Truman Capote coined the term 'non-fiction novel' when he published In Cold Blood. Does this term denote sensationalism or a fictitious aspect?
In Cold Blood is the story of the real life murders of the Clutter family in rural Kansas in 1959. The perpetrators of the crime, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, burglarized the Clutter home stealing a total of $50. In the process, they killed the four members of the family that were home at the time. Truman Capote investigated the story from 1959-1965 when the murderers were executed by the state. The ruthlessness of the crime, the innocence of the family, and the destructiveness to the safety of rural living all contribute to the longevity of this story. One can still find references to the story, the victims, the killers, the author, and the secondary characters in newspapers and magazines to this day.
|
|
|
