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In Cold Blood (1965)

by Truman Capote

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
22,436443145 (4.13)2 / 818
National Bestseller  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.  As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates 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.… (more)
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    Operación Masacre by Rodolfo Walsh (chrisharpe)
    chrisharpe: 'Operation Massacre' by Rodolfo Walsh predates 'In Cold Blood' and is regarded as the work originating modern 'true crime'. In this case, the reportage covers the 1956 police execution of a group of men in Buenos Aires during the 'Dirty War'.
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    Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Anonymous user)
    Anonymous user: Dark Places was undoubtedly influenced by In Cold Blood, but brings an interesting form of storytelling to superficially similar plot lines.
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    caflores: Dos historias sobre violencia provocada por el ambiente, y dos narraciones crudas y frías.
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    GYKM: In 1956, Yukio Mishima not only conducted background research into the crime that he would base his psychological novel on but he also interviewed the arsonist. The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is a melding of fiction, fact, and autobiography.
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Showing 1-5 of 404 (next | show all)
Masterfully written; Capote does not insert himself into this story until about 90% of the way through, and then only for a brief moment - a sentence.

( )
  CatherineB61 | May 31, 2023 |
I have recently started reading several books that I call "modern classics." While a page-turner, I skimmed much more of this book than usual. I was disappointed; I felt that the acclaimed author got carried away with character development, providing far too much detail about many of the people, even very minor ones. However, I felt that he handled the events surrounding the crime appropriately. ( )
  mapg.genie | Apr 29, 2023 |
Wow, what a tale. Started a bit slow at first but definitely got better as it went on. Very interesting, well written, with tons of first hand accounts and conversations. Kinda crazy to think that’s how things were done back then, definitely a different time. This book is known as a classic, and now I know why also. ( )
  MrMet | Apr 28, 2023 |
The writing of this book is probably more like 4 or 5 stars, but in this era of television, the story has been done time and time again. Basically, the theme is Inmates on Death Row: Why Did They Kill? In this book there's no suspense about who did the killing; that's pretty much told upfront. It's more of a dismantling of the type of life that creates two killers. At the time the book was written, I imagine that it was innovative, but it doesn't really stand up to the test of time in terms of originality. ( )
  Anita_Pomerantz | Mar 23, 2023 |
First edition fine
  dgmathis | Mar 16, 2023 |
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Showing 1-5 of 404 (next | show all)
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▾Published reviews
If nothing else, In Cold Blood justifies another Capote conviction: that when reportage commands the highest literary skills, it can approach the level of art.
added by Shortride | editTime (Jan 21, 1966)
 
▾Other authors

» Add other authors (21 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Truman Capote—primary authorall editionscalculated
Borràs, Maria LluïsaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Breckan, Eldor MartinTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brick, ScottNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Colacello, BobIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cornips, ThérèseTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fujita, S. NeilCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Larsstuvold, RuneForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ricci Dèttore, MariapaolaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Thomson, RupertIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
▾Series and work relationships
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▾Common Knowledge
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Canonical title
In Cold Blood
Original title
In Cold Blood
Alternative titles
In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
Original publication date
1965
People/Characters
Richard Eugene Hickock (Dick)
Perry Edward Smith
Nancy Clutter
Alvin Dewey
Herb Clutter
Important places
Holcomb, Kansas, USA
Lansing, Kansas, USA
Mexico
Important events
Clutter family murder (1959-11-15)
Related movies
In Cold Blood (1967 | IMDb)
In Cold Blood (1996 | IMDb)
Capote (2005 | IMDb)
Awards and honors
The Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction: The Board's List (96)
Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century (53)
Edgar Award (Fact Crime, 1966)
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008/2010/2012 Edition)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2007.03 | I'm Not Making This Up, 2007)
Epigraph
Een waar verslag van een viervoudige moord en zijn gevolgen.
Freres humains qui apres nour vivez,
N'ayez les cuers contre nous endurcis,
Car, se pitie de nous povres avez,
Dieu en aura plus tost de vous mercis.
Francois Villon
Ballade des pendus
Brothers, men who live after us,
Let not your hearts be hardened against us,
Because, if you have pity for us poor men,
God will have more mercy toward you.
Dedication
FOR Jack Dunphy AND Harper Lee
WITH MY LOVE AND GRATITUDE
First words
The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call 'out there'.
Quotations
Mensenbroeders, gij die na ons leeft, wil niet verbitterd aan ons denken, want wie erbarmen met ons armen heeft, zal God veel eerder zijn genade schenken. (François Villon - Ballade der gehangenen)
In over three months I practically never left the Broadway area. For one thing, I didn't have the right clothes. Just Western clothes - jeans and boots. But there on Forty-second Street nobody cares, it all rides - anything. My whole life, I never met so many freaks.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
English
Canonical DDC/MDS
364.15230978144
Canonical LCC
HV6533.K3
▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

▾Book descriptions
National Bestseller  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.  As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates 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.
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Haiku summary
Two cons kill family.
Reporter relates the tale
In fiction format.

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Melvil Decimal System (DDC)

364.15230978144Social sciences › Social problems and services; associations › Criminology › Crimes and Offenses › Offenses against persons › Homicide › Murder › History, geographic treatment, biography › North America

LC Classification

HV6533.K3Social sciences › Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology › Social pathology. Social and public welfare. › Criminology › Crimes and offenses

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Penguin Australia

4 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141182571, 014103839X, 0141043083, 0241956838

 

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