Fiction Addiction

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Monday, October 25, 2010

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote


Every October I enjoy reading at least one mystery "in honor" of the Holloween season. While shelving books at the library I came accross "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote and knew I had the perfect selection.
It tells the story of the 4 members of the Clutter family who lived in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The family is well regarded and popular in their sleepy, little farming town. Their brutal murder in November, 1959 left the town stunned and wondering who would be attacked next. Some town residents relocated to other places after several weeks went by and there was little progress made toward solving the murder.
This was a ground breaking story, for Capote told the story of a very real murder in a way that reads like a fiction novel. His book lead the way for other writers such as Ann Rule and Vincent Bugliosi to make the"true crime" genre popular. In my opinion this is the best example of this genre.
The book follows the investigation of the murders and the lasting effects they have on the town. The narrative of the eventual capture and trials of the 2 young assassins-Perry Smith and Dick Hickock is compulsively readable. My firest reaction while reading the book was why did they do such a horrible thing and more importantly HOW COULD THEY be so brutal to fellow human beings that they had no connection to? At the conclusion of the book I had the answers to all my questions and had a new respect and liking for Capote's work.
One piece of "literary trivia" about this book is the rumor that Harper Lee, his childhood friend and author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" secretly wrote the book. At present Capote has passed away and Harper Lee has never spoken about anything more than being good friends with Capote.
So, if you'd like a suspense filled story that will keep you reading way past your bedtime "In Cold Blood" is a great choice. Happy Halloween!