Books to read after watching ‘Feud’.Photo:G.P. Putnam’s Sons; Simon & Schuster; Random House; Knopf; Modern Library
G.P. Putnam’s Sons; Simon & Schuster; Random House; Knopf; Modern Library
A group of socialites who all but ran New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. A brutal betrayal and a disgraced author. And that’s before we even get into theretro fashion. Ryan Murphy’sFeud: Capote vs. The Swansfollows the delicious true-life drama between author Truman Capote and his group of uber-rich friends, who he nicknamed the Swans.
The Swans, which included socialites Barbara “Babe” Paley, Nancy “Slim” Keith, C.Z. Guest and Lee Radziwill, flitted between the most major parties of the time. Capote built his entire persona around his association with them, but after his attempts to turn their secrets into a book came to light, their relationship never recovered.
Hooked? Delve even further with Leamer’s book and other recommended reading on the subject, while you wait for the next installment ofFeud.
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G.P. Putnam’s Sons
If you want to know what really happened between Capote and his Swans, you can’t do better than Leamer’s book. It follows the salacious story behind Answered Prayers, the book Capote was trying to write about his so-called friends, and the shocking betrayal that led to his downfall.
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Simon & Schuster
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Random House
Next, read Capote’s account of Holly Golightly, who Leamer calls “in a way, the first swan.” The movie fictionalized her story, of course, so read the book to see where the iconic Audrey Hepburn character draws inspiration. “We’ve got a beautiful young woman who seeks to find a rich husband and the movie turned it into a fantasy,” he explains. This volume also includes three of Capote’s most famous stories: “House of Flowers,” “A Diamond Guitar” and “A Christmas Memory.”
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Knopf
One of the stories that brought down Capote focused on Ann Woodward, who married banking heir Billy Woodward. “They had a troubled marriage,” Leamer explains. “There were burglars in their area where their mansion was. One evening, she says she thinks it’s a burglar coming and she goes out in the hallway and she shoots and kills her husband. Truman had the police files. It’s indisputable that it was an accident.” Of course, that doesn’t make for much of a story so Capote put his own spin on it. Read the true account here, in what Leamer calls “a deeply truthful, well-researched story.”
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Modern Library
While not related to The Swans, we recommend reading this one if you’re still curious about Capote. First published serially inThe New Yorkerin 1965, this is the gripping story of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, and the two men, Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, who murdered them on the night of November 15, 1959. It was a smash hit at the time and heralded a totally new kind of journalism. Don’t miss it.
source: people.com
