Editorial Review:

Amazon.com Review:
In Cold Blood was a groundbreaking work when released in 1966. With it, author Truman Capote contributed to a style of writing in which the reporter gets so far inside the subject, becomes so familiar, that he projects events and conversations as if he were really there. The style has probably never been accomplished better than in this book. Capote combined painstaking research with a narrative feel to produce one of the most spellbinding stories ever put on the page. Two two-time losers living in a lonely house in western Kansas are out to make the heist of their life, but when things don't go as planned, the robbery turns ugly. From there, the book is a real-life look into murder, prison, and the criminal mind.

Product Description:


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.




From the Trade Paperback edition.

Rating: - Where the Endless Debate Began

The true story of the truly horrific and pointless murder of the Clutter family by Perry Smith and Dick Hickock at Holcomb Kansas in 1959. Capote explores every aspect and perspective of the crime; the victims, their community, the perpetrators,the investigation,trial and justice as stated under the law.
This really is the fabled unput-downable page turner! It is so much more than the telling of a crime;it explores the affect such an act has on a tight knit community;the rumours and fantastic speculations (you begin to see how conspiracy theories develop!)and Capote raises controversial questions; how far is responsibility diminished by mental illness? The damage done by a poor childhood. Is the death penalty actually a deterent or state sponsored murder in the interest of revenge?Capote questions the whole shambles in the legal world that turns the death penalty into a kind of lottery where any sense or justice is sidelined.
This outraged many sections of society who just saw the brutality of the murders, but they forget Capote also says a society without laws to civilize it denies what man is. Without laws to pose maximum penalties on the likes of Hickock and Smith.what cruelty cannot be justified?
The debate still rages! This is a book that will never stop being in print,read and discussed. A true-in every sense of the over used term-classic.

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Rating: - where ereading really goes well.
A very personal (though not original) view on this book. This is a breathtaking work: in its accurate research; in it style. Most of all it is one of those creations in which the author reveals some quintessential aspect of humanity. This is visible both in the creation of the characters - Perry Smith mostly. Not just a matter of the book design but also of the relationship of Capote with the murderer (Capote is reported to have fallen in love with P. Smith).
Capote is also an example of incredible determination and persistence which I admire immensely, in spite of his rather irritating persona. His social raise and fall are tragic witnesses to his clarividence. All the contradictions of humanity in one book and the story of that book.
It also a very good electronic read: the pagination works well on kindle, kindle size and font change really are a convenience.

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Rating: - What a difference 40 or 50 years can make...
I read the print version of this book when it first appeared back in the 60s (I believe that is the right time frame), and was hypnotized by it. I hadn't read anything quite like it before. Now, many years later, I have re-read it, and while it is still a compelling read, I don't believe it would hold up nearly as well if released today, although I'm sure it would still be a fairly decent seller. I actually prefer Capote's collection of short stories (something about Chameleons), and feel that writing was superior to that in In Cold Blood. But, it's still a darn good story - especially considering that it's true. Still worth a read.

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Rating: - Great product great price!
This seller said the product was in good condition, but it was great! The hard cover and the spine are in wonderful condition, unlike books that you would find in a public library. I have a high school student that needs this book for a summer reading project due on the first day of school. Thanks so much!

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Rating: - "based on a true story" is no excuse
In Cold Blood starts and ends strong, but there's too much nonsense in the middle. I don't care what Dick and Perry did while in Mexico, or in Miami, or in Death Valley. If anything interesting had happened during those escapades, I would have cared, but NOTHING interesting happened during those escapades. The investigation of the murders is not exciting as you would expect. The most compelling details of the investigation have to do with the local sheriff's weight loss and so on.

In Cold Blood is also hampered by the author taking artistic license with the material. This is especially true of the beginning, where the only witnesses to some events were the murdered Clutter family. Nevertheless, Capote endows scenes with such detail and literary flourishes that one can't help but notice his flagrant self-indulgence.

The interrogation of the suspects and their trial was the most interesting part of the book. Then they go to jail and it gets boring again. 2/5

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