Breakfast at Tiffany's

September 1, 2014
Golden Globe–winning actor Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under) gives a warm reading of Capote’s classic novella. The story is related by an unnamed narrator looking back at the autumn of 1943, when he lived in a brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and befriended his neighbor Holly Golightly. The enigmatic and beguiling young woman is a free spirit with no discernible means of support other than the kindness of the wealthy men who take her to fancy restaurants, swanky parties, and offer the occasional gift. For the next year, the narrator finds himself entranced, intoxicated, and exhausted by Holly’s lifestyle, only to have their companionship end when circumstances extract her from the city and his life. Hall brings just the right tone to his narration. His characterizations are simply but effectively portrayed. He narrates the story with an earnest wistfulness that fully embodies the innocent infatuation of youth, but at the same time manages to infuse it with a sweet touch of the nostalgic melancholy. It is a solid, heartfelt performance that never lapses into corny sentimentality and will stay with the listener well after the last chapter. A Vintage paperback.