If you are only going to read one true crime book, this is supposed to be the one. It was published in 1966 and I remember the commotion it caused. This was before mass killings because almost expected in this country. The murder of 4 member of the Kansas Clutter family on November 15, 1959 was unusual at the time. I read the book for the first time in high school. Capote claimed to have invented a new literary genre---the nonfiction novel. In other words, a true story but written like a novel. Commentary on this notion has continued unabated for years. The general conclusion is that even if you conceded this book is engaging and entertaining, it is not a new genre. I remember my freshman English teacher at Auburn saying that it was not a new literary genre.
So I read it again and it is entertaining if you like true crime. I have always liked true crime. The problem is that there is a lot garbage out there. You have to pick and choose the best if you can.
Capote can be labeled a Southern gothic writer. There is a share of "dark and stormy night" in this book. It only adds to the story.
It is understood that Capote isn't always truthful to all of the facts of the story. Whether intentional or not I do not know. The story sometimes takes precedence over the facts.
Harper Lee, yes, Harper Lee worked with him on digging up the facts of the case in Kansas. Some wags claim that Capote wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, but no reasonable person believes that.
The book is entertaining on reading the second time around, and I seldom reread books.
No comments:
Post a Comment