Helpful Score: 5
If you've seen the film, you still have to read the book. This is the STORY that the film, Capote, is about. The way this is written is interesting and as is said in the film, it reads like fiction. In case you are interested in journalism and creative nonfiction, this is one of the earliest books that used this "new journalism" as it was called at the time. For anyone interested in this kind of writing, Capote's book is an example to behold.
Helpful Score: 5
This book is a beautifully written piece of journalistic prose. It was entrancing to read and definately not for the faint of heart. Capote manages to portray the characters - from victim to killer and everyone in between - in a very real light and in a very short period usually. This book rings of truth in the fatalistic way of justice and fallen man. One of the best written books I've read in awhile.
Helpful Score: 3
"In Cold Blood" is less about the particulars of that awful crime one horrific night in Kansas than it is about the insidiousness of what childhood abuse and feeling disenfranchised can do to a person. It would be easy to focus on the horror and sadness of this massacre, but the brilliance of Capote is that the focus is placed on the murderers and trying to engender compassion from the reader for them. With Capote's vision in writing, he almost gets us there. After the capture and imprisonment of these two men, you can physically feel the fear in their hearts for their own condemnation. Perry's fear of execution is especially haunting. This book is a must read for anyone who likes to read. It does not matter that it was written 40 years ago. It transcends all genres, because even though the story is horrific, the writing is phenomenal, and you will never forget it.
Helpful Score: 3
This one of the classic books that is based on true events. I really love how Copote writes. It is like you actually know the people in the book. I read this for the first time when I was about 16 years old. It has remained close to the top of my all time favorite books. On the same level as "To Kill A Mockingbird". Rich in detail and seems to follow the facts of the case very closely. Please read this book! It is amazing!
Helpful Score: 2
It was slow at first, but I loved everything about it. I loved the attention to detail to the point I felt I was there. I loved the emotion that was expressed in the book. I love how he was able to take a true crime story that was so emotional, but at the same time make it a good read.
I've read many true crime stories and this was far my favorite.
I've read many true crime stories and this was far my favorite.
Helpful Score: 1
One of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. Chilling.
Helpful Score: 1
great read. interesting. didn't make me squeemish
Helpful Score: 1
This book was much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. The story was gripping, the violence described but not overly detailed, and everything was explained in a straightforward and easy to follow way. Really, I'm not much of a fan of true crime novels, but this was a much better read than most, and you can definitely tell why it's a defining classic of the genre.
Helpful Score: 1
Truman Capote really dug deep into the psyche of 2 cold-blooded, basically psychopathic, murderers in this true crime story. You can tell an enormous amount of research went into this book. Capote created a quite disturbing yet strangely fascinating psychological portrait of the 2 killers. Not necessarily a short read, since there are no chapters just large breaks in paragraphs, but it's never boring and well worth the read.
Helpful Score: 1
Terrible and excellent at the same time, Capote is brilliant in the way that he builds the true story of a Kansas farm family's murder and the two men behind it. What is interesting about the story is how Capote built a relationship with the murderers and how he was able to get their version of events. This is a very important book to American literature and not to be missed!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a true crime book about the murder of a whole family that took place in Kansas in the late 1950's.
Helpful Score: 1
A gruesome, riveting story told by an awesome writer.
Helpful Score: 1
I had, of course, seen movies and read about the case that Capote describes. I found, however, I knew very little. Capote masterfully captures the lives of each member of the murdered family, which makes what happens to them all the more tragic. Capote paints a picture of Holcomb, Kansas, the people who lived there and the pair who drove in one night and changed a safe, rural town into a nightmare. Superbly written.
Helpful Score: 1
Beautifully written - Capote somehow makes you feel compassion for all the characters, including the murderers. A timeless piece.
Helpful Score: 1
Amazon.com
"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction. The images of this tale continue to resonate in our minds: 16-year-old Nancy Clutter teaching a friend how to bake a cherry pie, Dick Hickock's black '49 Chevrolet sedan, Perry Smith's Gibson guitar and his dreams of gold in a tropical paradise--the blood on the walls and the final "thud-snap" of the rope-broken necks.
"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction. The images of this tale continue to resonate in our minds: 16-year-old Nancy Clutter teaching a friend how to bake a cherry pie, Dick Hickock's black '49 Chevrolet sedan, Perry Smith's Gibson guitar and his dreams of gold in a tropical paradise--the blood on the walls and the final "thud-snap" of the rope-broken necks.
Excellent book. Was definitely one of the first true crime books, though written as a novel. Had to remind myself that Truman didn't make this stuff up, and that all the characters (crazy or otherwise) were real. A very good book and quick read.
Great book. Great writing.
We saw the movie, "Capote" and had to find this book - a fast read-gripping, true life story.
Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and investigation that led to the capture trial and execution of the killers of a family of four in a small town called Holcomb, Kansas in 1959.
The subject matter was horrifying, but the writing was so beautiful, that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I requested this book having seen two movies about Truman Capote and the writing of "in Cold Blood". This non-fiction dramatization of about a brutal mass murder of a family in mid-Kansas remains a literary classic. A gripping read from start to finish
This was probably one of the first true crime stories i ever read, years ago--lots of years ago--You know how when you read a good book it stays in your memory? Well it still has a lasting effect on me. I believe because i found the book so interesting i have been drawn to true crime ever since. I would read this again, it was that well written.
The story is truly fascinating. I do think the writing dragged a bit in some places, but overall a good book.
Truman Capote's In cold blood is a chilling pioneering example of the true crime genre. On November 15, 1959, four members of the Clutter family were killed in their home in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas with almost no clues or apparent motives for this violent crime. Starting with the description of their last encounters to the execution of the killers, Capote pens a somewhat detached but a precise narrative, switching between the townspeople and law enforcement on one hand, and the killers on the other. His prose and psychological portrayals effectively contribute to the chilling tone. Of historical note, Capote's close friend Nelle Harper Lee, author of To kill a mockingbird helped with the interviews and the book deservedly is on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die.
I thought this book was great - very well written and very comprehensive. It's not a "CSI" type of read, but more "old school" detective work.
A little slow to start, but excellent charachter development.
I read this book in Paris, I clearly remember sitting in bed with the breeze blowing into the room from the small terrace when I got to the place where the murders are accomplished: I literally froze, terrified. A year or so ago, I re-read it, shocked at my lack of real emotion to the same exact scene. That's what happens to you after watching the Towers you saw go UP (it was the new view at the end of Sullivan Street) come DOWN in two minutes.
This book is a classic, required reading for students of American literature.
I made it a point to read "In Cold Blood" after watching the film Capote. Upon completing this true-crime novel, I find that Im seeking out Capotes other famous literary works (in particular "Other Voices, Other Rooms").
Theres so much care taken in the elegant detail of Capotes descriptions throughout the novel. It creates a lasting impression on the reader, as he tells the story of two convicted killers and their family of victims.
Theres so much care taken in the elegant detail of Capotes descriptions throughout the novel. It creates a lasting impression on the reader, as he tells the story of two convicted killers and their family of victims.
Good book - good movie.
I finally got around to watching the movie Capote and that sparked my interest in reading this book. I think I may have expected it to be the book version of the movie, which it definitely was not.
I'm glad I read it as it did fill in things that the movie made me curious about regarding the case, but I didn't find it that interesting.
I suppose it was well-written but it didn't strike me as being any better or worse than the average true crime book.
I ended up tossing the book since it was in bad shape and not everyone is more interested in story lines than they are in book condition.
I'm glad I read it as it did fill in things that the movie made me curious about regarding the case, but I didn't find it that interesting.
I suppose it was well-written but it didn't strike me as being any better or worse than the average true crime book.
I ended up tossing the book since it was in bad shape and not everyone is more interested in story lines than they are in book condition.
Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction.
On Nnov 15,1959 in small town of Holcomb Kansas 4 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. Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers. A great read.
Fascinating read. Extraordinarily well written. Capote's ability to make you feel for a murderer is astounding. Deserves its status as a classic of crime non-fiction.
Chilling and detailed account of a family's murder. My first Truman Capote read and am amazed at his detail and ability to write objectively about these monsters. Really gripped me, hard to put down.
The best Non-Fiction book I've ever read.
An amazing work and discussion of the murder of the Clutters.
Truman Capote's narrative of the slaying of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, and the subsequent trial and execution of the murderers. Very good.
I recently watched the movie "Capote" which starred Philip Seymour Hoffman (Hoffman won the Academy Award for his role) as Capote in a very riveting telling of how in 1959 he heard of a vicious killing of a farm family in Kansas and decided to write a book about the case.
Capote's childhood friend, Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird) accompanied Capote to Kansas and helped him with his notes and research. Killers Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were arrested six weeks after the murders and later executed by the state of Kansas. After six years of research and interviews, Capote published his masterpiece, "In Cold Blood."
The movie motivated me to read "In Cold Blood" even though I had seen the movie version starring Robert Blake years ago and I also remembered reading part of the novel when I was in high school in the 1960s. In Cold Blood is considered by many to be the first nonfiction novel written and it is "the second-best-selling true-crime book in history, behind Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter" about the Manson murders.
The novel is laid out in four parts telling what happened before the murders and their discovery, questions about who could have killed them, the arrest of the murderers, and the subsequent trial and execution. Capote is a masterful writer and his prose really gets the reader into the story. He shifts between what happened in the small Kansas town of Holcomb to what happened with the killers before, during, and after the murders. Capote spent many hours interviewing the townspeople, the police and Kansas investigators, the killers themselves (especially Perry Smith), as well as family members of the victims and the killers. He was present at the trial, spent time at the prison where the killers were incarcerated, and witnessed the executions. This was really a compelling account of the events that happened in the small Kansas town as well as a psychological study of the killers and the townspeople, investigators, and family members of both the victims and killers. I would highly recommend this especially for anyone interested in true crime stories.
In Cold Blood has also been adapted into movies and even a TV miniseries. There is the 1967 movie starring Robert Blake. This was a very disturbing adaptation that I remember seeing years ago. There is also a TV miniseries from 1996. The copy of the book I read was a tie-in to this series which I now want to see. And of course, the movie Capote which tells of Capote's research and writing of the novel. Highly recommend Capote!
Capote's childhood friend, Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird) accompanied Capote to Kansas and helped him with his notes and research. Killers Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were arrested six weeks after the murders and later executed by the state of Kansas. After six years of research and interviews, Capote published his masterpiece, "In Cold Blood."
The movie motivated me to read "In Cold Blood" even though I had seen the movie version starring Robert Blake years ago and I also remembered reading part of the novel when I was in high school in the 1960s. In Cold Blood is considered by many to be the first nonfiction novel written and it is "the second-best-selling true-crime book in history, behind Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter" about the Manson murders.
The novel is laid out in four parts telling what happened before the murders and their discovery, questions about who could have killed them, the arrest of the murderers, and the subsequent trial and execution. Capote is a masterful writer and his prose really gets the reader into the story. He shifts between what happened in the small Kansas town of Holcomb to what happened with the killers before, during, and after the murders. Capote spent many hours interviewing the townspeople, the police and Kansas investigators, the killers themselves (especially Perry Smith), as well as family members of the victims and the killers. He was present at the trial, spent time at the prison where the killers were incarcerated, and witnessed the executions. This was really a compelling account of the events that happened in the small Kansas town as well as a psychological study of the killers and the townspeople, investigators, and family members of both the victims and killers. I would highly recommend this especially for anyone interested in true crime stories.
In Cold Blood has also been adapted into movies and even a TV miniseries. There is the 1967 movie starring Robert Blake. This was a very disturbing adaptation that I remember seeing years ago. There is also a TV miniseries from 1996. The copy of the book I read was a tie-in to this series which I now want to see. And of course, the movie Capote which tells of Capote's research and writing of the novel. Highly recommend Capote!
Because of the hype surrounding this book (the fact that it is the first real "true crime" book, as well as the recent movie "Capote"), I was intrigued. However, the book doesn't live up to the hype at all. Capote completely fictionalizes most of the book, writing thoughts and conversations to which he was never privy. While the nature of the crime is shocking, the writing about it was disappointing.
Very intense and well written. Truman Capote writes a chilling account of the murder of a family without bias. I almost felt as though I knew the Clutter family. So tragic, how these men (and so many others) could be such cold-blooded killers without regard for human life.
It is truly a testament to the talent of Truman Capote that this book is still fresh and riveting after so many years of publication.
A classic
Excellent account of a real-life multiple murder.
Awesome, scare the pants off of you real crime! The book that started the true crime genre!
excellent and thought provoking book!
Classic! Very well written and chilling.
Fantastic character study of a horrific crime.
Could've been 100 pages shorter. Parts were very interesting.
I sincerely doubt that this famous book needs a review. One of the best I've ever read.
The writing style does not match the style of today. It is in a class all its own. You can tell that Truman Capote was changed by writing this book.
This book is an incredible work of writing. I became interested in it when I saw the film Capote (also terrific) I wanted to read what all the fuss was about. When I was reading it I couldn't help but be impressed how well the characters were fleshed out. Capote manages to have you feel sympathy for the bad guy without feeling that there was any injustice done in the hanging. He doesn't glorify them he simply shows you there character. He also shows the character of the victims of this tragedy with equal weight. Flawless.
This is a really good book, but If you like true-crime, this may disappoint you some. Capote dove deep into the characterization of the villians in the book. I actually skipped a lot of the details to get to the details of the murder, and how the murderers were captured. I also watched the movie, and was stunned to see that the movie made Mr. Capote much more involved than he really was with the killers. Either way, it was a good read.
I never read this in school, so I decided to read it this year. Very well-written and suspenseful.
I am glad I read this book, the first of its kind! Definate must read for mystery and true crime readers
If you are looking for a book that will take you into the minds of killers, then this is the book for you.
Very good...a little slow in some spots.
I can now fully understand why this book is such a classic. Truman Copote captures the lives and thoughts of the killers and the townspeople so well.
True Crime Audio version of the classic novel.
Category : Non-fiction
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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.
Five years, four months and twenty-nine days later, on April 14, 1965, Richard Eugene Hickock, aged thirty-three, and Perry Edward Smith, aged thirty-six, were hanged from the crime on a gallows in a warehouse in the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, Kansa.
In Cold Blood is the story of the lives and deaths of these six people. It has already been hailed as a masterpiece.
SYNOPSIS
With the publication of this book, Capote permanently ripped through the barrier separating crime reportage from serious literature. As he reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Capote generates suspense and empathy.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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.
Five years, four months and twenty-nine days later, on April 14, 1965, Richard Eugene Hickock, aged thirty-three, and Perry Edward Smith, aged thirty-six, were hanged from the crime on a gallows in a warehouse in the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, Kansa.
In Cold Blood is the story of the lives and deaths of these six people. It has already been hailed as a masterpiece.
SYNOPSIS
With the publication of this book, Capote permanently ripped through the barrier separating crime reportage from serious literature. As he reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, Capote generates suspense and empathy.
Overrated
I gave this book an A but check out my full review at
abookofadifferentcolor.blogspot.com
Happy Reading!
abookofadifferentcolor.blogspot.com
Happy Reading!
Could not put this book down.... I've read many "true" stories about murder, etc., but this one was so real, I just had to finish it.
In Cold Blood is an excellent read. The reality of it, though, is chilling.
Chilling. Truly a classic.
From the back of the book:
re-creation of the brutal slaying of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas - the police investigation that followed - the capture, trial and execution of the two young murderers. Richard Hickock and Perry Smith...
re-creation of the brutal slaying of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas - the police investigation that followed - the capture, trial and execution of the two young murderers. Richard Hickock and Perry Smith...
I had always meant to read this book, but never did. Of course, seeing the film "Capote" made me finally do it, and I'm glad I did. Capote's an amazing writer, and really puts the reader smack dab in rural Kansas, 1959.
Brand new copy released when the movie came out. The book is very specific, great read IF you are one for details.
Actual true crime in the 1950's. A movie was made of this. In Cold Blood is about 2 ex convicts scheming on a supposedly "wealthy" farmer , who they were told in prison , kept a lot of cash in a personal safe in his home. They go there and end up killing the entire family. I think they got about five or ten bucks. They both end up with the death penalty.
never read but would rather pass it on that collect dust on my shelf.
True story,very chilling.
