I had wanted to read this book for a long time, given it's status as an American classic, and that the author also wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's. In Cold Blood is a true crime story, based on the murder of a farming family in Kansas in 1959. The author introduces the reader to the Clutter family and they seem like the perfect family. This is not a 'whodunnit' though, as we are introduced to the killers early on, and follow the case right through to the conviction.This book is more haunting than modern day crime fiction, and there were several nights that I didn't want to read the book before going to sleep, because of the dark subject matter. You really get into the head of the killers, and it's a little disturbing. The book is not overly graphic, it's more the fact that the killers seem to have little value for human life.
I guess I would say that this is not an 'enjoyable' read, but I'm satisfied that I read it, and understand the controversy it created in its time. I can now understand why critics claim this is one of the best true crime stories of all time.
My rating = ***
Carpe Librum!
Yeah, it's a far cry from 'Breakfast,' that's for damn sure. There was a question at the time of Capote's crossing the line and becoming emotionally involved with his subject (for this read unrequited homosexual longing)though I could never really see it myself.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I wasn't reading between the lines?