SYNOPSIS

On the night of November 14, 1959, Herbert Clutter, a wealthy farmer from Holcomb, Kansas, United States, his wife Bonnie and their two teenage children, were brutally murdered in their home, without any apparent motive. After a few months, the police investigation led to the discovery of the perpetrators of the crime, their arrest and the trial in court in which they were found guilty. When the news of the quadruple murder appeared in the newspapers, the day after it was committed, the writer Truman Capote decided to follow the case together with the investigators, to reconstruct the story in a new literary genre: the reportage novel.

REVIEW

The true story of the murdered family leaves you speechless. Capote’s talent in narrating the news with objectivity and impartiality is impressive. Furthermore, the narration of the facts is intriguing and the way in which the author explains the point of view of each character involved in the story helps the reader to have a clear and complete vision of what happened and to doubt the final verdict. I highly recommend reading this book by Truman C.
The story is told by an omniscient third-person narrator who conveys the thoughts of the characters who have played an important or significant role in the story and allows for a clear and complete vision of the plot. The characters are well described and explored through their physical appearance and character traits. The theme is treated objectively and consistently with the narration of the facts while the dialogues make the reading flow easily. Finally, the author has masterfully used time to speed up or slow down the narration at the most appropriate moments.