In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Genre: True Crime
Summary:
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.
Review:
The book is set up in four different parts; The Last to See Them Alive, Persons Unknown, Answer, and The Corner. So I will review the book in 4 parts.
The Last to See Them Alive
To be completely honest, this book was hard to get through. At least the beginning. The first part is slow as it sets up for the rest of the book. It is necessary for the balance of the book and I am sure I would enjoy part 1 if I ever reread the book. It picks up towards the end as we head into part 2.
Person Unknown
After the slowness of the first part, part 2 picks up and is much more enjoyable. This section gives insight into the criminals thoughts and feelings and insight into the aftermath with the townspeople. Human nature is really brought out in this section. We get to see the development of the case and how the investigators go about well…. Investigating.
Answer
I enjoyed this part of the book the most. This is where we hit one of the climaxes and we learn whether the criminals are to be caught or not. We delve deeper into the minds of the criminals in this section learning the reason behind the crime - Finally! It’s an absolutely ridiculous reason considering the extreme nature of the crime.
The Corner
May be giving this away here so skip to the second paragraph if you don’t want to know. We learned in earlier parts of the book that the corner is a part of the prison that the prisoners refer to - it’s for those prisoners who are on death row. We delve further into the minds of the criminals. Learning their fears and egos. Three more criminals are brought into the fray. The minds of which are so off that they would’ve been diagnosed in this day as mentally ill.
This section has the overall climax. The big one. It slows down toward the end but there was really nothing else for Truman Capote to write about. We have all the answers and insights, now we just wait. We learn a bit about the legal system in this section which is a bit more complicated than it is made out - or maybe it’s just more complicated now.
Overall:
A very interesting read. There is a lot of foreshadowing in this book, so pay attention! It is a bit freaky since the book is based on a true crime and Truman Capote himself interviewed the suspects. At times I was so dumbfounded by how someone could commit a crime such as this and be so cavalier about the whole thing. It really brings on the shivers. This book also gives insight into human nature. (Spoiler) How the people react immediately after the crime and when the criminals are found. (End Spoiler)
This book has some gore to it, this is to be expected, but it is not over the top. I read in images (books play out like movies in my head when I read) - if you read like this as well it may be a bit more graphic as you will imagine the gore. If you don’t read this way, then it may not bother you. I don’t think it’s too bad but I enjoy horror movies. Plus it’s only for a couple of pages. The real horror, I think, comes from the insights into the criminal's mind. That’s what gets me in this book.
Since this book is based on true events, you can research the subject more. Either before or after you read it. Note this book is based on true events. Some of the events in this book differ from the actual events.
There has been many movies and tv shows surrounding this book and the events of this crime. Check them out if you would like to learn more.
Suggested For:
If you like books that will meddle with your mind, this book would be a great read for you.
If you enjoy insights into human nature and the thoughts of criminals, this book is perfect. If you do not like either of these, don’t read this book. It’s not for you. I promise.
If you have any interests in true crime or criminals, I suggest reading this book.
Similar Books:
Although In Cold Blood is in a completely different genre, this book reminds me a bit of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Why? Well, both books could be considered pioneers in their genres. At the time they were published, they could be considered thrillers/scary but in today’s day are pretty mild. (I will mention that I personally did not enjoy Frankenstein. So proceed carefully. I should probably try reading it again now that I am older)
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