A Critical Look at In Cold Blood: The True Crime Novel as a Work of Literature

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After meeting writer Nicolas Tredell in 2018, I found him to have a keen understanding of true crime, writing and history. He has edited a new book focusing on the Truman Capote novel, In Cold Blood. We discuss the infamous Clutter family murder as written about in Capote’s world-famous work, as well as in multiple film and television adaptations, as well as the influence of such a style of writing.

Show Highlights:

- The Clutter family murder in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The shocking nature of such a crime in its time as compared to today.

- The psychology of the perpetrators, Smith and Hickock. The “folie à deux” (“madness for two”) element in this murder. The social-psychological factors involved.

- The very pertinent issues in this case, impacting us to this day, including insanity as a defense, the death penalty, and so forth.

- What is appealing regarding this case and Truman Capote’s book, In Cold Blood. The cross-cutting technique in Capote’s writing and other prescient features of reading that are hallmarks of modern true crime and fiction stories.

- What is special about the true crime novel as literature and why true crime remains so popular.

- The accuracy of these kinds of based-on-a-true-story type novels and movies. Can such a genre ever be completely accurate, or is some embellishment necessary to truly convey the ideas?

- Capote’s possible insight into how our changing world was relevant to the Kansas murders. Crimes motivated by self-esteem. How our modern life, highway travel, technology, and other factors all contribute to crimes manifested in new ways.

Critical Insights: In Cold Blood, Edited by Nicolas Tredell (2020):
https://salempress.com/book/critical-insights-in-cold-blood

The Clutter Family Murder:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutter_family_murders

In Cold Blood (1967):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061809/

In Cold Blood (1996):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116619/

Capote (2005):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Infamous (2006):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420609/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

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