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Summary: The Only Novel I Read Every Year
Review: Put simply, if I were limited to taking only one novel to a deserted island for six months, Truman Capote's riveting 1966 masterpiece, In Cold Blood, would be my first choice. Painstakingly researched over a five year period, and poignantly described like a fictional narrative, Capote tells the horrifying true story of the 1959 Clutter Murders; from what each family member did on their last day alive; to a retracing of what the two murderers did and where they went before and after the murder; to the exhaustive investigation undertaken by Detective Alvin Dewey and the KBI in finding the killers; to the big moment when both killers hang for their crime. More importantly, Capote takes us into the thoughts and lives of the two killers;especially Perry Smith. Yes, it is Perry who pulls the trigger, but after reading this novel, you feel great pity for this tragic character; even more so than the Clutters themselves. Don't miss this one!
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Summary: It didn't have to happen
Review: In cold Blood it was a terrible mishap to the Clutter family. The family was brutually murdered in their Kansas home by two outsiders for no apparent reason. Truman Capote brings the facts of this tradedy that happenend in 1959 to today's society. It was a thrilling novel with non-stop action In the end Perry and Dick finally get what they deserve and victory is unto the Clutter family.I highly recommend this novel. If you like thrilling action this definity is book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Capote at His Best
Review: In my English Honors class this semester, we were assigned to read a book of our choice. At first, I told myself I would pick out the shortest book acceptable and read it the last night before it was due. I asked my mom for advice on a good book that would keep my attention. She handed me her copy of In Cold Blood that she read in high school. I decided to give it a try as it caught my attention because it took place in my home state of Kansas. The first night after starting the novel, I couldn't put it down. It kept my attention through most of the first section, but it failed to hold my interest towards the end. I felt that it wasn't necessary for Truman Capote to dig so deeply into Dick and Perry's past. I found myself skimming the unncesseary parts in which Capote gives us their background. I think Capote could have explained more of the events that took place the night of the murder, and everything leading up to it. I did like that way Capote added his own input to make it a semi-fictional novel. In the novel, I can see Capote trying to stick up for the murderers, especially Perry smith. There is actual evidence in which it is said that while Perry Smith was on death row, he became friends with Capote. An unusual and very interesting book, Capote's In Cold Blood proved to be a compelling novel. Capote's insight into the minds of the characters demonstrated writing excellence. Even though the events in question took place over forty years ago, the novel still creates a remarkable story line that is able to keep anyone's attention.
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Summary: An Exploitation of a Tragedy
Review: I was intrigued by In Cold Blood when I first heard that it took place in Kansas. But I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the book. I didn't like Capote's choice of Perry as the main character and was bored by Capote's long tirades about the justice system and his in-depth description of Perry's background.I feel that the real horror of the Clutter family murders was overlooked by Capote and he just used the shock value of the murders as a lure for readers. The real story wasn't about the Clutters, Holcomb, or the investigation, but about Perry, who I personally disliked. I believe that the story could have been written better by another author who didn't exploit the murder of an innocent family to attract readers.
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Summary: Too Much Fact
Review: This was carefully reseached and filled with facts. Maybe too many facts. Sometimes the plot was bogged down with factual information and we lost interest in the Clutter's or the Killers. Truman Capote does a wonderful job in keeping this story true but it seems that it would have been more interesting to read if the plot had been paid more attention. It's still quite a good book one that I recommend to the true crime fans.
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Summary: True Crime
Review: The Clutters could be your friends, your family, your neighbors ... or you. A respected and loved Kansas farm family who built rich and promising lives for themselves, the Clutters' deaths came as a horrific shock to their friends, family and region. Capote writes about the depravity that ended their lives violently and horrifically in 1959 when two callous criminals targeted them based on a prison rumor that the family had a safe in which they kept a large amount of cash. But the murder wasn't just about robbing the family, as Capote recounts. These men brought their pasts and their malignant personalities with them, and when you read the account of that terrible night, you won't believe such horror could exist inside two "good old boys." Capote sets up the novel expertly, building a suspense you might not think could exist. After all, we know they are murdered, it happens right away. Capote sets it up artfully by writing that it happened and then tracing the backgrounds and the paths of the killers up to the night of the murder itself, so that the details (yes, gory) of the multiple homicide are the climax of the book. Like a Shakespearean drama, there's a "fifth act" of some resolution regarding the fates of the killers and some of the Clutter family friends. It reads like a novel and oh, how you wish it were only fiction. Reading this book will illustrate Capote's power as a writer and story teller. It really isn't to be missed.
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Summary: An extraordinary achievement
Review: Never has a book so completely enveloped an era, a culture and the effect of a horrific tragedy upon it. Few people do not know about the murder, the conviction and the result. Some might know about the investigation, the names, or the places. However, these factual nuggets are but trivia now half a century later and do not begin to describe the depth and soul of Capote's account. The murders would undoubtedly be horrific even today, although without the sharp sting of novelty they must have had then. However, while central to the story, are woven into the tapestry of the book with such subtlety, such remarkably constructed restraint and objectivity that the trap of sensationalizing the event is avoided. Yes, this is the story of four cold-blooded murders, but more than that, it is the depiction of an era, the reasoning behind what makes good men bad, the impact of tragedy upon normality and the deconstruction of black and white, or open and shut. It is a remarkable achievement that Capote manages to wrestle a measure of sympathy from his readers for all involved, from the Clutters, to Dewey and his men, and yes, even the killers. Capote bled this book out of his system for five years and it was not without it's price. For his pains, he created one of the best books of the twentieth century.
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Summary: Truth, fiction, or both?
Review: "In Cold Blood" still produces a tremendous impact, despite the forty years that have passed since its first publication. This account of a Kansas family's murder and the ensuing results commanded much attention when it was first published, attention that continues today. Capote's technique of interweaving facts with embellished details was innovative for its time. He fills in what he obviously can't know, such as the thoughts of the soon-to-be-murdered victims. Since this book's publication, many imitations have followed, but "In Cold Blood" still stands out. What Capote does best is the cultivate an interest in, and even sympathy for, all involved, not just the murdered Clutter family and their grieving friends, but also their two murderers, especially the sensitive soul, Perry Smith. Capote is a master of his form. As any writer does, he manipulates the slippery truth, pinning down one version of reality that will remain in the minds of readers.
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Summary: A True Gem
Review: Although I would classify John Douglas' Mindhunter the very best of this genre, In Cold Blood would be a very close second. The lyrical phrases and economy of words Capote used in this book suggests genius. In case some of you have merely read the book, I would also suggest the brilliant movie which adeptly gives a visual adaptation to the book...Yes, it's that faithful.
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Summary: The first few chapters were mesmerizing
Review: I read it six years ago and haven't read it since, although I would like to again. The most I remember about the book was its first few chapters, on the murder of the Clutter family. How Nancy's friend ran out screaming, "Nancy's dead!" About Nancy's stuffed bear. How the teacher who entered the Clutter house and recognized Kenyon even though he had been shot in the face. All of these were hauntingly descriptive. The second half was about the trials, but I was more hooked on the first half. Even though it happened more than 40 years ago, I know the Clutter family are at peace and so are the people who knew the family when they were young. The Cold War ended, Vietnam came and went, techonological revolution took place, but the story of the Holcomb murders will never be altered.
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