I like to switch up my reading genres a lot and I also like to sprinkle in a few non-fiction books and classics. Since In Cold Blood is non-fiction and considered to be a classic it was the perfect choice for me to pick up last week. I didn’t realize until after I finished, that next year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the original book printing. Prior to the book publication it was first printed in four installments in The New Yorker and had already earned a movie contract. I also learned that after finishing To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee actually traveled to Kansas to help Capote write this novel. It is still the second biggest-selling true crime book in publishing history, behind Vincent Bugliosi’s 1974 book Helter Skelter about the Manson murders. (Maybe I’ll read that soon?)
The book does more than detail the true story of the murder of four members of the Clutter family at their farm in rural Kansas. Capote took six years to write this novel and obviously became well acquainted with the murderers. Upon completion I felt like I really knew Dick and Perry but still don’t understand exactly why they murdered Herb and Bonnie Clutter along with their teenagers Nancy and Kenyon. Can you ever really understand a random act of violence? The book is haunting and takes you through more than just the mass murder but everything that happened afterwards up until the deaths of the killers. When I finished I decided I had to watch the movie. It was nominated for four Academy Awards but I just couldn’t stomach watching these characters on the screen. However, I’m very glad I read the book and certainly recommend it. Such a creepy topic but extremely well written and thought provoking.
I plan to watch Capote soon….I’m interested in learning more about the author and always need a good excuse to watch a movie!
