In Cold Blood : A True Account of a Multiple Murder and its Consequences

The chilling true crime 'non-fiction novel' that made Truman Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative published in Penguin Modern Classics.

Key Features of the Book:

• Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas farmer, his wife, and their two children.
• Truman Capote's comprehensive study explores:
  • The circumstances surrounding this terrible crime.
  • The effect it had on those involved.
• At the heart of the narrative are the amoral young killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, vividly drawn by Capote. They are shown to be reprehensible yet entirely and frighteningly human.

About the Author:

• Truman Capote (1924-84) was born in New Orleans.
• He left school at fifteen and worked for The New Yorker, which was his first—and last—regular job.
• Capote wrote across genres, including:
  • Fiction and non-fiction.
  • Short stories, novels, and novellas.
  • Travel writing, profiles, reportage, memoirs, plays, and films.

Other Works by Truman Capote:

• Music for Chameleons (1980)
• Answered Prayers (1986)
  All of these are available in Penguin Modern Classics.

Recommended Reading:

If you enjoyed In Cold Blood, you might like Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs' And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.

"It is the American dream turning into the American nightmare ... By juxtaposing and dovetailing the lives and values of the Clutters and those of the killers, Capote produces a stark image of the deep doubleness of American life ... a remarkable book"
— Spectator