Why did I love this book?
For me, Capote’s “non-fiction novel” is the beginning of the modern true crime genre.
Written in 1966 it details the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. There is now criticism of some details contained within the book and how Capote went about his research – as well as his ethical stance. In particular, it might be argued that the Clutters are poorly drawn within the narrative and too much space is given over to what might have driven Hickock and Perry to kill.
However, the book is atmospheric and, above all, it seeks to understand the murders within the broadest cultural context.
18 authors picked In Cold Blood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
The chilling true crime 'non-fiction novel' that made Truman Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative published in Penguin Modern Classics.
Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote's comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who, vividly…