Agonized through this depressing curiosity. What did Capote expect of this? What did we expect of him? ( )

First edition as new with remainder mark

El protagonista de la novela, ingenioso, encantador, bisexual, absolutamente amoral logró escaparse de un orfanato a los trece años, aprendió el oficio de masajista y se las ingenió para convertirse en un pícaro moderno y codearse con los ricos y los famosos, desempeñando unas veces el papel de confidente, otras el de bufón y, para los lectores de esta novela, el de divertidísimo cronista de las disparatadas vidas de la jet-set. Este libro es, en buena parte, un roman à clef y, a veces, ni siquiera necesita claves, pues por sus páginas desfilan junto a retratos tenuemente disfrazados de escritores como Tennessee Williams, actrices como Greta Garbo, millonarios como Niarchos personajes reales, como las inefables Mrs. Mathau y Mrs. Cooper, cuyos diálogos sobre la vida y costumbres (preferentemente sexuales) de otros miembros de la alta sociedad están reproducidos con cruel fidelidad.

Never finished, tantalizing few stories published after his death. ( )

Every novel is a form of catharsis in one way or another. It's the deal we make when we buy a book: if the author packages their woes, hopes and gripes well and in an entertaining way, then we will patiently listen and even enjoy ourselves. With all the reader oriented writing Truman did in his career, in the final analysis it's clear that he ultimately did not understand for whom he was writing. In Answered Prayers we see the world through Truman's eyes as he must have experienced life on earth from his humble beginnings up until his humble death. In between he became fascinated with the sordid lives and lifestyles of the rich and famous. Answered Prayers reads in some ways as Martin Luther's accusation and is about the same size.

Through Answered Prayers Truman wanted to establish himself as the modern day Proust and he sincerely believed it was his masterpiece. Instead we read page after page about the diversification of vices throughout the 20th century. Almost every sentence demonstrates that Truman saw life through the eyes of inanimate objects, amongst which he counted all his living 'friends'. With great ease he rattles off litanies of then well known names and luxury brands, most of which nobody will have heard of today. Another great mistake I feel since, unlike Proust, Truman immediately dates his work and made it instantly ephemeral.

Granted the writing is as usual of a high quality and extremely mellifluousness, but that doesn't save the work in the least. How much do we really care about the main character, and by proxy about Truman himself? Do we believe everything he says? Do we care if we believe him or not?

In the end the book attempts to answer the one question Truman tried to answer all of his life for himself: "With all these unspoiled monsters, why am I the unlovable one?" ( )