Why Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood Will Always Be a Fascinating Classic

What exactly has allowed In Cold Blood to withstand the test of time to become a book that has been a fascinating classic?

You may know Truman Capote from his famous novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or perhaps from his friendship with award-winning author Harper Lee. But he is also well-known for his nonfiction memorialization of the murders of the Clutter family members, a work he titled In Cold Blood. Fascinated by the horrific act, Capote, along with Harper Lee, traveled to the scene of the crime in western Kansas, where Capote spent years researching the crime, the town,
and the investigation, and interviewed many of the involved persons. He later compiled all of this information masterfully in In Cold Blood, which is still widely read and taught in schools over fifty years after its initial publication.

The Crime Itself

A good writer can make a boring subject interesting, and while Capote is certainly a good author, his fascinating subject matter doesn’t hurt. In the middle of the night, while they were sleeping in their home, Herbert Clutter, Bonnie Clutter, Nancy Clutter, and Kenyon Clutter were brutally murdered, and for seemingly no reason. The Clutters were well-liked and respected in their town of Holcomb, Kansas, any wealth they had accumulated wasn’t stored in their homes, and their children had bright futures ahead of them.

The reason the murderers traveled out of their way and across Kansas was because they had heard rumors of the Clutter’s keeping large sums of money in their home; they had never even met the Clutters. But when the killers arrived, there was hardly any money in the home, and their motive turned from robbery to one weakly supported by a panic that they would leave witnesses. The lack of connection between the victims and the murderers, the weak motive, and the effect the crime had on the entire town make for an interesting story that appeals to every true-crime-obsessed reader.

Covering the Before, During, And After

Another reason In Cold Blood has become such a classic is because it is thorough in the information presented. From the background knowledge that is pertinent before the murders occurred, to what actually went down that fateful night at the Clutters’ home, and the aftermath of the murders that involved the investigation of the crime, it’s all covered. Every detail an interested reader could possibly want to know is included in In Cold Blood, drawing readers into the chilling, horrifying setting and the situation the book covers. Throughout the book, readers can see the extent of Capote’s interest and note-taking and are able to dive deeply into the story.

Showing the Criminals’ Perspectives

There’s no denying that what happened to the Clutters was horrific, and the killers, who were eventually found to be Richard Hitchcock and Perry Smith, deserved to be punished. But instead of completely demonizing them, Capote took an interesting approach: he almost humanized them. Capote was interested in the crime, and the town, but he was perhaps most interested in the murderers, their motivation, and their lives leading up to the crime.

Rarely in true crime do the criminals get as much attention as the ones in In Cold Blood do, and this choice was deliberately made by Capote. He goes so far as to attempt to draw sympathy from readers, especially concerning Perry Smith. Despite his efforts, the criminals do face the death penalty by the end of In Cold Blood, but the focus on them and their perspectives force readers to reckon with what they know about the murderers, and how a person’s
upbringing can influence them. Capote dives into the heads of Hitchcock and Smith, transforming them from purely evil killers, to emotionally and psychologically complex characters.

True crime has exploded in popularity recently, in the form of podcasts, documentaries, television shows, and books. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood was one of the first to explore narrative nonfiction, and by utilizing extreme detail, a new perspective, and honing in on a fascinating crime, it will remain a classic for years to come.