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Marilyn Monroe: A Beautiful Child
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
119 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Truman Capote
348 books7,387 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Truman Capote was an American writer whose non-fiction, stories, novels and plays are recognised literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and In Cold Blood (1965), which he labeled a "non-fiction novel." At least 20 films and TV dramas have been produced from Capote novels, stories and screenplays.
He was born as Truman Streckfus Persons to a salesman Archulus Persons and young Lillie Mae. His parents divorced when he was four and he went to live with his mother's relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. He was a lonely child who learned to read and write by himself before entering school. In 1933, he moved to New York City to live with his mother and her new husband, Joseph Capote, a Cuban-born businessman. Mr. Capote adopted Truman, legally changing his last name to Capote and enrolling him in private school. After graduating from high school in 1942, Truman Capote began his regular job as a copy boy at The New Yorker. During this time, he also began his career as a writer, publishing many short stories which introduced him into a circle of literary critics. His first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks and became controversial because of the photograph of Capote used to promote the novel, posing seductively and gazing into the camera.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Capote remained prolific producing both fiction and non-fiction. His masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a story about the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, was published in 1966 in book form by Random House, became a worldwide success and brought Capote much praise from the literary community. After this success he published rarely and suffered from alcohol addiction. He died in 1984 at age 59.
Truman Capote was an American writer whose non-fiction, stories, novels and plays are recognised literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and In Cold Blood (1965), which he labeled a "non-fiction novel." At least 20 films and TV dramas have been produced from Capote novels, stories and screenplays.
He was born as Truman Streckfus Persons to a salesman Archulus Persons and young Lillie Mae. His parents divorced when he was four and he went to live with his mother's relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. He was a lonely child who learned to read and write by himself before entering school. In 1933, he moved to New York City to live with his mother and her new husband, Joseph Capote, a Cuban-born businessman. Mr. Capote adopted Truman, legally changing his last name to Capote and enrolling him in private school. After graduating from high school in 1942, Truman Capote began his regular job as a copy boy at The New Yorker. During this time, he also began his career as a writer, publishing many short stories which introduced him into a circle of literary critics. His first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, stayed on The New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks and became controversial because of the photograph of Capote used to promote the novel, posing seductively and gazing into the camera.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Capote remained prolific producing both fiction and non-fiction. His masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a story about the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, was published in 1966 in book form by Random House, became a worldwide success and brought Capote much praise from the literary community. After this success he published rarely and suffered from alcohol addiction. He died in 1984 at age 59.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 6, 2026
Truman Capote’s “A Beautiful Child” in Music for Chameleons feels like a part-reportage, part-fantasy “new journalism” portrait of Marilyn Monroe. The piece begins at the funeral of Monroe’s drama teacher, Constance Collier, and introduces Monroe as both a “neophyte” and a “platinum sex-explosion.”
Between Collier’s sense that Monroe would not make it to “old bones,” Monroe’s neediness for Capote’s protection, and Capote’s concern that she is cutting her wrists in the powder room, Capote caricatures Monroe as Hollywood’s projection of pity and obsession. This caricature is furthered by the fact that, while Capote and Marilyn were socially acquainted in the industry, they did not have a close correspondence.
Throughout, their gossip about sexual encounters within the industry, such as with Errol Flynn, and Capote’s and Monroe’s flâneries through New York City, such as to a ring shop or the pier to feed seagulls, paint the vignette as more like Capote’s own fan-fiction, where he inserts himself as her date. I am uncertain whether portraying Monroe as a dramatic, struggling star rather than revealing her intelligent, soft side was a stylistic choice within new journalism or a form of his own biased sensationalism. Still, although Monroe at times strategized her vulnerability for her career or emotional security, I feel Capote’s piece chips away at the dignity of her legacy.
Between Collier’s sense that Monroe would not make it to “old bones,” Monroe’s neediness for Capote’s protection, and Capote’s concern that she is cutting her wrists in the powder room, Capote caricatures Monroe as Hollywood’s projection of pity and obsession. This caricature is furthered by the fact that, while Capote and Marilyn were socially acquainted in the industry, they did not have a close correspondence.
Throughout, their gossip about sexual encounters within the industry, such as with Errol Flynn, and Capote’s and Monroe’s flâneries through New York City, such as to a ring shop or the pier to feed seagulls, paint the vignette as more like Capote’s own fan-fiction, where he inserts himself as her date. I am uncertain whether portraying Monroe as a dramatic, struggling star rather than revealing her intelligent, soft side was a stylistic choice within new journalism or a form of his own biased sensationalism. Still, although Monroe at times strategized her vulnerability for her career or emotional security, I feel Capote’s piece chips away at the dignity of her legacy.
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March 19, 2026Oh. I look forward to reading this, Capote. You're such a name dropper.
March 30, 2015
A lovely book with pictures from different photographers. It's a shame that I cannot read the text that is next to the pictures but I get the gist of it. I have read the tale between them before so it isn't a massive miss that I can't understand it but it would have gone lovely with the pictures. I've never seen an English version of this book but I will keep my eye out for one, but it's not a total loss if I don't get it because the pictures say it all really.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews