There is Truman Capote looking impish and floral as he leans against a trellis of roses somewhere in the Deep South. He is best known for his character-driven novel "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and an embellished non-fiction book, "In Cold Blood." Having liked the former novel, I was excited to read Capote's short stories. The same attention to detail and character generation found in "Breakfast Tiffany's" was evident in the many tales he wrote before its publication.
Southern Accents - Check!
Flawed but Likable Characters - Check!
A Horror Story - Che . . . hey, just one second. What's the big idea, Mr. Capote? How could you? You were supposed to give us Alabama love stories set in the 1940s and 1950s. How dare you? Writing good horror is not easy, but there you go, standing up a scary short story among the tales of love and poverty in the Deep South.
"Miriam" is the name of the fiendishly little horror story Capote unleashed on me like a ghost springing out from behind the curtains. Miriam is a little girl he describes as: "Her hair was the longest and strangest Mrs. Miller had ever seen: absolutely silver-white, like an albino's." I won't say much more other than she goes to stay with Mrs. Miller who has lived alone in an apartment for several years. Yikes.
There are many great stories in Capote's fantastic collection. "Master Misery," "A Diamond Guitar," and "The Thanksgiving Visitor" are written at high levels and worth your time. And "Miriam" is certainly worth your time if you are a horror story lover.
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