In Cold Blood in Retro Chapter Chicks

Oct 18, 2016 Brina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, thriller, nonfiction

In Cold Blood is the new school classics selection in the group catching up on classics for November 2016. Having read Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's recently and enjoying his writing, I could not wait to read this nonfiction thriller in advance of the upcoming group read. Writing in his relaxing southern style, Capote turns a horrid crime into a story to make the how's and whys accessible to the average American. It is in this regard that I rate this thrilling classic five stars.

On Nov In Cold Blood is the new school classics selection in the group catching up on classics for November 2016. Having read Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's recently and enjoying his writing, I could not wait to read this nonfiction thriller in advance of the upcoming group read. Writing in his relaxing southern style, Capote turns a horrid crime into a story to make the how's and whys accessible to the average American. It is in this regard that I rate this thrilling classic five stars.

On November 15, 1959 Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith, on a tip from another inmate, brutally murdered four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas. Having heard that the Clutters possessed either a safe or $10,000 cash in their home, Smith and Hickock desired this wealth for themselves so that they could live out their days in a Mexican beach resort. To their surprise and chagrin, the Clutters did not have neither the safe nor the cash, but Hickock had said to leave no witnesses. Crime committed, the pair escaped to a life of continued crimes and violence and believing that authorities would never catch up with them. And in the beginning it appeared that this ill advised lifestyle might actually work.

Due to the relentless work of the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) lead by Alvin Dewey, Hickock and Smith were eventually brought to justice and ultimately given the death penalty. Capote weaves a tale by giving us the backstory of both felons as well as a picture of Holcomb and nearby Garden City, Kansas as an idyllic place to raise a family. The crime changed everything. Families kept their doors locked and did not allow their children to venture far from home. In the surrounding areas, people viewed their lives as a before and after. Inevitably, the Clutter case lead to less community interaction and a beginning of a breakdown of society.

Yet by providing the backstories of the felons, Capote allows the the readers to emphasize with their place in society. Dick Hickock was on his way to finishing at the top of his class with a possible athletic scholarship and a degree in engineering. His family could not afford a university education even with the scholarship so Hickock went to work. An automobile accident left him partially brain damaged as his parents maintained that he was not the same person since, and this one incident lead to his adult life of crime. Smith, on the other hand, lead a bleak childhood to the point where readers would feel sorry for him. Coming from a fractured family and only a third grade education, Smith suffered from a superiority complex his entire life. His role in the Clutter murders was the consummation of a lifetime of rejection. The felons came from diametrically opposed upbringings and yet I was left feeling remorse for both.

Capote pieced together the crime to the point where I felt that I knew the people of Holcomb as well as the principal players in the crime intimately. This work lead to a new genre that brings together nonfiction and fiction in a way that history feels like a story. Both Capote and his research assistant Harper Lee ended up as award winning authors. Their fictional writing skills allowed for the personalization of this tale and ultimately help change the way many write nonfiction.

Truman Capote is one of 20th America's master storytellers, and In Cold Blood is by many considered his opus. His research was detail oriented and allowed him to bring the story of the Clutter murders to the average American home. After completing this five star work painting the picture of the how's and whys of murder, I look forward to reading more of his charming Southern stories. ...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, crime, concierge, library, own, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, mexico, true-crime

I first read this "novelized" true-crime book when I was in college, just a few years after it was first published. I think that is what made me interested in this genre of reading. I re-read the book in 2007 for a book-club discussion, and found it just as compelling as the first time.

Simply put, nobody does it better. And writing it nearly - or perhaps definitely - destroyed Capote because he got so caught up in the psychology of the killers (Percy Smith, in particular). It is brilliantly wri ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Tasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fic, thriller-mystery

I haven't read non-fiction crime in a long time and man, this book grabbed me from the start. Capote draws you in immediately and the story is paced well. It's a detailed account packed with character background, crime and court scene info that just keeps you reading. This is my first Capote read and I plan on reading at least Breakfast at Tiffany's to try him out in fiction. ...more

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Jul 16, 2014 Kris (My Novelesque Life) rated it really liked it

4 STARS

"An account of the senseless murder of a Kansas farm family and the search for the killers." (From Amazon)

With Truman Capote...how much is truth and how much is drama infused facts is murky. A great read either way. I love Capote's flamboyancy and his dramatic writing style. Often with this book, people focus more on the author than the murder of the family. The killers are the main characters and take up 2/3 of the book. ...more

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