A review by ljwrites85
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.0

I've heard so many people recommend In Cold Blood if you love true crime and I got a copy out from my library recently.

I knew nothing about the murder of the Clutter family in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas before reading this novel and I think you don't really need to, to appreciate the novel.

The novel's tone was dark, gritty and, at times, disturbing. Be warned, there are several racial slurs and misogyny throughout the book.  

I understand why it's seen as a 'classic' within the true crime genre. The writing itself while talking about such gruesome things is almost poetic, with insights into both the Clutter family's minds and the killers expertly built up from interviews and news articles. I can admire how much work and time to compile it.

All that being said, the pace started off well, then became almost achingly slow with a lot of details that I thought were unnecessary.
For instance, after the pair of killers were caught, there's an entire section about their incarceration and the other killers who were on death row with them.

That being said, if you have an interest in true crime or the psychology of killers, I would still recommend you read this.

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