In Cold Blood Review

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We could have discussed In Cold Blood all night long if we wanted to. There were so many interesting topics of conversation stemming from our latest read. After reading this great work, we were all left with different thoughts and ideas which stimulated our minds. Some of us were able to sympathize with the killers, others wondered what kind of trial they would have received in this day and age had the crime occurred this year, others dwelt on our feelings towards the death penalty and all of us thought about Capote himself.

I had never seen the movie Capote but I did see a recent miniseries made following the storyline In Cold Blood. In that miniseries, Margot Finley had played the young Nancy who was slaughtered. In this made for tv show, they outwardly dramatized the deaths of the family members and portrayed the senseless killings in a gruesome manner. I found it very emotionally disturbing. When In Cold Blood was chosen as our book last month, I was not happy about the selection because I believed it would be too disturbing for me. I learned my lesson, once again. Life is nothing but a giant lesson. If someone suggests a book or a movie, just be open to it, you never know if you are going to like it. And I LOVED In Cold Blood. It was one of the best books I have read this year.

Unlike the miniseries, In Cold Blood only touched upon the actual crime itself. It delved more deeply into the lives of both the killers and how they became the apathetic misanthropes that they were. Capote was more concerned about the story behind the murders, the events that led up to that fateful night in the lives of the killers, and the reaction of the townspeople and the press for many months afterwards. If you are concerned that this book would be too disturbing to read, I would encourage you to believe that this book is more about human err and the psychology of murderers rather than a murder itself.

Moreover, we all loved the way Capote writes so well. He described persons, places and events so well it is almost as if you went back in time and you were actually there. He was able to connect the reader to the minds of the killers so that you could actually feel sorry for them rather than instantly hating them for their crime just as everyone in that small town in Kansas did without batting an eye. I was interesting to learn more of Capote's background because he had led a similar life to one of the killer's, Perry Smith. Their childhood experiences were very alike. Capote is quoted as saying, "It's as if Perry and I grew up in the same house. And one day he went out the back door and I went out the front."

Of course, a book like this made all of us reflect on our past experiences and the hard times that each one of us have endured. And most importantly, how those hard times made us better people instead of leading us down the wrong path. Each one of us used our experiences to learn from them. I always thought I had some pretty tough experiences as a child, but you always find someone that has gone through many more trying times. As we discussed our own losses in life, I was amazed at the life history of one of our group members who shared many tragic losses in her life. It makes you think: when you think you have been dealt a tough hand, someone always has it worse than you.

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