A Bloody Review
After reading In Cold Blood, I can see why this would be considered one of the pioneers for the true crime genre. This is because instead way this book is structured, to the shifting tones related to characters in play, the main features of the book are what make up true crime and what people have come to be obsessed over. An example of this is the amount of suspense Capote spends time building throughout the story. From his innocent and oblivious description of the family, to the harsh and gritty description of Dick and Perry, Capote intentionally sets situations up with the upmost suspense to fully grab the reader. I believe that the structure and tone of part one of In Cold Bloodis carried on throughout the book. Capote utilizes a suspense trait all throughout the novel that always kept the reader on their toes in anticipation for what was to come next. To add to this, Capote also often switches the tone between the Clutters family and the intruders. Using more of beautifully innocent tone when addressing the family while using a darker and straight forward tone with the intruder’s Dick and Perry. This style of writing has been copied in not only other books, but even in movies and crime shows we all love today (NCIS, CSI, Law & Order, etc.).
Any reader or follower of true crime can see where the basis of it stems from Capote’s, In Cold Blood. With that being said, this does not mean this is the perfect piece of true crime. In fact, I would even say that if this book was written in our modern society, not only would it not be successful, but Capote would be terrorized in the media. This is due to the overall insensitivity shown towards the family and town effected by the murder. Capote not only focused too much on the intruder’s side, but he also goes far enough to even sympathize with Perry. Now sympathizing with Perry isn’t the issue for me, it is the way he goes about and how much it takes away from the story. You cannot try to establish an emotional connection with a character after the reader has already gotten a descriptive scene detailing how Dick and Perry brutally murdered the Clutters family and robbed them. Sorry Capote, compassion is not warranted in this case.
