"Unashamedly my favourite book of all time. Written originally as a piece for the New York Post by Capote, he later developed it into this novel.

I have very little to say of the plot because YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK YOURSELF. The dawning of a new type of literature - the true crime book - but still not as we know it today. Today's true crime are full of fact after grisly fact, who shot who and countless mass murders or gangland wars. Don't get me wrong I love those books too.

In Cold Blood is different. ONE major crime followed by a myriad of smaller, stupid crimes. The major crime was never really planned to happen and it never should have happened but when dumb criminals are involved in poorly planned c
rimes things can go VERY wrong. But that is the story, no reprisals from rival gangs and no 'over the top, gun blazing' street battles. No bodies found buried in the woods, no booby trapped houses.

Capote was infatuated with this story and he knew from the time he had finished his New York Post article that he had to give it more time to breathe. This book reads like any fictional crime novel only it is based on fact. A truly remarkable piece of work, Capote keeps you turning pages waiting for the big twist, he has you riding along with the story so much so that you almost forget you are reading a true account of a crime. He doesn't sensationalize the events but the way he could write with such descriptive clarity is at least the equal to any fiction you could read."

“I thought that Mr Clutter was a very nice gentleman. I thought so right up to the moment that I cut his throat.”

On November 15th, 1959, four members of the Clutter family were murdered in their home in Holcomb, Kansas. No motive could be found and clues were limited. Capote reconstructs the murder and investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers.

I’m almost ashamed it took me so long to finally read what many consider to be the first true crime novel. The combination of Capote’s writing ability with a harrowing, senseless mass murder results in an incredibly well-written and terrifying book.

Capote’s writing really cannot be faulted, all of his descriptions of landscapes and different characters etc were exquisite. Often true crime books can lack such writing, one other exception being Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, so it’s always a pleasure to read true crime in such a nice prose.

I had gone into this one knowing absolutely NOTHING about the case. Nada. Which is unusual given how much true crime I read/listen to true crime podcasts. It’s one of those books that really brings home how fragile life can be – things can change in an instant. Home invasion murders are one of my biggest fears and I can only imagine what the Clutter family went through prior to their deaths. And all for 30 to 40 dollars!! It makes me feel sick to my stomach.

One of the things I did not like about In Cold Blood were the “fictional” parts that were added in – the scene at the end apparently didn’t happen, the dialogue between characters that were murdered shortly after said-dialogue took place (and therefore clearly not accurately depicted)... I can fully appreciate the benefits of adding these in for the sake of presenting a more well-rounded story, but as someone who enjoys a lot of true crime it just doesn’t sit right with me, for some reason. When it comes to true crime, I just want the facts or possible scenarios, however, this is entirely a personal preference on my behalf.

Capote often spent a lot of time giving us the backgrounds of different people who were introduced to the narrative and it just felt like unnecessary padding at times. He goes into detail about the crimes of another inmate on death row towards the end and I felt like the book had started to lose some steam around this point.

Once I had finished I read up online about the writing process, and how Capote had gone out to Kansas with Harper Lee (this blew my mind for some reason) to conduct their own research into the murder and, following their arrest, the murderers themselves. I also came across articles detailing how this crime and the novel itself consumed Capote, leading to a downward spiral of drink and drug addiction with Capote never finishing another book. I hadn’t known there was so much beyond the book itself, and it was interesting to read about.

In Cold Blood is a novel that is very worthy of its classic status. A must-read for all true crime fans. 4 stars.

Astonishing - holds and keeps all its power

I originally thought this book would be a page turner on hypothermia. Being that thermoregulation keeps human blood at about 100 degrees, and hypothermia sets in at the high 90's, I assumed "cold" blood would be around 60 degrees...meaning instant death.

However, I did completely misjudge the book and its subject. Well played, Mr. Capote...well played.

Until the last few chapters, In Cold Blood reads more like a novel than a true crime account. It's incredibly descriptive and poetic, with lots of character development and fully fleshed out dialogue. The last bit - the trial and whatnot - got heavy-factoid-laden for me, and I didn't enjoy that part as much. Overall, highly recommend!

This does not read like a true crime novel. It almost reads like a historical fiction novel but unfortunately all of the horrible events that take place happened. I recommend having something light and fluffy nearby to read when you're finished because this book will drag you down into a pit of despair.

The Cutter’s are a farming family and pillars of the community. Dad Herb is fair and liked by almost everyone. His daughter selflessly gives her time to everyone and his son, well, I don’t know much about him but he seems like a fine kid. The only one with issues is poor mom who suffers from depression and social anxiety and spends most of her time in her room.

They are just going about their lives with no idea that two thieves are planning to rob and murder them.

There is so much detail here, a little of it a wee bit unnecessary, and I had to force myself to stick with it in the beginning. Then I switched to audio and it went much smoother. It’s such a sad story but the author does a spectacular job of piecing together all of the historical details and making you feel a whole range of emotions, mostly anger and sorrow for the senseless loss of life. This isn’t a play-by-play emotionless retelling of a crime, Capote fills in the gaps with conversation and private thoughts. How accurate are they? I haven’t a clue but it makes the book go down a whole lot easier. I’m not a big fan of dry true novels and this wasn’t one of those. It’s a riveting story of a beloved family, two criminals with stories of their own, and the aftermath of that one terrible night.

Scott Brick narrated the version I read and his voice, strong and serious, is perfect for recounting this tragic story.

در کمال خونسردی روایت یه حادثه هولناک از قتل تمامی اعضای یک خانواده خوب و سرشناس ساکن کانزاسه سال ۱۹۵۹ئه. ترومن کاپوتی چند سال بعد از قتل رو به تحقیق و بررسی روی این پرونده گذرونده و نتیجه‌اش شده این کتاب که بنظرم جنس روایتش بی‌نظیره.
ما اینجا با یه داستان پلیسی کاراگاهی طرفیم که شبیهش رو زیاد تو سریالای این روزای شبکه‌های مختلف دیدیم (تحلیل‌های انتهایی به شدت منو یاد سریال شکارچی ذهن فینچر انداخت) اما نکته اصلی روشیه که کاپوتی این داستان واقعی رو روایت میکنه. از همون ابتدای کتاب ما میدونیم قاتل‌های این ۴ نفر کی‌ان و باهاشون بصورت موازی در کنار داستان اعضای خونواده همراهیم. با این وجود نه تنها از جذابیت و کشش کتاب کم نمیشه بلکه بعد از اینکه قاتلا روایت خودشون رو از نحوه‌ی قتل میگن تمامی پیش‌بینی های خواننده رو هم نقش برآب میکنن. کاپوتی تونسته روایت‌های قاتلین، شاهدای ماجرا و تمامی کسایی که درگیر این پرونده بودن رو به حدی عالی جمع‌بندی کنه که ما با داستانی طرف باشیم که ۱۰۰٪ جزئیاتش واقعیه؛ یه مستندنگاری خلاق و درجه یک!

With the glut of crime-related progams - both factual and fictional- on primetime television and the daily bombardment of crime we receive from the news media, you might assume this would be just one more crime story. The fact is, it is a very compelling description, by those involved as well as by Capote, of the brutal murder of a family and of the investigation, trial, and execution of those who committed it. The accounts of the individuals who first found and first investigated the the scene of the murders and the confession of Perry Smith (one of the murderers) are among the most powerfully gripping passages I have ever read.

One of Capote's purposes is to raise the question - without offering an answer - of whether one should be held accountable for his actions if he is incapable of controlling himself due to traumas that effect his personality. He shows that the community of pyschiatric professionals is divided on the issue and that the courts at that time tended to assume the individual to be accountable. Having read East of Eden within a month before finishing In Cold Blood, I couldn't help but contrast Steinbeck's view that we each have free will and are therefore responsible for the choices we make between the good and evil that constantly battle within us and the view - toward which Capote seemed to lean - that circumstances can make us incapable of choosing between good and evil thus absolving us of responsibility for our actions.

While the book doesn't provide answers to many of the questions it raises, it is one that will keep you up late reading even though you already know the ending.

4.5 stars

This is one mighty fine crime docudrama. The characters were extremely well drawn out and the narrative was a compelling telling of Americana. I have never read a book where the criminals were so multifaceted and interesting and analyzed in a rational yet compassionate way. I loved how the victims were given their own STRONG voices so that their deaths are not lost but remembered, validated and treasured. The section where the criminals pick up a boy and his grandfather was especially poignant for me for some reason and made me cry bucketfulls. I suppose it was one of the most vivid portrayals of how fragile, lost yet resilient most of us are. I want to reiterate,
Damn this was Good!!!!

In Cold Blood is a very detailed account of the November 15, 1959 brutal murders of four members of the Cutter family residing in Holcomb, Kansas. This gripping and informative narrative describes the actual murder, investigation, eventual capture of Hickock and Smith, as well as their trial and executions. A sad true-crime story, but worthwhile historical read.

No. I did not like this book. Not at all. Reading it was a strain. Reading how a family of four is killed in a brutal manner out of the blue. And unlike a traditional crime story this is not fiction. It really happened in Kansas in 1959. Real people lost their lives, they were shot by real bullets and their throat was cut by a real knife.



With their pictures imprinted in my brain I struggled to read through the events that lead to this atrocity, the description of the long flight of the perpetrators, the efforts of the police, their capture, trial, imprisonment and final execution.

So why did I give five stars? I gave them, because this is a necessary book. It is necessary to confront yourself with stories like this, because this is the reality outside of our cosy homes. A reality were violence and death exist. A world of abuse, maltreatment, juvenile anger, aggression, mental issues and disease. There is no reason to panic. ;ost people reading this review have never experienced such things and hopefully never will. But these things do exist. Personally, I got exposed to a tiny fraction of the above only after becoming a teacher for less gifted and underprivileged children.

The book is important, because it rises a lot of questions. What would happen to the murderers, if they were sentenced in our days in the US or in my country, Germany? What can we do that people of characters do not become criminals? How can we detect such people? Perry’s childhood was filled with neglect and abuse, but Dick had a loving, though poor home. And in the death tract they meet other ostensible “normal” people, who became brutal killers as well. This lecture was deeply disturbing for me. I do not like being disturbed, still, sometimes it is necessary and healthy.

n‘’When such apparently senseless murders occur, they are seen to be an end result of a period of increasing tension and disorganization in the murderer starting before contact with the victim who, by fitting into the unconscious conflicts of the murderer, unwittingly serves to set into motion his homicidal potential’’

Murder Without Apparent Motive: A Study in Personality Disorganization
The American Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 117, Issue 1, July 1960, 48-53

On November 16, 1959 Truman Capote happened to notice a small article on page thirty-nine of The New York Times titled ‘’A wealthy wheat farmer, his wife and their two young children were found shot to death today in their home: H. W. Clutter, wife and children are found shot in Kansas home’’. Working for The New Yorker at the time, he wanted to write an article on the weight of the impact the murders had on the tiny community of Holcomb, Kansas. So he went there with his childhood friend Harper Lee to gather material for his piece. The outcome was articles in four instalments (from September 17 - October 8, 1965) for The New Yorker, and of course ultimately this classic non-fiction novel.



Capote knew that this book would be immensely successful even before it was published. In fact, he did all he could to make sure of it. He wrote in a letter to the publisher Bennett Cerf whilst writing this book from Costa Brava, Spain;

n  ‘’I’m all right. Living quietly; see literally no one; and am totally concentrated on IN COLD BLOOD. My enthusiasm is as high as ever. No, higher. It is going to be a masterpiece: I mean that. Because if it isn’t, then it’s nothing, and I shall have wasted two or three years. But - I have great confidence; and that is not always the case.’’ n

Small aside, I can’t help but think of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and his riveting performance as Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s film whenever I read any of Capote’s letters. The acting techniques Hoffman employed to get the voice and idiosyncrasies of Capote with an astounding precision is nothing less than sublime. Hoffman was able to immaculately encapsulate every emotion that Capote went through while writing this book.



So, back to the review, what makes the book memorable is the way it renders that gruesome crime in a very expressive southern gothic manner. It gives those involved in this story multiple dimensions while navigating astutely through a myriad of gray areas in the backstories of the perpetrators. Another important subject it covers is the delicate topic that is mental health evaluation in the criminal justice system. It also served as a conduit for Capote to air his stance on capital punishment. In his 1968 appearance on The Firing Line Show with William F. Buckley Jr., he said;

n  ‘’People simply don’t know what capital punishment does as a deterrent in relation to a man’s motivation for a crime…….if the death penalty was imposed in a genuine and authentic way, then I think it would be an effective deterrent against violent crime. But since it is not, and in fact it is a masquerade in which people are cruelly selected very arbitrarily and occasionally executed, then I think it should be abolished’’. n

This is a book for which Capote set apart years of hard work and devotion. His extensive research notes and manuscript drafts held at The New York Public Library testify to this. It’s now clear that he took a certain measure of creative licence in putting together the story. I will not get into all the accusations of authenticity levelled at Capote and the book. My contention is that, inherently the non-fiction novel genre suffers from the fact that life is very rarely stranger than fiction. As such, it needs embroidering here and there. I don’t necessarily mind a moderate level of embroidering. Whatever the case, it remains one of the greatest achievements of 20th century American literature.