(Optional) Oct 07 BotM Thread - IN COLD BLOOD (Now w/ Poll!)

[Lord Voldemoo]

Based on the discussion in our October book of the month thread, we are starting an optional thread here to talk about In Cold Blood. The votes were so close that we have decided, given that the Pynchon book is very short, we would try to do two this month. I encourage everyone to actually read both books and comment in both threads (as I will) as opposed to picking and choosing.

Same rules apply here. Be courteous but expect spoilers, tiny text where appropriate, blah blah blah.

[darkjedijaina]

awesome. i ordered this one as well as pynchon's, so i'm in.

[DennisMM]

Thank you for the second thread, Moo. Perhaps I can get through ICB this time.

[The Todd]

Yay! An In Cold Blood thread! Considering I liked The Road better than WWZ, I'm glad to see a lot of people interested in a second BotM selection.

[Ribbons]

Did anyone see the movie based on the writing of this novel?

[Vegeta]

Cool, I am about 30 pages in and must say that Capote's writing has a definite flavor that I am enjoying.

[Maui]

Is this available in audio?

I'd like to confuse the group again.

I'm in - I'll read both books as well.

[Ribbons]

Is this available in audio?

Yup, at least one version:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Seconded! I've been meaning to read that forever!!!

And for those of you so inclined, the audio version as read by Scott Brick is pretty fantastic (although it is 14 hours long).

[Maui]

Is this available in audio?

Yup, at least one version:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Seconded! I've been meaning to read that forever!!!

And for those of you so inclined, the audio version as read by Scott Brick is pretty fantastic (although it is 14 hours long).

Awe, thanks Ribbons. I was kinda joking. I much prefer reading to audio, even if the narration is superb.

[Lord Voldemoo]

Is this available in audio?

I'd like to confuse the group again

HAHAHAHA...remember, in here, the corners belong to me!

[The Todd]

Picked this up at lunch today. Will start it either tonight or tomorrow! Been wanting to read this for a while now, so I'm really looking forward to it.

[minstrel]

I have a copy of this, and will definitely get into it after Lot 49, which isn't exactly grabbing me.

I saw the movie Capote and it's very good. I hope the book that inspired it is even better.

[The Todd]

Lot 49, which isn't exactly grabbing me.

If you haven't been to the Lot 49 thread lately, you're not alone.....

[Vegeta]

I have a copy of this, and will definitely get into it after Lot 49, which isn't exactly grabbing me.

I saw the movie Capote and it's very good. I hope the book that inspired it is even better.

So far the book is excellent and better than the film Capote which I enjoyed.

[The Vicar]

Did anyone see the movie based on the writing of this novel?

So they were going to cast Rosie O'Donnell in that......huh!

[darkjedijaina]

I think I'm gonna start this one tomorrow. How's the rest of you going on this one?

[Vegeta]

Well, i typically only read while on bathroom breaks at work, so I am only about 80 pages in, but so far it is excellent.

[The Todd]

I'm 70 pages in and loving it. The Clutter Family has just be found dead. This week might be hectic with work, but I should have more time to read in the upcoming weeks.....

[Vegeta]

I agree Todd, it's excellent. Capote's writing style makes the mundane last day of the Clutters life seem positively captivating. I am really enjoying "In Cold Blood" so far.

[Vegeta]

Just got to the end of the trial. Capote's writing just has me enthralled. It's a shame that "In Cold Blood" was his last novel.

[tapehead]

So, three or four people are reading this, and no-one is finished yet? How about we roll it over for November so all the regulars or anyone interested can have a chance to read it. We might get a few reviews to read that way, and some discussion or debate.
The 'Lot 49' thread has had about five times the amount of responses that this one has received, and there's some really interesting reading there amongst people's responses and attempts to come to grips with what is admittedly a sophisticated and difficult piece of literature. It seems a shame this hasn't quite got started yet - although there is less complaining from The Todd in this thread. October is just about over, after all. Anyone interested?

[Vegeta]

That's sounds good to me. I only have about 40 pages left in "In Cold Blood" anyways, so maybe I'll look about for "...Lot 49" this weekend. I'll just do the bookclub backwards.

[The Vicar]

That's sounds good to me. I only have about 40 pages left in "In Cold Blood" anyways, so maybe I'll look about for "...Lot 49" this weekend. I'll just do the bookclub backwards.

Skip Lot 49 and go to something more involving, like this leaflet - Famous Jewish Sports Legends......

[tapehead]

It does seem to be a book that really polarises opinion.

[The Todd]

although there is less complaining from The Todd in this thread. October is just about over, after all. Anyone interested?

I'm all for pushing this to November. Work has been hectic so I haven't had much time to rad.

[Vegeta]

To rad?

RAD-FIVE!

[The Todd]

To rad?

RAD-FIVE!

-five?

[Vegeta]

To rad?

RAD-FIVE!

-five?

Aw, you should of kept the spelling error... now my post makes absolutely no sense

[The Todd]

After 120 or so pages, I can see where the rumors that Capote wrote some of To Kill A Mockingbird come from. Reading ICB gives me the same feeling and sense of rural America that Mockingbird does when I read it.

[Vegeta]

Well, they were friends and grew up together... I can see how they would develop similar writing habits (maybe?)

[The Todd]

Well, they were friends and grew up together... I can see how they would develop similar writing habits (maybe?)

I don't believe the rumors myself, but people "claim" that Capote said he wrote about 80% of Mockingbird.....

[tapehead]

Well, they were friends and grew up together... I can see how they would develop similar writing habits (maybe?)

I don't believe the rumors myself, but people "claim" that Capote said he wrote about 80% of Mockingbird.....

The 'other' Capote movie of recent times, 'Infamous' devotes a good deal of time to Capote's close friendship with Harper Lee. I think Veg is right; there's little doubt that had an influence on each others' writing and style.

Capote is a character in 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', The Todd.

I've always loved the movie 'In Cold Blood', so I'd be up for reading this.

[minstrel]

I'll be reading ICB, but right now I'm prioritizing No Country For Old Men, because I want to see the movie when it comes out, and I want to read the book first.

Damn. As I was typing this post, the goddam D key came off my keyboard! Now I have a blank switch, which is hard to hit. I have to type D about four times each time I want it now.

Fuck.

[darkjedijaina]

Cool, I am about 30 pages in and must say that Capote's writing has a definite flavor that I am enjoying.

i'm glad someone likes it. it puts me to sleep. seriously. normally, i'd already have a book this size finished, but i'm only on page 58 out of 342 pages. blah.

to me, it's just boring. i dunno.

[minstrel]

Cool, I am about 30 pages in and must say that Capote's writing has a definite flavor that I am enjoying.

i'm glad someone likes it. it puts me to sleep. seriously. normally, i'd already have a book this size finished, but i'm only on page 58 out of 342 pages. blah.

to me, it's just boring. i dunno.

So, how come you're seeing a doctor for insomnia again?

Sounds like Mr. Capote wrote the perfect cure for you!

[darkjedijaina]

um, i wasn't seeing the doc for insomnia this time. but yeah... every single time i tried to read some, i just felt really sleepy.....

[darkjedijaina]

well, i'm still reading this. i'm a little over half-way through it, but man.... i just don't find it interesting at all.

normally, i'd just not finish it, but i'm trying to since it was chosen as a BoTM.

[minstrel]

I've pretty much stopped reading anything except books on writing, right now.

I want to finish my screenplay, so I'm reading Robert McKee's Story. I understand that you're not allowed to write a screenplay unless you've read McKee.

And I've been working on my own novel instead of reading other people's novels.

[The Todd]

And I've been working on my own novel instead of reading other people's novels.

Hahahaha! I'm stuck in the same boat! I started reading ICB then got through some writer's block I've been having, and ever since then, the time that would normally be reserved for Capote has been used to write.

[darkjedijaina]

I finished this just now. I still say it was pretty uninteresting. Boring. I just felt detached from it. I didn't really care. I mean, all the incidentals, the story between the murders and the hangings really did nothing at all for me, and that was the bulk of the book. Was he trying to make us feel sorry for the killers? I don't know. I just really thought it was terribly boring, but I'm glad I finished it so that now I can move on.

[minstrel]

Congrats, DJJ! You can now not be bored!

But whatever you do, don't read something exciting - you already have enough trouble sleeping!

[darkjedijaina]

haha. actually, my sleep is back to normal now. without meds. so that's good.

but seriously... does anyone else have an opinion of this book?

the writing isn't bad... it's just boring plot-wise. to me.

[The Todd]

haha. actually, my sleep is back to normal now. without meds. so that's good.

but seriously... does anyone else have an opinion of this book?

the writing isn't bad... it's just boring plot-wise. to me.

I'm slightly past the halfway point and I love it. But I'll have more when I ever get done it...

[thomasgaffney]

Bumped from the DEAD!!!

This thread never had a poll (Moo!), so I added one and promptly voted 10/10.

Finished this tonight. I'll keep this short for now, maybe more later, but I loved this book! Reminded me of everything I loved about To Kill A Mockingbird. The quiet, small town life of rural America is captured beautifully. Capote obviously loved this part of the country and these people. And it comes across in his writing.

Another thing that I love, is that if I didn't know better I never would have guessed that this is non-fiction. He paints a setting and story that rivals the best American works of fiction from news stories and interviews. This book is the antithesis of clinical, impersonal true crime stories we see today.

I would heartily recommend In Cold Blood to everyone...