05 May 2009

in cold blood - truman capote

truman capote || in cold blood || 4.5/5.0

i'm not usually a true crime reader, so i'm glad that in cold blood generally escapes that genre and somehow makes it into fiction. perhaps its because of the liberties taken by capote in the details, or perhaps because its verging on being a classic, but i'm glad it was there for me to find.

in cold blood actually reminded me strongly of richard russo's empire falls in the description of small-town life. the writing is really beautiful, and capote succeeds in humanizing the players in this incredible story. as you likely know, the book is based on the real-life slayings of a family in kansas. capote's research is remarkable, and the end result is a gripping, novel fraught with emotion, and which i absolutely recommend.

i've never seen the film capote, but after reading this, i'm interested in learning more about the author's life. doesn't hurt that the film was so critically acclaimed!

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