In Cold Blood - A Review

Review

IN COLD BLOOD

By Truman Capote

On November 15, 1959 the peaceful town of Holcomb, Kansas was shattered by four shotgun blasts. Blasts that killed Herb Clutter, his wife, and two teenaged children. Blasts that forever changed the town. There appeared to be no motive. The Clutters were one of the towns most respected families. Herb was a hardworking farmer who was fair to his employees. The children were well liked and active in the community. Who could have done such a thing? And why? IN COLD BLOOD is the story of the murders, the murderers, and what happened afterward.

Truman Capote is a literary genius. His words are poetry, making his prose hauntingly beautiful even as he describes acts of a horrific nature. IN COLD BLOOD captivated me, from the opening which details the seemingly ordinary lives of the doomed family to the plans made by the murderers, providing such deep characterization, getting inside the mindset, if not the minds of both Perry Smith and Dick Hickock.

In writing IN COLD BLOOD Truman Capote created a new genre, a new "literary art form" the nonfiction novel. The story is true, real people and real events, but told in the manner of a story, a narrative. More compelling and captivating than textbook journalism, indeed, IN COLD BLOOD was an experiment by Capote to explore making journalism more literary. And he succeeded.

IN COLD BLOOD is a chilling tale of violence in America. It's a landmark book that launched a new literary style. But it's even more than that. Truman Capote is able to paint a picture with words that evoke emotions and pathos and set a stage. It's a book you'll remember long after you've put it down.