I'm not against capital punishment...

... revenge is all it is."
I very recently read Helter Skelter for the first time and decided then to revisit Capote's In Cold Blood, which I first read in print form about 50 years ago, not long after publication. Whilst details of the crime and the search for the killers had faded, the characters had remained with me, as real as old friends, both the victims at the Cutter farm, and the two perpetrators themselves. This true story of a barbaric slaughter concentrates far more on all of the people involved than on the blood and gore, although, of necessity, this too is covered. Taking the crime and the Cutter family as a central point, Capote sends out a search light to focus on everyone involved, from the killers and law offices involved in the crime detection, to friends and townsfolk of the victims, family of the perpetrators and people they met along the way as they evaded discovery, prison contacts, before and after, and the people involved in the trial.

Truman Capote was trying a, then, experimental form of writing, a blend fiction and nonfiction. The murder of the Clutter family provided him with the opportunity to interview numerous people, reconstructing not just the crime, but also the atmosphere, thoughts, fears a nd beliefs by embellishing real conversation with his own in character artistic liscence. Now frequently used 'faction' this was, in the '60s, revolutionary. And Capote's fine writing and excellent presentation make this book as gripping and insightful as it was half a century ago, standing out when compared with more recent similar books. Narrator, Scott Brick (who also read the Manson murders account, Helter Skelter) is, as always, superb, easy on the ear, text beautifully cadenced: a very fine performance.I

This is a book not just for true crime readers but is also a beautifully written, character filled thriller and a tale of a place, time and relationships which reads just like an excellent novel. Highly recommended

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8 people found this helpful

Wonderfully Narrated

I'm not a fan of Capote the person, and I thought I. would not be able to look past this but lucky for me I did, thanks to the narrator. A baffling crime made worse by the fact that you get to know the family before the crime and become enamoured with them, it then becomes a heartfelt loss when the crime was described by the perpetrator who included narrative from each member of this wholesome family.

Be prepared to be deeply saddened.

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GRIPPING

This book didn't disappoint. A beautifully written work. Made you feel like you were actually there.
Very well narrated by Scott Brick.
EXCELLENT.

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Immersive, fascinating, grizzly

As a UK reader I’d not heard of this book or crime before so had no preconceptions. The style is so interesting. A work of non-fiction written like a story. The detail is really immersive. There are some complex themes around justice presented but you are left to make up your own mind. Highly recommend.

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Fantastic

In Cold Blood

I went into this book knowing nothing about it. All I knew was it was a highly regarded book and that was it - I genuinely didn’t even know it was non-fiction. It wasn’t until the prologue that I realised this was a true story.

I have been blown away by how brilliantly this is written. I genuinely found myself forgetting at times (in the first part, at least) that this was a murder case. I was so invested in the daily lives of the Cutter family, and just how much they could remind you of people in your own life, or even yourself. When it came to their deaths, I genuinely found myself so saddened; as awful as it may sound, I find that due to my main genre of reading material being that of true crime, much of the time I’m not shocked or upset by the content of a book. I normally go in with at least a basic knowledge of the case, but as I didn’t this time, I found myself genuinely feeling aggrieved for the loss of these people who died so many years before even my parents were born.

As for the murderers, I even found myself in shock that I felt some kind of empathy, at least for one of them. Perry Smith, whilst still a vile soul for his actions, evokes feelings; you feel sorrow for his life growing up, and what may have been a closeted man. Smith seemed to be a lot more complex than Dick Hickock, who really just came across as a paedophile with grand ideas and a chip on his shoulder that made him think the world owed him. That said, I have never read a book that so brilliantly detailed almost every little aspect of everyone involved.

I was almost sad to finish it, oddly. I almost felt bad upon the execution of the murderers, purely because it brought everything to an end. It was like the Clutters somehow died all over again when their killers were hanged.

Absolutely astonishing book.

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A true crime classic

Capote easily lives up to his reputation as one of the 20th century's best American writers.

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A true crime classic!

The storytelling took me along effortlessly. The tone and pitch of the narration is just right for a relaxing pyjama afternoon doing absolutely nothing, and loving every minute!

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Superb Writing at its very best.

Wonderful crafted account. A masterpiece. Narrator was excellent. Always wanted to read this and it certainly lived up to all my expectations.

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3 people found this helpful

Gripping

What a well-told, gripping story! Great narrator, does justice to the gravity of the story.

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Incredibly well-written and researched true crime

Capote poetically charts the convergence of the lives of both the victims and the perpetrators.

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