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shailydc's review against another edition
4.0
In Cold Blood is an extremely thorough analysis of the Clutter murders. At some points, especially the middle third of the book, it was far more detailed than necessary - do I really need to know the heights and weights of Perry's sister's kids? But overall, very interesting.
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
4.0
True Crime at its best. Frequently true crime does enter into exploitation, but apparently, as told by an English major, this book started genre as true crime, moving from newspaper accounts to full sized books. Its an amazing read, but chilling. Left me with nightmares. It has to do with the fact that it reads like literature, so you are fully immersed in your own mind with the images Capote creates, but then you stop and realize this is all very real and really happened.
Its a stressful read. There are lines that stay with you beyond, such as a prisoner shaking hands before his execution, "greeting people at his own funeral". The structure is stanzas and the whole book is divided into three parts. No chapters, but the format is easy to follow. There are worries that came out after it publication that the writing was seeking empathy for the killers where none should have been given. This is false. Its a portrait of everyone involved and you can make your own conclusions. But a non fiction that reads like literature is always an accomplishment, and Capote was definitely if not the first to excel at the genre.
Its a stressful read. There are lines that stay with you beyond, such as a prisoner shaking hands before his execution, "greeting people at his own funeral". The structure is stanzas and the whole book is divided into three parts. No chapters, but the format is easy to follow. There are worries that came out after it publication that the writing was seeking empathy for the killers where none should have been given. This is false. Its a portrait of everyone involved and you can make your own conclusions. But a non fiction that reads like literature is always an accomplishment, and Capote was definitely if not the first to excel at the genre.
ifuseeksteven's review against another edition
5.0
La storia di una storia che non sarebbe dovuta accadere, la freddezza di una mente omicida che non vuol sentire ragioni, l’ultimo giorno di vita di una famiglia nel tranquillo abitato di Holcomb. A Sangue freddo è il cordoglio nel guardare quattro lapidi in terra, è qualcosa che ti sposta dentro.
sascha_z's review against another edition
4.0
I felt quite ambivalent about this book.
If I were to judge this as a work of non-fiction (which it claims to be), then, on one hand, it does add a plethora of details and background to the 'cold-blooded' murder mystery. Capote skillfully weaves together various subplots, telling in lively detail everything that happened before, during, and after the murders –from the perspectives of both victims, police officers and, most interesting, the two killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. It is palpable that the author had been researching and piling up intriguing material for five years, and he was eager to report as much of it as possible. However, much of that is tediously lengthy and only marginally insightful. And while it does recount meticulously how exactly Smith and Hickock carried out the murder, fled the country, got caught, spent time in jail... I feel only slightly closer to understanding why they did it. The closest thing to an insightful explanation is given by the literal transcription of two psychological surveys at the end of the book. I also frequently wondered about the societal roots nurturing this crime, and how it might have been prevented. Again, while the book repeatedly scrapes these issues, it rarely discusses them meaningfully (the only exception being some final considerations on death penalty and the men's psychological liability for their crimes.)
Obviously, Capote did not see himself as a journalist or 'non-fiction' writer insomuch as he wanted to write a novel – just the hard way, tying the real-life dots together rather than constructing a fictional plot. To his credit, to does an admirable job at that, and despite the books lengths, it is well crafted. However, seen as a novel, it naturally offers little in the way of suspense, and many of the characters are plainly not that interesting. That is clearly not Capote's fault –but as a novel, the book's single selling point would be curiosity, getting to know Capote's unique writing style.
Nonetheless, it has been a fairly interesting and partly even exciting read, especially after I got past the first quarter. Probably this is Capote's unique achievement.
If I were to judge this as a work of non-fiction (which it claims to be), then, on one hand, it does add a plethora of details and background to the 'cold-blooded' murder mystery. Capote skillfully weaves together various subplots, telling in lively detail everything that happened before, during, and after the murders –from the perspectives of both victims, police officers and, most interesting, the two killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. It is palpable that the author had been researching and piling up intriguing material for five years, and he was eager to report as much of it as possible. However, much of that is tediously lengthy and only marginally insightful. And while it does recount meticulously how exactly Smith and Hickock carried out the murder, fled the country, got caught, spent time in jail... I feel only slightly closer to understanding why they did it. The closest thing to an insightful explanation is given by the literal transcription of two psychological surveys at the end of the book. I also frequently wondered about the societal roots nurturing this crime, and how it might have been prevented. Again, while the book repeatedly scrapes these issues, it rarely discusses them meaningfully (the only exception being some final considerations on death penalty and the men's psychological liability for their crimes.)
Obviously, Capote did not see himself as a journalist or 'non-fiction' writer insomuch as he wanted to write a novel – just the hard way, tying the real-life dots together rather than constructing a fictional plot. To his credit, to does an admirable job at that, and despite the books lengths, it is well crafted. However, seen as a novel, it naturally offers little in the way of suspense, and many of the characters are plainly not that interesting. That is clearly not Capote's fault –but as a novel, the book's single selling point would be curiosity, getting to know Capote's unique writing style.
Nonetheless, it has been a fairly interesting and partly even exciting read, especially after I got past the first quarter. Probably this is Capote's unique achievement.