OLIVIA JONES

Olivia Jones (2015)

 

I cozied up in my reading chair and opened the pages of In Cold Blood, preparing myself for yet another day of monotony (as most assigned reading books bring me). I trudged through the first few pages, but then realize that I wasn't really trudging at all -- I was gliding. Suddenly three days went by, and I came to the conclusion that In Cold Blood is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable summer reading books I’ve ever read.

 

Capote created a brilliant rendition of those fateful murders that were plastered on headlines during the 60s. Not only did it incorporate captivating and suspenseful narrative, it also contained a subliminal message delineating how fragile the American dream can be -- Herb Clutter's whole life was shattered in one single night. This frailty jolted me; something as constant and natural as the Clutter family must be somehow exempt from tragedy, right?

 

Wrong.

 

When thinking back, it's pretty hard to pinpoint exactly what made this novel so intriguing to me. Was it the way I found myself empathizing with the last people I thought possible -- the murderers? Was it the convergence of two seemingly separate storylines? By the end of the narrative, I found myself second-guessing all I had previously stood for: the death penalty, second chances, morality. When a book, or any work for that matter, prompts me to genuinely reassess my values, it’s a work that will stand out in my mind for a long time (as someone who’s pretty stubborn in her beliefs).

 

Even more so, what kept me turning page after page was not just the interesting characters, but the knowledge that somehow their separate lives would converge, and not knowing when or how. It took all the willpower I had to restrain myself from flipping ahead to clue myself in on what would happen next. From the gossiping, picturesque, small-town of Holcomb to the harsh, yet small solace Perry found with Josephine while awaiting his execution, the aura of the novel is one that cannot be replicated. The genius of In Cold Blood truly holds a world of its own, and it’s a world I would definitely visit again.