Review: Such Good Friends: A Novel of Truman Capote & Lee Radziwill

Such Good Friends: A Novel of Truman Capote & Lee Radziwill by Stephen Greco
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Be careful, ya'll; if you think you are getting the whole book for free...you are not. Right now, for pre-ordering, it only shows (on Amazon and B&N) as a very, VERY pricey paperback.

This is a perfect book club choice. You will love this book if you love lush, never-ending descriptions of clothing, decor, architecture, art, dated gossip, and Truman Capote. If you can see beyond the plot device of using the housekeeper to narrate what are private dialogues between Truman and some of his Swans, then this book will be a perfect beach read. I had difficulty trying to suspend my disbelief that the housekeeper would be privy to all of these conversations.

Frankly, I just don't have what it takes to enjoy books of this caliber. I need something that takes me away from this world. I need something that will make me think, laugh, cry, and use my imagination, something that will pique my curiosity. This book did none of those things for me. It felt as if the longer I read it, the longer the book became until I felt that it would never end.

The era that is the basis for this book will make it a little awkward for those of us who were born in the late 50's and only know some of these people when they were already past their prime. But, on the other hand, if you are much younger than me, then you might find this an exciting slice of mid to late-20th-century history. But, of course, it is history about the wealthy jet-setters and only touched briefly on anything significant that was going on in America at the time.

I should have realized that I would likely not love this novel when I realized it was similar to "The Swans of Fifth Avenue."

I did find it interesting that this book focused on Lee Radziwill and Truman Capote and not so much on the other Swans. However, I was disappointed not to hear more about Jackie Kennedy (at least by the 50% mark).

At times the author would use 21st-century language instead of what apropos of the 'women who lunch' in the mid-19th (1969) century would use, which would drag me out of the story.

This was not the perfect choice for me. I just never got the attraction of Truman Capote and most likely never will. However, I think many out in Bookland will enjoy this look into the rich and famous.

ARC was supplied by the publisher Kensington Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "“Fans of Capote and the era of Camelot should be delighted.” —Shana Abé, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor

A must-read for fans of Truman Capote and Jackie Kennedy, this star-studded, evocative novel revels in the glamor, gossip, and casual betrayal of 1960s and ’70s high society New York and the socialite “swans” that ruled this scandalous world.

On a Thursday morning in May 1961, a well-mannered twenty-one-year-old named Marlene enters the Fifth Avenue apartment of Lee Radziwill to interview for the position of housekeeper and cook. The stylish wife of London-based Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, Princess Lee is intelligent and creative, with ambitions beyond simply jet-setting. But to the public, she is always First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s little sister.

As Marlene becomes a trusted presence in the Radziwill household, she observes the dazzling array of famous figures who flit in and out of Lee’s intimate circle, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Rudolf Nureyev, Jackie and the President, Ari Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol, and, most regularly, celebrated author Truman Capote. At the height of his fame following the success of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman has granted Lee place of honor in his flock of glamorous socialite “swans.”

Their closeness stems from an unexpected kinship. Both know too well the feeling of being second-best. Seeing his shadow in the woman he refers to as his most unconventional swan, Truman uses his influence and talent to try and make Lee a star.

Their bond deepens through the decade’s extraordinary events, from JFK’s assassination to the era-defining Black and White Ball. But Marlene, who Truman has taken under his wing as an aspiring writer, can see Truman’s darker side—especially his penchant for mining his friends’ private lives for material. And there are betrayals on either side that may signal the end not just of a friendship, but of the shared expectation that wealth and fame can shield against every heartbreak."