Summer Crossing: A Review

As I review Summer Crossing, I realise that this review cannot be a critique as much as it needs to be an appreciation of the evolution of the genius of Truman Capote. The fact that this was the debut novel of Capote was more than enough for me to pick this book up during my ten minute book buying spree at Blossoms a couple of months back. What made it even more interesting was the fact that the book was published by Truman's friends after his death post an accidental discovery of the unedited manuscript. I read the afterword to the novel before I read the story. The afterword makes it clear that publishing this novel was perhaps not Truman's wish as much as it was his friends desire.
I fell in love with Capote's work with Breakfast at Tiffanys and even as I read the first few pages of Summer Crossing I knew that this one was no where close to it in technique. The depth of insight and brevity of expression that endeared BAT was totally amiss in SC. The technique may be awry but there are traces of a brilliant story line. The novel written in the 1940s still finds a place with its universal theme of teenage angst and first love.
At the centre of the book is Grady, a stereotypical poor little rich girl. The daughter of wealthy New York parents, she is a rebel without a cause or a pause like teenagers are wont to be. Absorbed in her own world, for an inexplicable reason Grady resents her parents and the world they represent. The fact that Clyde is the antithesis of her parents is what seems to attract Grady to him. What follows is a somewhat predictable struggle of the heart vs. the head, compounded by the fact that neither Grady nor Clyde seem to know what is it about the other that makes the struggle worth it. The book uses New York and its diversity as a backdrop and at times the narrative becomes tedious with descriptors. However what could have potentially made this a novella worth its salt is how Capote captures the dilemma of a teenager caught between two worlds, two sensibilities and two completely opposite desires. Grady hopes for adventure as much as she yearns for the staid, she appreciates the sophistication of her friends and is infatuated by the raw Bronx. What touches the heart however is the depiction of isolation of a teenager, the loneliness that eats into a teenager's soul, childish to adults but intense for her. The despair and helplessness that Grady feels about the mess she seems to have got herself into is made worse by the impermeable cocoon she builds around herself, where even her partner in crime cannot be her confidante .
Will I recommend the book maybe yes for a quick read, definitely maybe for a Capote fan to understand his evolution as a writer.
Finally for my aha moment, there were two. The first one when the narrative shifts from Grady's vantage point to Clyde's. Till that point Clyde was a gold digging buffoon ridiculed by all but adored by Grady. As the narrative shifts gears Clyde emerges as a confused young man struggling between aspiration, expectations and reality.This crafty twist was an aha moment. The second is this line "....for the P-somethings, made innocent by the world's goodwill, could not feel a shadow. As always go figure.