Book Club Guide

In Cold Blood

by Truman Capote · 1966 · True Crime

Key themes

The killer as human being — and the discomfort of that knowledge
What journalism can and cannot tell us about murder
Capital punishment and the state's right to kill

About this book

A Kansas farm-family murder reconstructed in novelistic detail; the book that created the true-crime genre.

Published in 1966, In Cold Blood was based on six years of reporting and over 8,000 pages of notes. Capote interviewed the killers extensively before their 1965 execution.

Discussion questions

Capote spent years with the killers before their execution and came to know them deeply. How does his evident sympathy for Perry Smith shape the book's moral position — and does it unbalance the narrative?
The victims are described with warmth and specificity at the opening. How does Capote use these portraits — and does the rest of the book give them as much attention as the killers?
Capote called the book a non-fiction novel — journalism written with novelistic technique. What does this hybrid form achieve — and what ethical problems does it raise?
The book makes an implicit argument against capital punishment. Is this argument earned by the evidence it presents, or does Capote's sympathy for the killers require a conscious counter-argument for the victims?
In Cold Blood was published in 1966 and changed journalism. What did it make possible — and what concerns does it raise about the form it invented?