Mixed Reactions

I finished In Cold Blood this weekend and in the end I think I liked it. Really, it was the last two parts- The Answer and The Corner that made the book for me. I don't seem to have the same problem as Sally and Laura did with the Why. Maybe it is my cynical nature/generation that suggests there does not always have to be a reason. I, like Laura, did not really feel any sympathy for the characters, although I did recognize that the reader was supposed to. I was surprised by how many people in the book were sympathetic to Perry. The trial was absolutely gripping to me. Did they get a fair trial?- I say no. Would they probably be convicted if they had?---yes. Unfortunately, civil rights were not an issue and the defendants were railroaded many times. Nevertheless, it was very interesting to read about. What I liked best about the book was the description of the people involved. Capote was really able to paint a picture. The description of death row and the different killers there really hit home issues about the death penalty and horror of the human psyche/human behavior. I also agree with Tim when he said that there was a shattering of innocence. This was clearly defined in my mind during the trial when Capote wrote that the killing of the Clutter family was not an issue in the majority of the state because of other killings going on. That sounds a lot more like the 21st century than the mid 20th century. Anyway, what I liked least was the fact that I had a hard time believing that there was not a huge amount of artistic license. I mean some parts of the book made me think "he has got to be making this up". Still, in the end, I thought it was a worthy book.