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A review by charlote_1347
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
3.0
3.5 stars. I would have awarded it 4 stars if it hadn't been quite so boring in places.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
'Breakfast at Tiffany's' knocked my expectations out of the park and ever since I have been eager to pick up another Capote book. 'In Cold Blood' was nowhere near as good but it was interesting.
It documents the apparently motiveless massacre of the Clutter family and the subsequent pursuit, arrest, trials and execution of the murderers. The book itself is split into four sections: 'The Last to See Them Alive', 'Persons Unknown', 'Answer' and 'The Corner'. Each was well-written and brilliantly researched; the level of detail was immersive but it did grow wearing to read at times.
'The Last to See Them Alive' gave the reader a snapshot of life in the Clutter household before the fateful night that ended their lives. Nancy and Kenyon could have been direct imitations of people I knew at secondary school, which was disorienting and unnerving, and the care Capote took to depict Bonnie and Herb brought them alive on the page. It was easy to mourn them, although it was not quite so easy to blindly hate Perry and Dick.
'Persons Unknown' took the opportunity to explore Dick and Perry's life-on-the-run after the murders and their relationship with one another and society. My brain, at times, refused to accept that the narrative was non-fiction because of the emotional intensity - interviews and research would not have revealed that level of detail- but that did not affect my reading experience.
'Answer' saw Dick and Perry caught and their crime confessed in full. This was, by far, my favourite section because it was fast-paced, action-packed and gory. I can't say I enjoyed it - how could anyone? - but it satisfied my curiosity and led to a sense of closure.
'The Corner' was a long-winded finale that plucked at my heartstrings but ultimately failed to garner my sympathy. It boasted some interesting psychological commentaries on Dick and Perry and I found the brief foray into the crimes of other Death Row inmates fascinating.
While this certainly doesn't strike me as a book that can be read more than once, it was a compelling and thought-provoking read.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
'Breakfast at Tiffany's' knocked my expectations out of the park and ever since I have been eager to pick up another Capote book. 'In Cold Blood' was nowhere near as good but it was interesting.
It documents the apparently motiveless massacre of the Clutter family and the subsequent pursuit, arrest, trials and execution of the murderers. The book itself is split into four sections: 'The Last to See Them Alive', 'Persons Unknown', 'Answer' and 'The Corner'. Each was well-written and brilliantly researched; the level of detail was immersive but it did grow wearing to read at times.
'The Last to See Them Alive' gave the reader a snapshot of life in the Clutter household before the fateful night that ended their lives. Nancy and Kenyon could have been direct imitations of people I knew at secondary school, which was disorienting and unnerving, and the care Capote took to depict Bonnie and Herb brought them alive on the page. It was easy to mourn them, although it was not quite so easy to blindly hate Perry and Dick.
'Persons Unknown' took the opportunity to explore Dick and Perry's life-on-the-run after the murders and their relationship with one another and society. My brain, at times, refused to accept that the narrative was non-fiction because of the emotional intensity - interviews and research would not have revealed that level of detail- but that did not affect my reading experience.
'Answer' saw Dick and Perry caught and their crime confessed in full. This was, by far, my favourite section because it was fast-paced, action-packed and gory. I can't say I enjoyed it - how could anyone? - but it satisfied my curiosity and led to a sense of closure.
'The Corner' was a long-winded finale that plucked at my heartstrings but ultimately failed to garner my sympathy. It boasted some interesting psychological commentaries on Dick and Perry and I found the brief foray into the crimes of other Death Row inmates fascinating.
While this certainly doesn't strike me as a book that can be read more than once, it was a compelling and thought-provoking read.