Kaltblütig (1965)

Great true crime / fictional account of a murder in the midwest. Intense. ( )

suspiciously witty conversation (likely apocryphal).

many of the most substantial scenes consist of the impromptu (unrecorded) conversations between the perpetrators on the run and between the paralyzed local residents. reconstructed in smooth-flowing, unobjectionable, and occasionally remarkable prose, they undercut the direct quotation of letters, newspaper articles, and legal proceedings which are subsequently perceived as 'tru-crime' fiction.

"That Hickock’s got a sense of humor. They was telling me how, about an hour ago, one of the guards says to him, ‘This must be the longest night of your life.’ And Hickock, he laughs and says, ‘No. The shortest.’" - the novel is stuffed with such unconscionable phrases

the latter pages are supplemented with hastily written accounts of the crimes of other death-row inmates in the prose of much worse novels. ( )

A great read with a well-deserved reputation. The events of this book took place in the decade before I was born, but it seems older than that. Capote captures the flavor of Kansan language used by these characters, and the mentality as well. I certainly felt like I got in the heads of both murderers. Dick was a piece of work, probably brain injured in his car crash and damaged goods thereafter. But Perry is a real tragedy. Hearing about his upbringing made you really feel for him, cold blooded killer though he was. There is a sensitive, artistic side to him that, unfortunately, his temper would not allow to win.

Three are lots of interesting details discovered throughout the book. The investigators caught a lot of lucky breaks, I'd say. Capote doesn't look away at the most horrific moments either, so the book isn't sanitized for the reader of 1965. Kansas in this period is a little Stepford Wives-ish, a little apple pie American that I find both nostalgic and annoying. Capote is a man of his time and doesn't really notice it much as a narrator, but I was expecting a little more social commentary as a gay man. Regardless, the book did not disappoint. ( )

This book was not what I expected. It read much more like a fiction novel than true crime. There was a lot of information about the town and the community that I appreciated. I have a slight aversion to true crime books and I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding Capote but I thought it was well written with an interesting approach to a "non-fiction" crime story. It also didn't give fall squarely into a pro-death penalty or anti-death penalty stance - more a realistic portrayal that leaves the reader to decide what they think. I was hesitant to read it but finally did being one of those "everyone has read this" book but it was much different than my initial perception of it and found it a compelling read. ( )

Excellent, pure genius. This is a true crime with probably some made up parts. Those made up bits are so important too, as Capote takes you to a very small town in 1950s Kansas farm country. Capote makes you feel the scene, the air, the smells, sounds, the country people and the way they live. ( )