— Last summer was so hot, so humid, that I was cranky for 2 months straight. By contrast, this summer has been rainy, misty, with grey skies, clouds rolling in every afternoon … I’m in heaven. Lay in bed last night, listening to the rain. And then proceeded to sleep for 10 hours. UnHEARD of.
— Inspired by my friend Allison, I am re-reading In Cold Blood. One of my favorite books ever written. I started it this morning, and once again, I am struck by the accomplishment. Now it is hard to fathom how original Capote was, how new his idea was: to take an actual crime, and to write it like fiction. Good God, “true crime” now has its own section in any bookstore. But that’s mainly because of Truman Capote’s book (Norman Mailer’s yowls notwithstanding. Shut up, Norman. Accept that Capote got there first. Accept it.)
I think In Cold Blood is superior to Executioner’s Song anyway. Granted, I think Capote is a much better writer. Much better. But also, in my opinion Gary Gilmore comes off as such an unlikable egotistical prick, and who wants to spend any time with that loser? Whether or not he’s a murderer? The murderers in In Cold Blood, at least the way Capote portrays them, draw you into their web … You start to see where they’re coming from, which is even more terrifying, because where they are coming from is insane and delusional. You want to reach between the lines of the book and scream at the Clutter family: RUN! GET OUT! 2 conscience-less killers are coming your way … they will have no remorse – they are lunatics – RUN!
It’s a devastating book.
Allison mentioned it to me last night – she’s never read it and it’s going to be her next book. Which thrills me. As ever, I can’t wait to talk with her about it.
— It has already been waaayyyyyyy too long since Eminem came out with a CD. I’m jones-ing.
— Watched Holiday last night. Again. Is that a perfect movie, or what?
— Sat on my roof last night with a glass of wine, and watched the heavy black clouds cross over the grey. Staring at the skyline across the water, which gleamed like a mirror. There was a cool wind, with random raindrops floating by. And for a brief 5 minutes, at sunset-time, the Manhattan skyline lights itself up in the reflection, burning, a-glow, all the windows flaming up spectacularly. Any time I’m home around that hour, the magic hour, I go up to the roof to watch the show.
In Cold Blood is a chilling read, and contains perhaps the scariest quote ever attributed to a human being. While in prison, one of the killers (I forget which one; I’m doing this from memory) explains that the crime wasn’t based on malice, saying “I always like Mr. Clutter. I felt that way right up to the moment where I cut his throat.”
I feel my heart constrict and my breath shorten just recalling the memory of that line. It is scary to think that there are people out there who are like that, to whom taking a life is an effortless act.
Right, right. Very good memory. “In cold blood”. Perfect title, right? To look upon someone else’s terror and feel nothing.
Not sure, but I think that would have been Perry who said that. (I think that’s his name, anyway. I’m doing this from memory, too, and it’s been half a lifetime since I read the book.) Of the two, he always seemed to me to be the more sympathetic – if, in fact, that word even applies. What I mean is, he seemed to have a streak of decency in him that eventually became totally overpowered by his need to ‘prove’ himself to his cohort. Acting alone, I doubt either of them would have been capable of murder, but acting together – and acting upon one another – they were a lethal combination.
P.S. In my estimation, the movie is as good as the book, and a classic in its own right.
Bernard:
Yes, it was Perry. Just read that section this morning. He is a gripping character – and yes, much more sympathetic – mainly because he obviously opened up so much to Capote, told him his dreams, his fears, his bed-wetting. So he seems very human.
But he is almost more terrifying to me than Hickock.
I think because – Perry is missing something. Feeling for other people, perhaps. Even though he is obviously better spoken, and more complex than Hickock – Hickock comes off as looking like just another criminal, while Perry seems more like a classic psychopath. Much more scary.
I haven’t gotten to the end yet – and it’s been a long time since I read it – but I believe that they end up proving that Perry killed all 4 of the Clutters. Hickock didn’t do any of the murders. My memory could be off on that one, though.
I always forget: what is the accepted difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?
Is it that:
A sociopath acknowledges and understands that society has rights and wrongs – and yet the sociopath refuses to follow the rules? Or is unable to follow the rules?
And a psychopath recognizes nothing in the universe but his own value system?
I get them mixed up.
Sheila, I totally agree with your assessment of Perry. He seems much the scarier figure to me, too, and for the reason to which you allude. His moral view appears to us (normal people that we are… ) to have been based on – let’s just say – questionable standards. But to him it made sense, though ‘sense’ in this context meant killing the Clutters seemingly to prove something to himself (and to Hickock) even though he “liked” them. So I wouldn’t agree that Perry felt nothing for his victims. And I wouldn’t agree that he had no moral compass. (Witness his reaction to Hickock’s intention to rape the little girl.) The thing is, he DID have a moral compass – even though it deviated more than a few degrees from normal – and the relationship/interraction with Hickock really skewed things to the dark side – so, in the end, it served neither him nor the Clutters any good at all.