This is one of Truman Capote’s best known works, apparently it caused a great controversy when it was published. It is essentially the first ‘true crime’ book, although since it is written by someone not obsessed with serial killers, cannibals and Jack the Ripper, it is generally considered literature.
Capote investigated the circumstances of the murder of the Clutter family, and interviewed practically everyone involved, including the killers themselves, and created this absorbing and detailed story of true events.
Even though we know who committed the murders, and that they were eventually apprehended, this does not read quite like a murder mystery, more a psychological study of the murderers and the community of the victims.
It took me a while to get into, and I’m not sure why, and I’m glad I stuck with it.
What? Why Bother? 