Cover via Open Library
Matt's pick · not sponsored
In Cold Blood
- true crime
- murder
- Kansas
- journalism
- classic
Buy on Amazon(paid referral link)
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Why I'd hand it to you
Truman Capote reconstructs the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, and follows the two killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, from the crime through their capture, trial and execution. It helped create the modern true crime genre. The writing is elegant, and the portrait of the killers is unsettling. Keep in mind that Capote took liberties with some facts and invented some scenes, so it isn't fully reliable as journalism. The violence is also disturbing. Approach it as a landmark of literary nonfiction, knowing it blends reporting and storytelling.
— Matt Jordan
Quick summary
- Book
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- Who it's for
- Readers interested in literary nonfiction and the roots of true crime who know it mixes reporting with invention.
- Key topics
- The 1959 Clutter family murders
- Perry Smith and Dick Hickock
- The trial and execution
- The birth of true crime
- Shelves
- General Nonfiction, History
Details
- Author
- Truman Capote
- ASIN
- 0679745580
- On these shelves
- General Nonfiction History
- Short link
mattsbooks.org/r/cblo
