In Holcomb, Kansas, on 15 November, 1959, four members of the respectable Clutter family were murdered in their home. The killers—ex-cons hoping to score big by robbing a rich family they heard about in prison—were apprehended six weeks later. There were sentenced to death and executed in 1965. In Cold Blood reconstructs the event and aftermath.
Labeled 'crime fiction,' this book was engrossing (and disturbing). In many ways, it feels like a purely historical telling, based on hours of research and interviews. But portions (especially sections concerning the perpetrators and their post-murder exploits and exchanges) must have been speculative, labeling the book as fiction. Whatever the case, it was a harrowing experience. Capote writes well and, impressively, manages to generate empathy for both the victims and criminals. While most of the book focuses on the time between the event and capture, a portion at the end briefly looks at the criminal justice system, psychology/mental illness, and the convicts' last days.
A classic, some argue this work grants "poignant insights into the nature of American violence." I'm not sure about American, per se, but it does show the terrible consequences and generational effects of sin.
Rating: A
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