“Never love a wild thing…If you let yourself love a wild thing. You’ll end up looking at the sky.”

While I was gearing up to read Fifth Avenue, 5 AM (and by gearing up I mean placing it on my library request list) when it struck me that, while I’ve seen the film numerous times, I’ve never read the novella in which Holly Golightly is based!

Our unnamed narrator is reflecting on the past after an old friend calls him with news about a woman, Holly, he used to know. Holly Golightly has left her home town and reinvented herself as a society girl. She drinks all night, sleeps all day and has numerous older men footing her bills. She also has a murky relationship with an incarcerated member of the mob.
The narrator, who Holly calls Fred because he reminds her of her brother, is mesmerized by Holly’s strange lifestyle and they form something of a friendship for a brief period of time in 1943. After “Fred” discovers a secret from Holly’s past their relationship begins to fray before the part ways forever.

“I loved her enough to forget myself, my self pitying despairs, and be content that something she thought happy was going to happen.”

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a bit dated with some racist tones but overall Truman Capote was a gifted writer who wrote a lasting piece of American literature.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this personal anecdote with the world: A few weeks ago my husband and I were talking about how, even though we live in a fairly dog friendly city, we couldn’t take my dog anywhere because he’s awful. His first suggestion of imaginary fancy places we’d be banned from? Tiffany’s. Because he assumed it was a brunch place for the last 30 years…