Gosh, but I love this one. It makes me alternately sad and near-deliriously happy, and it's so, so beautifully written. Such a treat.

A literary classic and a touching short story. The story is set during the Depression era but wonderfully captures the spirit of Christmas.

Note: Although this review is attached to a short e-book that contains three stories by the author, my review is only of the title story, which is less than ten pages long. I don't normally review single short stories by themselves, since I usually read in this format a whole collection at a time, and review on that level. But in this case, I read this story by itself (and actually not from this e-book, but from the paper-format literature textbook Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense, which I'm not interested in reading in its entirety at this time). My interest was in the seasonal significance of this particular story.

Being a librarian, I of course know Capote by reputation, as a significant figure in 20th-century American letters; but this tale is my first actual reading of his work, and I couldn't have had a better introduction! It's an absolutely beautiful story, simple but profound, bittersweet, poignant and evocative, filled with an unpretentious wisdom, deeply steeped in a particular time and place, but in a very real way timeless. As with so many wonderful works of literature, my only regret is that I didn't read it much sooner.

First-person narrator "Buddy" (a nickname) relates the story in present tense. Mainly, it consists of his memories of a Christmas season "more than twenty years ago," when he was a seven-year- old kid being raised by relatives in Depression-stricken Alabama. Published in 1956, that pushes the latest date for this main section back to 1935 (a few concluding paragraphs are set later), and internal clues establish a date no earlier than 1934; so the setting is the mid-30s. Buddy's memories are very much bound up with his best "friend," a distant cousin in her late 60s, but who's mentally challenged and hence "still a child" herself. Most readers acquainted with Capote's own life are aware of similarities. Like Buddy, he was raised by relatives in a little Alabama town from when he was four until he was nine or ten; and Buddy's cousin and friend here is clearly based on Capote's distant cousin Miss Sook Faulk (d. 1938). This leads many readers to conclude that Buddy IS Capote, that his friend IS Miss Sook, and that this is a nonfiction memoir. However, the details of the chronology don't fit that theory; Capote, for instance, turned seven in 1928, and moved to New York City to live with his mother in 1932. He begins this tale by inviting the reader to, "Imagine a morning in late November;" and we're on solidest ground if we conclude that the author is also imagining a story that doesn't correspond exactly to historical reality, with two main characters who are based on himself and Miss Sook, but who aren't literally them. Nevertheless, we can also definitely see a strong autobiographical note; much of the detail and texture here rings so true because it's actually based on a real-life relationship and real-life memories.

This is much more of a character-driven than a plot-driven work; and indeed it's more of a descriptive vignette of a loving and mutually joyous friendship between two kindred spirits (who happen to be separated in age by about six decades) and of a Christmas season marked by caring for others, rather than a conventionally plotted story with a definite conflict. In that time and place, Christmas is a simple season, marked by simple pleasures with little recourse to, or need for, store-bought goods. These people obviously have very little money, by our standards (though the purchasing power of Depression-era money was considerably greater than ours --today, you couldn't begin to buy ingredients for about 30 fruitcakes with under $13.00!). Buddy and his friend glean wind-fallen pecans for the fruitcakes in a neighbor's grove; their gifts for each other are homemade, as are the decorations for the household's Christmas tree, cut in the nearby woods. Capote's prose-style is descriptive, detail laden, and sensory-rich. Beyond that, I won't try to describe the story; it's much more meaningful to experience it yourself than to read a summary.

It's rare for me to run across a literary work that I would recommend to every living reader. This is one of them. IMO, it's a landmark of, not just American, but of 20th-century world literature.

The story told here is really sweet, moving and delicate, a wonderful friendship and love between the old lady and this young boy named Buddy. I liked the meaning of cooking and making fruit cakes for others. I read this book initially alone, although the initial intention was an evening reading shared with my 10-year-old son, I will certainly reread it with him, perfect to prepare for the arrival of Holy Christmas.


La storia qui narrata è veramente dolce e commovente, delicata e meravigliosa l'amocizia e l'amore tra la vecchia signora e Buddy. Mi è piaciuto il significato del cucinare e preparare le Fruit cake per gli altri. Ho letto questo libro inizialmente da sola, anche se l'intenzione iniziale era una lettura serale condivisa con mio figlio di 10 anni, sicuramente lo rileggerò insieme a lui, perfetto per prepararci all' arrivo del Santo Natale.

I love, Love, Love this book!

I only had one problem with the book: the three stories are non sequential.

I believe this is my favorite Christmas story this year.

"Para um rapazinho, talvez fosse estranho ter uma velha solteirona como melhor amigo, mas nenhum de nós tinha atitudes, ou antecedentes normais e, por isso, era inevitável que, na nossa solidão individual, viéssemos a partilhar uma amizade à parte."

Dizem que Truman Capote se inspirou nas suas memórias de infância passada no Sul dos Estados Unidos para escrever estes três contos.
Não sei se Capote alguma vez foi pobre como as suas personagens, mas eu, ao lê-lo, quase que senti vontade de ser (ainda mais ) pobre, ter que fazer papagaios de velhas folhas de papel para dar de presente, e receber outro papagaio igual, mas sentir naquela troca todo o amor e carinho que se pode dar e espera receber de outro ser humano.

n  We are each other's best friends.n

I've watched the television special - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQGEU... - countless times now, so it was impossible to read this without hearing Capote's voice.

n  Imagine a morning in late November. A coming of winter morning more than twenty years ago.n

This short vignette tells of the last Christmas Capote spent with his friend, a distant, decades older cousin.

n  . . . we have lived together --- well, as long as I can remember. Other people inhabit the house, relatives; and though they have power over us, and frequently make us cry, we are not, on the whole, too much aware of them.n

The story begins with Capote's cousin/best friend waking one morning to declare n  "Oh my, it's fruitcake weather!"n The two pool their pennies, and set out to gather the ingredients. They also make a nervous visit to the scary Mr. Haha Jones to purchase forbidden whiskey. Thirty cakes are then baked, and sent to far off places like California and Borneo. And, of course, one is sent to President Roosevelt.

The book ends on Christmas day when the friends exchange gifts, though Capote includes asides that hint at sad and somber events in the future. Indeed, nothing can last forever, even the joy of Christmas. I absolutely loved this book, though the ending left me in tears.

n  That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven.n

Beautiful. A wonderful reminiscence of Truman Capote’s childhood Christmas season with a beloved elderly cousin.

What really made me read this was not the ostensible Christmas theme but the fact that Truman Capote was behind it.

That being said, and Xmas coming up quite soon, it all works out for the best in the end, just like the young and the old coming together to keep Tradition alive in the story.

The actual tradition hardly matters, of course. It's the fact that friendship can and will stay alive is all that does. And, of course, Capote wrote this. It's a nice snipped out of what is, by now, deep time.

After reading several reviews, I expected that I would enjoy this slim story, but it exceeded my expectations. This was a complete five-star read for me.

The story centers around the friendship between a seven-year-old boy called Buddy and his sixty-something friend - a superstitious woman who “wouldn’t even dream of getting out of bed on the thirteenth” but who has a kind heart. They are very distant cousins, but this does not seem important.

We are each other’s best friend.

This sums up their relationship best. I liked how the narrator constantly called the lady “my friend.” The narrator's pride in their friendship can be felt in how he constantly calls the lady “my friend.” She is the only person who understands Buddy.
This may be so because she is herself a child.

“Oh my,” she [Buddy’s friend] exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, “it’s fruitcake weather!”
That means that they will need to bake thirty cakes. The story unfolds from there.

The financial resources of our friends are very limited, and, in addition to baking cakes, presents have to be prepared, and a Christmas Tree found and decorated. But do not worry, Buddy and his friend will find a solution and both end up being delighted with their holidays and the presents they give each other. They have another friend - a dog named Queenie. She also expects to receive a Christmas present.
The universe of these two is restricted to the house in which they live with other somewhat abstract relatives, walks in the nearby woods, and occasional visits to local shops. They, however, regard their simple life as equal to the most pleasant one that may be had in the world outside.

This little tale is considered to be semi-autobiographical. Truman Capote many years later reminisces about one of his childhood Christmases - the one that was destined to be the last he spent together with his best friend.
This sense of the frailty of life and transience of the moments of happiness makes the whole story special. Capote, in his adult life, may have allowed himself a certain idealization of his childhood years. But this does not take away anything from the beauty of this single Christmas memory. The text is lyrical without sliding into mushiness.

Reading this short story with immaculate vibes somewhat resembles a long nature walk on which you have embarked with your good old friend. At some point you feel tired, see a little old-fashioned cafe with not a single visitor, and decide to have a hot drink. After getting it, you are sitting at the cafe table trying to warm yourself up and watching two kites cavort in the sky (this line is inspired by the story) when your friend starts relating one episode from his childhood. As he speaks, you begin feeling cozy and warm.

The author by narrating this little episode gently reminds us to value those whom we love, appreciate what we have at the present moment, and attempt to make the most of it.

I found this little gem perfect for December and the holiday season, although the reader should keep in mind that it is not a joyful story. You may finish it with a wistful smile, a subtle feeling of nostalgia, or be genuinely touched having read the last paragraph. Life separates the narrator from his best friend and their beloved dog Queenie.

A Christmas Memory may put us in a reflective mood. Our happy memories are of such value for they are transient and ephemeral. The author safeguarded this Christmas episode in a sort of fictional treasury inside his mind. He could take it out when he most needs it and relive his emotions. The tale demonstrates that nothing, including a large age difference, can be an insurmountable obstacle for friendship. Buddy and his friend are very different from each other. Their relationship is about to end quite abruptly. But the moments of joy the boy and his friend experienced that year would stay with him for many years to come.

Let me start off my review by saying that I am not a fan of Truman Capote. The books that I've read by him I've found incredibly dull and they didn't hold my interest, at all. With that being said, I found this little book, A Christmas Memory, to be completely charming and captivating. Such a sweet, lovable story about two misfits who genuinely care about one another. I felt great empathy towards "his friend" and the relationship she shares with Buddy. The ending of the book literary brought me to tears.

When I was in my junior year of high school, my English teacher Mrs. O'Brien brought this book in one day. She sat on the edge of her desk, and she held up a well worn copy of it, and told us that each year before Thanksgiving she reads the entire book (there are three novellas included). Then she proceeded to read to us. We were mesmerized. She read that entire period, and we all had tears in our eyes as she read "A Christmas Memory". The next day, we filed in, she sat on her desk, and she read us the next one. Again, we were all quiet and full of awe. The next day, which was the day before our Thanksgiving holiday, she read the last one.

I was in love with Truman Capote and his writing, and I was shaken to the core-- I'd never been exposed to writing this... naked... before. It was bitter but true, and exposed the best and worst of human nature. I think I wrote a report on it, because the day before Christmas break, Mrs. O'Brien gave me a hardcover copy of the book, and told me she was so happy that I loved it like she did.

Fast forward (gulp) 20 some years. In riffling through yet another box of books that I have not fully "unpacked" in our move 6 years ago, I found it. I sat in the basement, on the cold dusty floor, and I began to read it. I cried openly, and I read it all that night. My husband thought I was goofy. I read part of it to him, and he understood. Then I reread it later on before the holidays were in true rush mode. Again, I find this to be one of the most poignant books of literature I've encountered.

I put the book on a shelf in the living room, so that I can see it and read it again as the holidays approach. And one day I will share it with my girls...