In Cold Blood | Literary Criticism & Book Review

In Cold Blood Critical Overview

In 1965, reviewer George Steiner called In Cold Blood "more than a book; it is a happening." Hecited Capote's "superb journalistic skills" and the resulting text was characterized as "masterful." Steiner reflected the sentiments of most critics, who were impressed by Capote's methods and engrossed by the story, which was written in such a way as to give, as Steiner noted, "psychological order to a piece of implacably authentic, documented life." Frederick Dupee dubbed In Cold Blood "the best documentary account of American crime ever written," and in the 1980s, Kenneth Reed, in his book, Truman Capote, wrote that In Cold Blood was a "virtually unparalleled triumph in creative reporting ... supremely orchestrated in its progression and tone." Helen Garson, another complimentary critic, defended the lyrical ending of the book, reminding readers that the story "is not purely documentary" and asserting that the ending seems ' 'completely appropriate to the...
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