Within the first pages of “In Cold Blood” Capote paints a picture of an ordinary, sleepy town of Holcomb, Kansas. The violent murders of an entire family in November, 1959, shocked the community, not only because the Clutters were a well-respected family, but because the crime seemed to lack any purpose.

Truman Capote’s work “In Cold Blood” has often been dubbed the “first true crime” nonfiction. I put this book off for years because true crime really isn’t my thing, and the disturbing subject of this book was something I really didn’t want to explore. I felt like I needed to be in the right frame of mind. I did recently pick this up and read it awhile back and, reflecting on it, I think that Capote does take the right approach in creating his book, maintaining a less-sensational, more journalistic approach.

Capote spends a good deal of time alternating between the perspectives of the Clutter family and those close to them and also following the movements of Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock. Capote does let us see into glimpse of who the Clutters were, and the loss that those of the Holcomb community felt at this awful and senseless murder. We see the reactions of those in this small community, and how they try to make sense of this case.

I also think Capote does an apt job of letting the story unfold to us, and showing various people and circumstances surrounding the Clutter murder case. The investigation into this, and Alvin Dewey’s relentless pursuit of these killers, was compelling. Compelling despite the fact that we know how everything will turn out before we even begin reading.

While the aftermath of the sentencing of the two killers puts some closure to this case, I really thought the last part of the novel, as we wait for Perry and Hickcock to be executed, was the least interesting. It also seemed like Capote was subtlety trying to create a little smudge of sympathy for the killers.

For the most part, though, I believe the Capote does an effective job maintaining his distance, and just letting the story tell itself.

Una excelente novela que aunque tenga su cuota de ficción, intenta principalmente documentar un hecho real, como lo fue el brutal crimen del matrimonio Clutter y sus dos hijos dentro de su propia casa en el tranquilo pueblo de Holcomb en Kansas en 1959, y la posterior investigación para encontrar a los culpables.
Son muchos los elementos que hacen de este clásico una novela fascinante, porque tiene una prosa ágil, un buen ritmo, las caracterizaciones de los personajes son perfectas y está tremendamente bien documentada; pero para mi hay dos elementos que destacan sobre el resto y que Capote supo combinar muy bien, y es que por un lado elabora una minuciosa crónica de todo lo referido al caso, desde como era la vida de los Clutter en la granja, el crimen y la posterior investigación, y por otro lado Capote indaga en lo mas profundo de la vida de los asesinos y pone el foco en su costado mas humano, mostrando lo desafortunada de sus vidas desde su infancia, la falta de recursos y oportunidades que tuvieron y como todo eso jugó un papel importante en la noche del crimen, sin que esto signifique victimizarlos o justificar los asesinatos.

Un libro más que recomendable que se disfruta de principio a fin, y que apenas baja un poco el ritmo sobre el final, donde el autor aprovecha para reflexionar sobre la pena de muerte más como venganza que como el justo castigo por un crimen.
4,5

n  “No tenía intención de hacerle daño alguno a aquel hombre. Pensé que era un hombre muy amable. De voz suave. Así lo creí hasta el momento en el que corté su cuello.”n

For the longest time I thought this book was about the mob. Truman Capote just sounded like a name associated with the mob to me. My father in law told me to read it and gave it to me stating it was a true murder mystery that happened in KS. The story started out slow for me I really just wanted to read about the murders and what really happened in that house. The story was set up in four sections and for good reason which I won't spoil for those who have not yet read it. The Clutter family was definitely murdered in a heinous way that makes you want to lock your doors and windows. This book really pulled at my heart strings and there were times I get sick, mad, irritated, and then lonesome, especially at the very end. This book left me in despair. Four members of a family brutally murdered and what? Life still goes on for the rest of us. I hope some day in my life to go to Holcomb, KS and put flowers on the graves of the Clutters.

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I also want to be that girl who reads classic novels and has a nighttime face routine and wakes up early to take her dog for a walk and exercise.

But if my reading experience with In Cold Blood has taught me anything, it’s that I’m none of those things and classic novels are boring as shit. I got out of bed this morning fifteen minutes before I needed to leave the house and I don’t give a fuck.

Okay… maybe that’s a bit dramatic. I give a tiny baby of a fuck. And not all classic novels suck.

Honestly, I’m super disappointed that I didn’t like this. I feel like I should have. It’s almost a rite of passage to read this book. It’s so popular and influential and changed a genre…

And I didn't like it!?



In Cold Blood was written over a period of seven years and published in 1966. It was not the first true crime novel ever written, but it is the first to bring the true-crime genre to mainstream culture. Capote created the blueprint. He’s a trailblazer.

But, I'm sorry, this is boring as hell.

The novel details the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Capote learned of the murders before the killers were captured and became obsessed with the quadruple murder. Capote travelled to Kansas with fellow author, Harper Lee, and together they interviewed the small farming community, including the killers, taking thousands of pages of notes. The killers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, were arrested six weeks after the murders and later executed by the state. Capote followed the case right up to the bitter end and then published his masterpiece. It became an instant success and is the second-biggest-selling true crime novel in history.

And still, I didn’t like this.



For one, I found the amount of detail and description to be suffocating. Capote took the information given to him and extrapolated on it until it was three times bigger than what he started with. His writing is both factual information and also extremely exaggerated. He filled in any empty spaces with his assumptions, fictionalize drama and unsubstantiated information, leaving no room to breathe. And that case itself is pretty straightforward, so it's not too surprising that Capote felt he needed to spice things up with bullshit.

The most interesting part of this novel, at this point for me, is the controversy behind it – that Capote changed facts to suit the narrative he wished to tell. He added scenes and manufactured dialogue and passed it off as “100% factually accurate,” and would later walk that back.

“I recognized it as a work of art, but I know fakery when I see it…” – true-crime writer, Jack Olsen

I’m torn between what kind of star rating to apply here. On one hand, had this been just any book that I picked up, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. But it is a classic that helped to create an entire genre. You have to respect that, despite its factually questionable status and the overwrought detail.

I’m in a good mood though because weed was just legalized in Canada, so I’m giving it an extra 1/2 star for catching me on a good day.



⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down

Holcomb, Kansas November 15, 1959


(Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon)

Four of the six members of the Clutter family were bound, gagged and murdered in their home. Herb and Bonnie and two of their four children-Nancy age 16 and Kenyon age 15. The family was well-liked within the community and was generally known for being “good people”.


Two parolees had heard that Mr. Clutter was a man of wealth and that he had a safe tucked away inside his home.


( Perry Edward Smith)


(Richard Hickcock)

These two men entered the Clutter home on the evening of November 15, 1959. They ended the life of those four people, leaving two surviving children that were not present on the night of the murder.

The town of Holcomb was left in terror that something so awful could happen in their quiet little neighborhood. The townsfolk could not fathom the murder of such innocent people for what appeared to be- no real reason.


Truman Capote was apparently “obsessed” with this murder and followed its trial closely. The movie, Capote, is an excellent one for any who are interested. This was the first book I have ever read by Mr. Capote and I am absolutely amazed with his writing.

This is a heartbreaking story reality. I continuously had to remind myself that these events were not made up; that this actually happened. This is a book that everyone should read; a book that will stay with me* through several lifetimes. It is a masterpiece through and through and I recommend this book to everyone. An incredible read despite its grim content.

*Thanks, Dan 2.0! ;)

Picked this up not only because it's one of "those classics" that I feel I should read, but because after listening to the excellent Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, also narrated by Scott Brick, I've been on a True Crime kick.

I was so ready to read this and to be blown away... Sadly it was the opposite. I'm positively shocked by how little I enjoyed this book. I found myself annoyed by the writing early on. You can tell there's a fascinating story there, but it was so overdone and embelished in a way that completely threw me off. This feels more like historical fiction, not true crime.

My kind of story, but not my kind of book / writing at all.

قتل عام کانزاس

  


در سال 1959، 4 نفر از اعضای خانواده‌ی کلاتر‌ها در حالی که با طناب بسته شده بودند به طرز وحشیانه‌ای با شلیک یک گلوله به صورت کشته شدند. قربانیان این جنایت، هربرت ویلیام کلاتر ( 48 ساله) ، بانی فوکس (45 ساله)، نانسی (16 ساله) و کنیون (15 ساله) بودند. یک سال پس از این، ریچارد هیککاک (ملقب به دیک) و پری ادوارد اسمیت به اتهام قتل درجه یک بازداشت و در دادگاه به اعدام محکوم شدند. این دو 4 سال بعد در سن 36 سالگی به دار آویخته شدند. در کمال خونسردی داستانی‌ست درباره‌ی چگونگی وقوع این جنایت

درباره‌ی کتاب

رمان‌های جنایی، بخصوص آ‌ن‌ها که جزء کلاسیک‌های این ژانر طبقه‌بندی می‌شوند (نظیر مجموعه پوآرو یا خانم مارپل آگاتا کریستی) ساختاری کلیشه‌ای دارند: وضعیت پیش از فاجعه اندکی توصیف می‌شود (مقدمه‌چینی)، آنگاه جنایتی معماگونه رخ می‌دهد (گره افکنی) و کارآگاهی به حل این معما مشغول می‌شود و در انتها راز جنایت فاش و قاتل به سزای عملش می‌رسد (گره گشایی). حال آنکه رمان‌های پیشروی جنایی، با ساختارشکنی روندی کاملا متفاوت را دنبال می‌کنند. در این گونه آثار مسئله‌ی اصلی حل معمای جنایت نیست، چه بسا گاهی معمای جنایت حل نشده باقی می‌ماند ( تابوت‌های دست‌ساز اثر کاپوتی، قول اثر فردریش دورنمات) یا آنکه داستان روی جنبه‌ی روانشناختی شخصیت قاتل پس از وقوع جرم متمرکز می‌شود ( آثار جیمز کین، در کمال خونسردی کاپوتی)
در کمال خونسردی اما نقطه‌ی قوت دیگری دارد و آن مستند و گزارش-داستان بودن روایت است، سبک منحصربه‌فرد کاپوتی. او سال‌ها روی این پرونده کار کرده و تمام جزئیات را از شاهدین و کسانی که در بطن ماجرا بوده‌اند استخراج کرده و سپس دست به خلق این اثر فوق‌العاده جذاب زده است. از این رو تمام شخصیت‌پردازی‌ها و وقایع این کتاب واقعی هستند. کاپوتی روی شخصیت‌پردازی و توصیف دقیق حالات روانی قاتل‌ها بسیار عالی کار کرده و تمام جذابیت داستان هم به همین ریزبینی نویسنده است، وگرنه پایان ماجرای قتل عام کانزاس از همان ابتدا مشخص است. مخاطب وقتی به خواندن این اثر مشغول شود، بیشتر از آنکه از قربانیان یا جنایت چیزی بخواند، با کاراکتر قاتل‌ها و افکار ‌آن‌ها عجین می‌شود، طوری که شاید در پایان ماجرا در وضعیت پارادوکسیکالی قرار بگیرد و با وجدانی شرمگین، از اعدام پری اسمیت، ضد قهرمان روان‌نژند و دوست‌داشتنی داستان غمگین شود

اقتباس سینمایی

بعد از دیدن فیلم درباره‌اش می‌نویسم

ترجمه‌ی فارسی

کتاب دو بار به فارسی ترجمه و منتشر شده، یکبار به ترجمه‌ی باهره راسخ تحت عنوان به خونسردی و یکبار به ترجمه‌ی پریوش شهامت تحت عنوان در کمال خونسردی. برای آن‌دسته از دوستانی که قصد خواندن این کتاب را دارند، ترجمه‌ی باهره راسخ بعلت ایراد‌های متعدد توصیه نمی‌شود

لینک دانلود در کمال خونسردی - ترجمه پریوش شهامت

Wayyyyyy too much detail about everyone even peripherally involved

Этот почти документальный роман, восстанавливающий события, предшествовавшие и последовавшие после жесточайшего убийства пользовавшегося большим уважением семейства Клаттер, написан в стиле газетной полицейской хроники – скупой язык, только факты, изложение в хронологической последовательности, внимание деталям – все это создает эффект присутствия. Он был бы совершенно заурядным, если бы не стал своеобразной «энциклопедией» канзасской жизни в конце 1950-х – начале 1960-х, позволяющей погрузиться в жизнь американского провинциального городишки. Трумен Капоте дает нам детальные психологические портреты, как убитых – Герба Клаттера, преуспевающего фермера, прирожденного лидера, его жены Бонни, страдающей депрессией и рядом других заболеваний, в силу которых она почти все время проводит в постели, их юной красавицы-дочери Нэнси, обожавшей свою лошадь и встречавшейся в Бобом и сына-подростка Кениана, так и убийц – Дика Хикока и Перри Смита. Общество потрясло и масштаб, и особая жестокость убийства, и мелочь, которая была украдена – немного денег и радиоприемник. Я помню, как наше общество также было потрясено убийством прославленного спортсмена, бронзового олимпийского призера Дениса Тена мелкими автомобильными воришками, зарезавшими его при краже зеркал с его автомобиля.
В отличие от большинства детективов, роман Капоте не заканчивается поимкой преступников, он с такой же документальной точностью воспроизводит суд, а также последние годы, дни и часы перед исполнением приговора – смертной казни через повешение (для меня было открытием, что этот средневековый способ казни, заставляющий мучиться казненного 20 минут, был еще в ходу в середине двадцатого века). Эта часть романа не менее жестока, чем часть об убийстве. Капоте поднимает и гуманитарную проблему – правильно ли в нашем цивилизованном обществе жить по принципу «око за око», насколько оправдана смертная казнь пусть даже и за особо жестокое убийство? Но на мой вкус, это не лучшее произведение Капоте.

I knew nothing about the murder of the Clutter family in Kansas, as it had taken place just a year after my birth. From the title of this book, I thought it would be a very gruesome story, but it was more about the communities reaction and some history of the two men responsible for the murder, the investigation, trial, and execution.
This was a very detailed book and I don’t think I would have had the patience to complete reading the actual physical book, but the narrator on this audiobook was very good!

Βήμα 1: Ξεκινάς να διαβάζεις αυτό το κλασικό πλέον βιβλίο true crime, περιμένοντας κάτι συνηθισμένο, ίσως και λίγο ανιαρό μιας και ο συγγραφέας είναι δημοσιογράφος και προσπαθεί να μεταφέρει την ιστορία με την αντικειμενικότητα και ίσως τον άχρωμο λόγο του επαγγέλματός του.
Βήμα 2: Συνειδητοποιείς γρήγορα το λάθος της εκτίμησής σου. Διαβάζεις για την οικογένεια των Κλάττερ και χωρίς καν να το καταλάβεις αρχίζεις να ελπίζεις ότι η ιστορία με κάποιο μαγικό τρόπο θα αλλάξει. Ξέρεις ότι διαβάζεις το αληθινό χρονικό των φόνων τους αλλά δεν μπορείς να δεχτείς ότι η υπέροχη αυτή οικογένεια επρόκειτο να πεθάνει με φρικτό τρόπο σε λίγες μόνο σελίδες.
Βήμα 3: Διαβάζεις για τους φόνους και εξακολουθείς να βρίσκεσαι σε άρνηση. Προς στιγμήν ξεχνάς ότι η ιστορία που διαβάζεις είναι αληθινή και ελπίζεις σε κάποια ανάσταση των νεκρών ωσάν να βλέπεις σουπερηρωική ταινία που κανείς σχεδόν δε μένει νεκρός για πολύ.
Βήμα 4: Αποδέχεσαι την πραγματικότητα και ελπίζεις λυσσαλέα να πιαστούν οι δράστες μήπως και καταλάβεις το γιατί! Γιατί, γιατί, γιατί...
Βήμα 5: Νιώθεις ναυτία κάθε φορά που πιάνεις τον εαυτό σου να νιώθει έστω και ψήγμα συμπάθειας για τους δράστες -ειδικά για τον Πέρι Σμιθ, ο οποίος ελπίζεις ότι απλά ήταν μάρτυρας των φόνων και όχι ο πραγματικός δολοφόνος. Για τον Ντικ δεν πολυενδιαφέρεσαι. Τα μικροσκοπικά δείγματα συμπάθειας προς το πρόσωπό του εύκολα αποτραβιούνται όταν έρχονται αντιμέτωπα με την αλαζονική, εκνευριστική προσωπικότητά του.
Βήμα 6: Νιώθεις πραγματική δικαίωση όταν συλλαμβάνονται.
Βήμα 7: Σοκάρεσαι όταν οι λεπτομέρειες εκείνης της νύχτας έρχονται στο φως και σιχαίνεσαι ακόμα περισσότερο τον εαυτό σου που εξακολουθεί να νιώθει ένα είδος συμπάθειας ή και κατανόησης για τον Σμιθ.
Βήμα 8: Τελειώνεις το βιβλίο και νιώθεις ένα αβυσσαλέο κενό. Δεν είσαι σίγουρος τι πρέπει να νιώθεις και αν αυτό που νιώθεις είναι σωστό... Κάνεις ένα κρύο μπάνιο μπας και επέλθει κάθαρση.
Βήμα 9: Κάνεις το λάθος να ψάξεις άρθρα (και ως εκ τούτου φωτογραφίες) εκείνης της περιόδου και βλέπεις ξανά το έγκλημα όπως ίσως θα έπρεπε να το έβλεπες συνεχώς: φρικτό, λάθος, απάνθρωπο, αναίτιο, βάναυσο...
Βήμα 10: Μένεις ξάγρυπνος για πολλά βράδια...


Ο Καπότε δικαιολογημένα αποτελεί σταθμό στην ιστορία της Αμερικανικής Λογοτεχνίας. Χειρίζεται την ιστορία με πραγματική συγγραφική μαεστρία αλλά και δημοσιογραφική δεινότητα. Η ιστορία της δολοφονίας των Κλάττερ τον σημάδεψε, τον έβαλε αντιμέτωπο με διλήμματα υπερβολικά περίπλοκα για όλους μας. Αυτά τα διλήμματα τα θέτει και στον αναγνώστη, αφήνοντας τον αβέβαιο και λίγο απελπισμένο για απαντήσεις. Τα όρια του σωστού και του λάθους, της τρέλας και της λογικής, της αρρώστιας και της υγιούς αντίληψης θα έπρεπε να είναι πάντα ξεκάθαρα, αλλά, όπως αποδεικνύεται, αυτό δεν συμβαίνει πάντα σε ικανοποιητικό βαθμό. Η υπόθεση αυτή έδωσε στον Καπότε την ευκαιρία να εξερευνήσει τη διττή φύση των αιτιών του κακού που μπορούμε να συναντήσουμε στη ζωή μας. Κάποτε είναι αποτέλεσμα παράνοιας, ψυχολογικών προβλημάτων, τραυματικού παρελθόντος και διαστρεβλωμένης αντίληψης της πραγματικότητας. Άλλοτε είναι γνήσιο, αδιαμφισβήτητο, αδικαιολόγητο κακό. Η διάκριση μεταξύ των δυο (και το αν έχει νόημα αυτή η διάκριση) είναι τα μεγάλα ερωτήματα στα οποία κανείς δεν έχει τη χρυσή απάντηση...

Rating: 4.75* of five

BkC13) IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote: As good as it gets. Only really good thing he wrote.

The first statement being unassailable, I'll focus on the second.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is fun, and a little bit risqué, but deathless literature? Even a well-made novella? Not so much. Other Voices, Other Rooms? A roman à clef that, because it dealt with hoMOsexuals (plural) in 1948, was much tutted over and hollered about. Reading it in the 21st century, one is struck at just how dreary adolescence as a subject of fiction almost always is, the queer factor being so very much less of an issue than it was back then when mastodons roamed Manhattan and giant krakens swam the seas.

His short stories, A Christmas Memory in particular, are sometimes brilliant. It was his métier. He excelled at it, and In Cold Blood is the anomaly in his career. The fact that he reputedly had a sexual affair with Perry Smith, and the fact that his cousin Harper Lee was deeply involved in his creation of the book, make me wonder if he wasn't simply a front for Harper Lee's second novel publication. He would have been better able to benefit from it, being completely Lee's opposite when it comes to publicity, and his personal emotional stake in the tale and its outcome would doubtless appeal to Lee's apparent help-the-underdog bias. Speculation, and without insider information, I grant you. But I can't help feeling the beauty and the shimmering perfection of In Cold Blood, coupled with the complete absence of any further publications from Capote after this book, are...suggestive.

None of which really matters a lot. In Cold Blood is excellent. Read it with the full expectation of readerly pleasure.

n  n
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