Other Voices, Other Rooms

by Truman Capote
Other Voices, Other Rooms cover
Good Books rating 3.83
Literary Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 2056
  • Added: 2025-10-11
  • Updated: 2025-10-11
  • Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
  • Published: 2004-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Other Voices, Other Rooms is a semiautobiographical novel that delves into themes of identity, family, and the complexities of growing up. Thirteen-year-old Joel Knox, grieving the loss of his mother, is sent to live with the father he never knew in the mysterious Skully's Landing. The novel is renowned for its lyrical prose and atmospheric setting, capturing the essence of the American South in the mid-20th century. /n/n As Joel navigates the strange and decaying world of Skully's Landing, he encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own secrets and struggles. The novel explores the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, making it a compelling read for those interested in Southern Gothic literature.

Reviews
I Would Rather Be Reading Blog · 2021-07-06
captivating 4.50

Capote's writing is surreal and intoxicating, transporting readers to a decaying world filled with haunted characters. The novel's atmosphere is both captivating and unsettling.

This reviewer finds Capote's writing to be quite surreal and intoxicating, creating a world that feels both enchanting and eerie. The decaying mansions and haunted characters are particularly striking, making the novel a compelling read. They appreciate the atmospheric quality of the book, which draws readers into a unique and somewhat unsettling world. The emotional depth and poetic prose are highlighted as standout features, making it a memorable experience.

Quick quotes

    Capote's writing is quite surreal and intoxicating, taking the reader to a world of decaying mansions filled with haunted characters.

    The atmosphere is both captivating and unsettling, making it a compelling read.

    Capote has a way of drawing the reader into a unique and somewhat unsettling world.

Triumph of the Now · 2019-01-23
emotional 4.00

This novel is emotionally engaging and enveloping, though not a happy read. It is compared to Capote's other works for its depth and impact.

The reviewer describes this novel as emotionally engaging and enveloping, noting that it is not a happy read but rather a deeply moving one. They compare it to Capote's other works, such as 'In Cold Blood,' highlighting its emotional depth and impact. The novel's ability to draw readers in and evoke strong emotions is praised, making it a memorable and thought-provoking experience. The reviewer appreciates the novel's ability to create a sense of immersion and emotional resonance.

Quick quotes

    This is not a happy novel, it's enveloping and an emotional read but one that is just as engaging as In Cold Blood, the only other Capote I've read.

    It's a deeply moving and thought-provoking experience.

    The novel's ability to draw readers in and evoke strong emotions is praised.

Piker Press · Wendy Robards · 2015-07-06
mixed 3.00

The novel had the potential to be breathtaking due to Capote's gift for prose, but it fell short for this reviewer.

Wendy Robards acknowledges Capote's talent for stringing words together beautifully, which gives the novel a lot of potential. However, she feels that it ultimately falls short of being a breathtaking work. She appreciates the beautiful descriptions and the atmospheric setting, but finds that the novel does not fully live up to its potential. Despite this, she recognizes the strengths in Capote's writing and the novel's ability to create a vivid and haunting world.

Quick quotes

    Other Voices, Other Rooms had the potential, with Capote's gift of stringing words together, to be a breathtaking work...but it fell short for me.

    The novel does not fully live up to its potential.

    She appreciates the beautiful descriptions and the atmospheric setting.

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