I liked the title story very much but I didn't care for several of the other stories. 5 stars for the title story.

This is actually the first time I've read any of Truman Capote's works.......and my mind is spinning. He took me into some extremely uncomfortable places in his short stories. I always sort of avoided his works before, and didn't know much about him at all until recently. The story Miriam really stood out as did Master Misery. He truly paints a picture with words. It often felt as if I was there and not reading at all. That's always a sign of a good book, just the places on this journey were disturbing. I felt like I was seeing madness and like the characters of his stories I couldn't look away.

Whatever you do, don't see the revolting movie version of this exquisite novella. This is poetry, prose, and perfection between two narrow covers. It is a simple story in the tradition of Carson McCullers, but without the prop of physical deformity or mental aberration. A young orphaned boy goes to live with two eccentric aunts: one childlike and sincere, one embittered and controlling. The elegant plot is driven by a crisis when the ambitious sister attempts to profit from the other, triggering her departure from the house and temporary encampment in the branches of an archetypal and all-embracing oak.

[The Grass Harp]

I enjoyed this story very much and I am looking forward to read the other stories as well. Collin Fenwick’s account about his childhood and upbringing from this little town called “River Woods” were just marvelous, special and unexpectedly profound. It was hilarious at times, entertaining, sad, and mysterious. Collin shared how he perceived everyone in the town, the gossip and the definite events occurring in a “tree-house” which will forever change everything.

What I liked the most was the beautiful narrative that was distinct. Through Collin’s narration, the author uses nature’s description to portray the situation at hand or emotions, feelings. Despite the storyline being simple, one is caught up in the embellishment of the narrative.

“We are speaking of love. A leaf, a handful of seed - begin with these, learn a little what it is to love. First, a leaf, a fall of rain, then someone to receive what a leaf has taught you, what a fall of rain has ripened. No easy process, understand; it could take a lifetime, it has mine, and still I’ve never mastered it - I only know how true it is: that love is a chain of love, as nature is a chain of life.” (p.44)

It reminded me at times of “The Emigrants” by the German author W.G. Sebald and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.

The title of the story: “The Grass Harp” refers to the wind that carries “…a story- it knows the stories of all the people on the hill, of all the people who ever lived, and when we are dead it will tell ours, too.” (p.9) ; representing a testament of their existence.

“…But the wind is us- it gathers and remembers all our voices, then sends them talking and telling through the leaves and the fields-” (p.23)

The focus of the story centers mainly on a few days where Collin with some family members, friends live in a “tree-house”. There, we witness a special gathering, a community that built trust, shared reminiscences and life lessons, practiced acceptance. It became an adventure.

Thus referring to the implementation of the notion of “the grass harp”:

“…it was a grass harp, gathering, telling, a harp of voices remembering a story. We listened” (p.97)

Nature, the “china tree” became their refuge against everyone’s discontent thus representing a safe world: “private worlds” (p.51), and a place everyone longed to find :

“It may be that there is no place for any of us. Except we know there is, somewhere; and if we found it, but lived there only a moment, we could count ourselves blessed. This could be your place,” (p.37)

Suffice to say, there are many more life lessons that we learn from Collin but I don’t want to overwhelm you with more quotes. I recommend this novel. It was lovely and profound. A perfect reading for the weekend.

. [A Tree of Night and Other Stories]

These stories are distinct. I have never read anything like it. Some are strange with supernatural elements and mysterious. They varied location between New York to small Southern towns. They captured definitive moments that marked a tragedy or a change. Many are fatalistic. Characters tended to be lost or when they wished for something it always went for the worst.

My favorite short stories were "Miriam" and "My side of the Matter". This last one was funny. Humor was easily detectable on the narrative. It was a change from the rest of them. "Miriam" had a beautiful description. It tackles the theme of loneliness, helplessness and the snowy weather mimicked the character feelings.

"In times of terror or immense distress, there are moments when the mind waits, as though for a revelation, while a skein of calm is woven over thought;" (p.173)

"The Headless Hawk" and "A Tree of Night" were not my cup of tea. They are mysterious and perfect for Halloween. "Jug of Silver" story was full of suspense.

The first story "Master Misery" reminded me a lot of "Lady of Hay" by Barbara Erskine. It’s about dreams and hypnosis. There is a strong metaphor on the idea of selling our dreams. I felt the author had a significant message but couldn’t grasp it. Sylvia felt lonely and yearned to be taken into consideration. By giving away her dreams she became lost, empty. She was better off before. This idea of, be careful what you wish for, is clearly the emphasis on the second story, "Children on their Birthdays".

"…just as we were wishing that something would happen, something did;" (p.119)

In "Shut a Final Door", the main character is lonely and is in search of something.

"But he did not know where to begin thinking about himself, did not know where to find the center." (p.137)

He is self-centered and is dependable of people. He is not virtuous nor loyal.

This notion of going in circle is portrayed by Walter always observing the fan spinning on several occasions.

"…experience is a circle of which no moment can be isolated, forgotten." (p.148)


Many Times, I felt a little confused, not fully understanding the story. They were condensed in meaning. Some other times, I wished I knew more. I wished they were as complete as "The Grass Harp". I don’t have the habit of reading short stories but I enjoyed very much "A Scrap of Time and Other Stories" by Ida Fink. These short stories captured each moment completely leaving one contented.

2.5⭐️

Struggling to get through it, thinking of giving up and doing something more useful with my time.

I love Truman Capote so much.

I constantly picture him as one of his characters and it's always easy to pick which ones he seems to base off of himself. Whether it's a small characteristic or a story literally based during his childhood, this aesthetic is immediately identifiable. It also helps that I'm from Alabama, just like him. It's so comforting to be reading about streets I've been on, towns I've been in, and places I've just passed through. It almost gives me a nostalgic feeling for my own childhood.

Anyway, you guys probably want to hear about the book.

So The Grass Harp focuses on Collin who lives with his quirky aunts, Dolly and Verena. These sisters have their fair share of problems and Collin quickly finds himself in the middle of it. During a disagreement, Dolly and her friend Catherine run into the woods with Collin in tow, to start their new lives in their treehouse. They want to live on their terms, they want to become themselves, they want Verena to let them make decisions for themselves without her hateful eye watching over them. It was a story of friendship, love, and growing up. Definitely everything I expected from a story like this.

Now this book also included some of Capote's short stories. Some of my favorites were "Children on Their Birthdays," "Miriam," and "The Headless Hawk." Each one had just the right amount of quirk that kept me drawn in until the very end!

This review and more Truman Capote reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!

5 stars for the Grass Harp. A very, very sweet story that's kind of sad and extremely well-written.

3 stars for the short stories. Again, most of them were well written but they all had a creepiness to them that while interesting, made me feel uneasy.

The Grass Harp” by Truman Capote centers around the importance of nonconformity, the power of love and friendship, and the beauty of simplicity in life. It explores the value of individuality and the impact of genuine human connections over societal expectations. The novella also emphasizes the healing power of nature and the idea of finding one’s own voice amidst the noise of the world. The characters’ time spent in the treehouse serves as a metaphor for breaking free from the constraints of society and finding a deeper understanding of oneself and others.

Truman Capote's "The Grass Harp and other Stories," is lyrical, mystical, spiritual, blissful and mournful. The characters in the novel and short stories are amazingly well defined and the narrative rings with a brutal honesty that only the greatest of writers have ever achieved. Mr. Capote is among the greatest post World War 2, American writers that has ever put pen to paper. As great as Mailer, DeLillo, Updike, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, James Baldwin and Arthur Miller.

It is easy to forget after the major successes of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "In Cold Blood," the volume and magnitude and beauty of Capote's other works. "The Grass Harp and other Stories" is one of those other treasures. The characters of Dolly, the Judge, Verena, and Catherine in "The Grass Harp"are vivid illustrations and portrayals of rural Alabama that touch the reader in such a way as to make them unforgettable. Mr. Capote was so in touch with his Alabama roots and childhood that it is easy to forget, while reading this wonderful novel and short stories, that his frame and celebrity was ever associated with New York.

Mr. Capote has always been one of my favorite writers. His ability to grab at the inner soul of his readers and to transport them to a place few people have ever visited has always left me breathless and in awe.

If you know anything about Capote's childhood, you see it reflected in this gem of a book. His beloved Sook is here and many of the other important characters from his childhood. He and Harper Lee spent many happy hours in a tree house as misfits in the town. It is all here. Truman Capote has a way with language that makes the mundane beautiful. This is a treasure of a book.

Published October 1, 1951.

Capote creates some of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read. His characters are created with so much care, and I love them all, whether they're good or bad. This novella is perhaps the best example of Capote's skill. Anyone who loves to read gorgeous descriptions of eccentric characters and create a relationship with the story they're reading should pick up this book. It is the epitome of heart-warming.