I would never have been able to track down on my own.
79 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 20-02-14
Subtle yet Extravagant
Of course I have seen the movie and loved the subtle story and Audrey Hepburn and Moon River, but I never noticed the story was written by Truman Capote. An Audible banner ad pointed this out and got me to order this short novel. It was great. Narrated wonderfully by Michael C Hall (Dexter and Six Feet Under) this novel is more enjoyable than the movie. But this is a rare case where you should see the movie first. Having Audrey Hepburn in your head while reading this is definitely not a bad thing. The writing is beautiful, with full and interesting characters and a story that is subtle yet extravagant. I have always appreciated Capote’s writing, and appreciate it even more now. This is a book I will likely come back to, and share with others.
72 people found this helpful
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- Jessica
- 12-02-14
Fantastic!
Would you listen to Breakfast at Tiffany's again? Why?
Absolutely would listen to this again. The story never gets old and Michael C. Hall's narration was perfect.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Breakfast at Tiffany's?
Too many to count...I liked the scene where Holly and "Fred" spend a Sunday drinking at the bar. I love the simplicity of the metaphor of masks used in many ways, overtly and obliquely. The stolen masks at the store, a nice metaphor for Holly's stolen identity and "Fred's" assumed identity given to him by Holly. I enjoyed the hospital scene where Holly puts on her makeup as a sort of fortification or armor to help her read the letter of dismissal from her fiance. Makeup as armor or mask of another sort.
What about Michael C. Hall’s performance did you like?
Everything. I love that he used different voices for each character, but didn't have to force it. Switching from voice to voice was smooth and not jarring in any way. His nuanced reading of the point of view character was even better than expected.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Well...there is already a pretty famous movie isn't there?
Any additional comments?
If you've read this story already, it is worth it just to hear Michael C. Hall narrate. Enjoy.
33 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Fan
- 25-05-15
Portuguese is not Spanish
One small but annoying editorial mistake. In Portuguese "Jose" is not pronounced "Ho-say." That would be the Spanish pronunciation.
4 people found this helpful
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- The Reading Date
- 22-02-14
Compelling & Nostalgic Classic
’ve never read Breakfast at Tiffany’s before this, though I saw the movie years ago. I was surprised to learn that the book is so different than the movie, and I feel like I need to watch it again now to compare. If you’ve only seen the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s you may be interested to read the source material behind the classic film. The tone is totally different, and there are some major plot changes.
The story centers on Holly Golightly, a flawed and flighty girl of nineteen living in New York City. She wakes up her neighbors late at night, and asks them to let her into her apartment since she always forgets her key. That’s how she meets her neighbor, the unnamed narrator of the story. Holly dubs the narrator Fred after her brother, and the two become friendly. “Fred” is a writer, and the free-spirited, dark and damaged Holly is his muse. Fred gets caught in the web of Holly’s crazy life.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s was originally published in 1958 and the slim novella packs a lot of story into its 150 or so pages. Truman Capote’s writing makes you feel like you’re the narrator getting to know Holly, and leaves you just as captivated/confused/appalled as he is. It is a complex character portrait that kept me guessing to the end.I can imagine this book was quite controversial for its day, especially in regards to the frank discussion of sexual identity, and even gay marriage.
This is his Michael C. Hall's first audiobook performance, and he really commits to the story. I think the audiobook is the perfect way to experience the book for the first time. Hall’s tone has a richness to it, and he makes each character sound distinct. Hall uses different accents and voices in his performance that help to paint a vivid picture. I preferred his male voices in the audiobook overall, but Halls’ Holly captures her quirky and complicated essence. At just under 3 hours long, this audiobook delivers a compelling, nostalgic story.
24 people found this helpful
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- Breezybealle
- 20-09-16
This is what all the fuss was about?
Honestly, I expected so much more of this. I've never seen the movie, but given its status as an American classic, I had high hopes. Sigh. What a snooze fest. Maybe its just me. The writing was solid, the characters fleshed out and developed, but I was bored to tears. The only redeeming quality was the outstanding performance by Michael C. Hall. Had it not been for him, I doubt I would have finished it. But just listening to him breathed life into an otherwise flat story. Kudos to you, Mr. Hall.
7 people found this helpful
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- FanB14
- 04-03-14
Michael C. Hall in Your Ear + Capote = Bliss
Holly was flighty, fake, fun, and completely redeeming. Superbly written story narrated by the enigmatic Michael C. Hall, at the low, low price of $4.95 made for a fantastic listen. Thank-you to Audible for courting the likes of Hall!
63 people found this helpful
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- Stevon
- 27-06-14
interesting short story
I would have never guessed that the Truman Capote book that was turned into a hit movie, now a classic, was based on a short story. The book being made into a movie must have given Capote's career a real jump start. That the book was narrated by Michael C Hall was an added bonus as I'm a fan of his as well. Based on the character of free-spirited Holiday Golightly, the author describes her life through the eyes of a would be writer. You might think he experienced this himself when he first moved to New York City although it's possible the character of Holly could have been based on several people he met. It's hard to think of Holly as anyone else than Audrey Hepburn. But it was a good short story and Hall's narration was great, I especially like the way he did Holly.
10 people found this helpful