'In Cold Blood'

For my money, Truman Capote is one of the most perfect writers ever.

Don't get me wrong, other writers try riskier things that work out well and those stories and books are just as enjoyable, but Capote stays within himself and the story he's telling. There's hardly a wasted word and rarely do you find yourself thinking, "Hmm, I could've written that better."

What I like most about "In Cold Blood" is that on a lark, Capote was captivated by some barely-noted murder story in a small, blink-and-you-miss-it Kansas town. His fascination carried him to Kansas where he stuck out like a sore thumb and dug up a most delectable and interesting story about human nature and the perils of a violent lifestyle.

What I don't truly understand about the crime is that I feel the guys could've worn masks, gone in, robbed the Clutter home, left everyone alive (if not completely asleep) and made off with whatever they wanted and probably never, ever be caught. Frankly, authorities probably put a simple robbery case on the back burner compared to slaughtering a family of four.

So, then you think that somewhere deep in Perry and Dick's souls they had to murder those people for some dark, unknown, unexplainable reason. With that said, the criminals seemed so put out by being captured, incarcerated and eventually dragged through the legal system for five years. Nor did the pair necessarily try to stay out of the limelight by staying in one place or in Mexico.

I feel that's what Capote was desperately trying to get to, but never succeeded.