In Cold Blood is a thrilling true crime non-fiction novel discussing the actions of two criminals turned murderers, Dick and Perry, and the murders of the four victims from a sweet family, the Clutter’s, in a small town in Kansas. This novel not only tells the story of these murders, but it gives a further look into the killers and the victims background to broaden the story. Capote gives insight into all aspects of this case, including the build-up to the night of the murders, the time of the murders, the aftermath, and the hunt and trial of Dick and Perry. This compelling novel tells an in-depth version of this real-life case with shocking twists along the way.
Capote tells this story in a unique way by jumping back and forth between different perspectives and plots, but keeping on track with the timeline of it all. In doing this, Capote makes this non-fiction novel more enticing and keeps readers wanting more since they are being dealt all information from each perspective. What makes this true crime non-fiction novel different from others is that Capote’s main purpose of writing this story is not to inform the readers who killed the Clutter’s, that is instantly revealed, but his purpose is more to tell a story concerning the whole case and the people involved. He includes personal experiences, specific information from his own research during this time, and many other sides to this story to retell this story in a unique fashion.
This non-fiction novel overall did a good job analyzing the aspects that went into this case and made it so the story flowed nicely together. While reading it, I was constantly putting the pieces together and along with Capote and the detectives, I was also somewhat solving the case for myself. The only reason I could do so is because of Capote’s writing and strategies he uses throughout the novel. I think it differs from other productions in the true-crime genre because it told a story with dialogue while also describing a real case. The way Capote wrote this novel made it intriguing and fascinating while also informing the audience all at the same time. If you are someone who enjoys true crime as a genre and are looking for a book that is different and unique from other productions in the genre, In Cold Blood is the book for you.
Work Cited
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. New York: Vintage Books, 1994, Print.
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