Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote Book

The private letters of Truman Capote, lovingly assembled here for the first time by acclaimed Capote biographer Gerald Clarke, provide an intimate, unvarnished portrait of one of the twentieth century’s most colorful and fascinating literary figures.

Capote was an inveterate letter writer. He wrote letters as he spoke: emphatically, spontaneously, and passionately. Spanning more than four decades, his letters are the closest thing we have to a Capote autobiography, showing us the uncannily self-possessed na•f who jumped headlong into the post—World War II New York literary scene; the more mature Capote of the 1950s; the Capote of the early 1960s, immersed in the research and writing of In Cold Blood; and Capote later in life, as things seemed to be unraveling. With cameos by a veritable who’s who of twentieth century glitterati, Too Brief a Treat shines a spotlight on the life and times of an incomparable American writer.

Library Journal

Hearing Truman Capote's voice-its pitch, rhythms, mannerisms-is a singular experience; the same could be said for reading his letters. They are newsy, capricious, full of endearments, a bit precious, funny, emphatic, occasionally duplicitous, and always, signature Capote. Written from his various domiciles-in New York, Sicily, the Greek island of Paros, Switzerland, Spain, and California-the letters went to friends and business associates, but rarely to family. His letters to Newton Arvin (his first love affair), a professor of literature at Smith College, and designer and photographer Cecil Beaton (a "darling friend") are full of affection and caring. Other correspondents include Random House editor Robert Linscott and cultural maven Leo Lerman. Capote's letters are often like shared conversation involving frequent tidbit opinions about the famous. Poised, poignant, persuasive, they center on his daily life and the life shared with Jack Dunphy (the man who anchored Capote's entire adult life) and their work-especially the time and effort invested in Capote's most publicized book, In Cold Blood. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Robert Kelly, Fort Wayne Community Schs., IN Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.