Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory"

[MonkeyFunk]

One of my favorite short stories ever, and definitely my favorite Christmas story.

You can read it online here:

http://www.geocities.com/cyber_explorer99/capotechristmas.html

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. We have the original black and white VHS tape from years ago -

Geraldine Page as the wonderfully eccentric old woman. It (along with the Snowman - BBC produced animation) are our two favorite holiday films (with a nod to Its A Wonderful Life and Christmas Story!).

Christmas Memory always brings a tear from us.

[MonkeyFunk]

2. I've read so much about that production

but I've never seen it. I would love to see Geraldine Page as Sook.

[flamingyouth]

3. Oh, that is such a wonderful production.

I've seen it many times but not for a few years. I can't imagine anyone else in the role and whenever I read the story (every Christmas and sometimes throughout the year), she's who I picture.

[cmkramer]

11. I remember seeing it too many years ago

I read the story also many years ago, and just re-read it last week.

[flamingyouth]

4. That's my all-time favorite short story.

I even pointed it out here in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=208&topic_id=5757&mesg_id=7093

I read it every Christmas and it always makes me cry. In the summers sometimes when I see kites, I'll even think about it.

[MonkeyFunk]

5. I just finished reading

the complete short stories of Capote. There were a few I'd never read before - there's some fantastic ones in there.

[jonnyblitz]

6. I just read the whole thing. nice story.

I am surprised I hadn't read it before since I am pretty familiar with Capote.

thanks for posting the link. :hi:

[MonkeyFunk]

7. I'm glad you liked it

I read it every year just before xmas. It's just so sweet.

[NJCher]

8. It's in Carolyn Kennedy's Christmas anthology

I read it for the first time this Christmas. Wonderful story about how to put a real Christmas together.



Cher

[HamdenRice]

9. We were discussing this in my writing workshop

In addition to its sentimental appeal, it's a technical masterpiece. Just consider this technical issue, for example: from what age perspective is the story told?

At first, it seems that the story is told by a young man who is at least twenty-seven year old ("A coming of winter morning more than twenty years ago.") Then it shifts into the voice and pov of the seven year old ("The person to whom she is speaking is myself. I am seven ... " and after this the voice regresses to something like a child's voice and perspective.) When the story ends, the narrator is in his teens, perhaps about seventeen ("That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning...")

The shifts between pov are audacious and yet flawless. Almost no other author could "get away with" such choices and make them work.

[NJCher]

10. interesting point

I shall re-read it tonight with that in mind.



Cher