Truman Capote
In Cold Blood (1965)
Author: Truman Capote
Genre: Nonfiction (True crime)
Plot summary:
Four members of the Clutter family, upstanding pillars of Holcomb, Kansas, are
brutally murdered one night in 1959. Capote weaves multiple stories together
here: the perfect Clutter family with troubled Mrs. Clutter, the town of
Holcomb without the Clutters, killers Dick and Perry on the run, and, finally,
the investigation. The investigation ultimately connects all of the stories;
through evidence and the killers' death row confessions, Capote paints the
entire picture of the grisly and senseless crime. The book reads more like a
novel than a piece of journalism, and even though it is clear from the
beginning who the guilty parties are, Capote sustains suspense regarding their
capture and their motives.
Geographical setting: Holcomb, Kansas; around the Midwest, Las Vegas, San Francisco – all over, man.
Time period: 1959
Appeal characteristics:
This is the classic true crime; it started the genre. Because of Capote's
writing style, this book might also appeal to fans of murder mysteries. Also
appealing are small town values and sociopathic killers.
Red flags: There's a grisly murder, which will probably only affect the very squeamish.
|top|
|
