In Cold Blood

Rating:
Summary: This book masterfully portrays the human condition.
Review: I just finished this book and read all the reviews to see what others were saying about it. I read a handful of reviews, however, that said that what the killers did was so inhumane (or inhuman) that they themselves were not human. This view is denial of simple compassion. If we cannot feel unconditional compassion for one another sometimes, how human are we? And the silly, impish idea that "what they did was bad - they can't be human!" is a denial of human failure. If you can't handle grey areas - which this book embraces and details so masterfully: don't read it. And feel pity for Perry, if nothing else because he was one of us.

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Summary: Capote Chills and Informs.
Review: I am almost embarrassed to admit that I couldn't put this book down. Embarrassed because in essence it is a hard core voyeuristic experience. You will in fact end up attending a movie awash in unabashed bathos and violence...and it will be very hard to avert your eyes. While Capote had to be aware of this effect...I dare anyone to get the picture of Nancy Clutter out of their mind... he ends up having bigger fish to fry. The psychological constructs of the killers are remarkably fresh for a book written in the mid-sixties. The issues of the pernicious effects of child abuse (one of the killers, Perry Smith was abused) were not to be thrust into the public's consciousness for another 20 years, yet Capote has a very modern feeling for the features of the abused persona. Equally prescient was Capote's portrait of major depression as suffered by the soon-to-be-murdered Mrs. Clutter. The picture is scarily accurate for a third person account of a disease that was still thought to a purely psychological problem back in those days. It is SO accurate one has to wonder if Capote was in fact recounting symptoms he in fact had felt at one time or another ...anywhichway, still an eye-opener for something written in the sixties. I's also hard to leave this book without having to confront some very basic questions regardng good, evil and the purpose-of-life. If you haven't read this book, do..it is the book least likely to be put down during a long plane trip.

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Summary: A masterpiece of criminal journalism
Review: Capote wrote with such dramatic detail and flair that you almost think you are reading fiction. The way he studied this actual crime and gathered so much information about the murderers and victims is astounding. The only other work of this genre that comes close is Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter".

Rating:
Summary: Superb reporting
Review: It's hard to believe that Capote didn't make the whole thing up. He knows every detail about every character (and really they're not "characters" but real people - another testament to his prowess as a writer)- like the fact that one of the killers chews aspirin because he likes the taste, and washes it down with root beer. What kickass reporting! I wish this kind of thing was done more often. The murder is almost a peripheral thing - the people take on much more importance. We care more about them than about what they've done - they are more interesting than any one of their actions, and that's because Capote respects his readers enough to believe that we don't care about crime and suspense so much as what goes on in the human mind itself.

Rating:
Summary: In Cold Blood
Review: A true account of the November 15th, 1959 murder. The lives of four family members of Holcomb Kansas,-the Clutters-, were brutily taken by two men that had no apperent motive, and little to no clues were left to link them with the killings. The writer is generous with insite of both the investigation and the the lives of the criminals. Suprisingly you will find a measure of sympathy for ALL involved, innocent and guilty. The New York Times said, "In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence." I cannot agree with this more. If you had a stereotype for what a murderer is and how one thinks, your in for an interesting education.

Rating:
Summary: The title of the book says it all
Review: This is one the best books I've read. I think that what impressed me the most about it was the unbiased way that Capote portrayed the two murderers in the story. Capote develops within the reader a real sense of empathy for the all the characters in the story, and it left me feeling unsure of the merits of capital punishment. If you're a diehard Rush Limbaugh fan, or a fascist, I don't think this book is for you; but the average person will probably enjoy it.

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Summary: Death has a Name
Review: You will see death and you will know that it's got a name. Can you ever wish to forget this truth, and forget that life has the same name.

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Summary: I didn't even finish this one!
Review: I don't know what Mr. Capote was thinking. Early in the book you know that they all die AND you know who did it. What's up with that? So much for suspense! Truman Capote was very amusing in Murder by Death, though. And did you ever see Rich Little's impersonation of Truman Capote as Tiny Tim in his rendition of A Christmas Carol? It was incredible! He does W.C. Fields as Scrooge. Truly an inspired performance. Rich Little is a true master. I'd like to read a book about his life.

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Summary: the best non fiction novel ever
Review: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is the best book as far as a narration technique. Narrator is teasing a reader and do not let him to choose between right and wrong and even though we know that murders are wrong we are feeling pity for Dick and Perry.

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Summary: A sensational account inside the minds of two killers.
Review: In Cold Blood is a sensational book about two young men killing a very well-off family for their money. The book kept me asking the question, "why did they kill this family?" The family had a perfect "Little House on the Prarie" setting, and were very upstanding in the community. Towards the end of the book, the story veered a little off the subject with unnessary information, but over all it kept me reading. The details of settings, charecters, and emotions were great and created a picture in my head as if I had witnessed it myself. The title was the real attention getter. If you enjoy a well written, true story that keeps you awake at night, In Cold Blood is the book. It puts you in the mind of the killers and helps you better understand how they personally justify their actions as human beings. It leaves you in awe at the fact that something this horrendous can happen to you, as it did in this small, close knit community in Kansas.