Finished In Cold Blood a little while ago and moved on to How to Live, so I'm a bit late on this reaction. Consequently, it'll be short.
ICB is just an awesome piece of journalism. It's tight as a drum, nothing extraneous made it in. The rhythm and tone are perfect, like a much better-written Raymond Chandler novel: noirish because spare and because of the subject matter, but elegant. There are a few hints of East Coast condescension here and there but on the whole Capote keeps his (presumed) snootiness out of it. Maybe I'm just primed to see those because of Fox News, or something.
Best of all, Capote doesn't overreach. He lets his story unfold almost without overt comment and allows it to deepen as it goes.
ICB is just an awesome piece of journalism. It's tight as a drum, nothing extraneous made it in. The rhythm and tone are perfect, like a much better-written Raymond Chandler novel: noirish because spare and because of the subject matter, but elegant. There are a few hints of East Coast condescension here and there but on the whole Capote keeps his (presumed) snootiness out of it. Maybe I'm just primed to see those because of Fox News, or something.
Best of all, Capote doesn't overreach. He lets his story unfold almost without overt comment and allows it to deepen as it goes.
