Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Day Fifty-Nine: "A Diamond Guitar" by Truman Capote

Escape.

An inmate arrives to a small southern prison and he brings with him a diamond faced guitar. Immediately, an older gentlemen, Mr. Schaeffer, takes to this interesting musician and they soon become lovers in addition to being friends. When the story concludes, Mr. Schaeffer is helping his young cell mate escape but he trips and breaks his ankle and doesn't make it out with his lover. Instead, he spends his days in the prison, the proud owner of the diamond guitar that was left behind, and the "hero" who tried to prevent an escape.

This story felt like it was told in the first person and it was only in the last couple of pages that I became aware of the fact that I was wrong. Capote writes it so well and with paragraphs like this, you can't help but acknowledge the genius that was his.

"Until that moment, he had not been lonesome. Now, recognizing his loneliness, he felt alive. To be alive was to remember brown rivers where the fish run, and sunlight on a lady's hair."

What a great few sentences!!!

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