In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

In Cold Blood

By Truman Capote

  • Release Date: 1994-02-01
  • Genre: True Crime
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,281 Ratings

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The most famous true crime novel of all time "chills the blood and exercises the intelligence" (The New York Review of Books)and haunted its author long after he finished writing it.

On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues. 

In one of the first non-fiction novels ever written, Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, generating both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

Reviews

  • Fascinating

    4
    By IMLP140.6
    Unbelievable that these two people could do this.
  • Excellent research

    5
    By Max and Molly's mom
    The research and the detail that was in this book before the age of computers is amazing
  • Best crime book ever written?

    5
    By ballyp744
    I have read “In Cold Blood” twice. First, in the early seventies, when I could not put it down and read it in one sitting and now in 2022. It has lost none of its punch. Capote’s portrayal of western Kansas in the fifties and his objective look into the motives (or lack thereof) of the murderers is captivating. I believe it is the best crime book ever written.
  • Not for me

    1
    By sd8nu
    Long, drawn out and difficult to finish. A real struggle. Very disappointed.
  • Of a Time

    3
    By It's me petey
    A beautifully-written slog that is unsatisfying and far from thrilling. Innovative for the 60s and tiresome in 2022.
  • Masterpiece

    5
    By BirdoWorky
    Phenomenal book. Truman Capote truly was one of a kind.
  • Required for school, slow and boring

    2
    By Reddit_Degenerate
    Not my cup of tea
  • An American Treasure

    5
    By Steamboat Mark
    Beautifully written
  • Great Book and Fairly Appealing

    4
    By AnotherUnknownMan
    In Cold Blood should be a 4 starred novel. When reading through a book, I tend to slowly read what is interesting to me. This book has had me read at a crawling pace multiple times to understand the content in detail. In Cold Blood has made me remember why reading books can be sometimes interesting. It also makes me want to read more of the book to see what happens. Once I got to the middle, the book took a turn and made me feel like these guys are kind of ‘average Joes’ that wanted to do something different. At the end, I felt somewhat sympathetic for them; I wanted to do more for proper justice. The book purposefully does not want to reach every audience that exists, but it can be read by nearly anyone interested in reading nonfiction novels.
  • Good Book

    4
    By Ozcrome
    I enjoyed this book far more than I expected although there were parts where nothing significant was added to the experience and which slowed the pace of the book. I am glad I read it since it is a landmark book in its genre.