Sunday Post

I sort of agree with aspects of Rene C.'s bit about In Cold Blood. I believe that if I were to be re-reading this book after the Tiffany Souers case I might have a totally different spin on how I felt. I think that originally Rene sympathized with Perry, but now realizing that this book is both a combination of truth and observation can see how much reality is behind freak murders like this. I agree mostly with her criticism of how Capote and how lengthy his details can be. I think I understand why he does this to establish a relationship between the readers and the characters in the story and build the drama, climax, and express how terrible this incident truly was, but I think leaving some mystery would have been nice for the reader. That way the reader can relate it to people in their actual life and embelish traits they see in similar current events or people they are in contact with.
I also further identify with Lara's piece about how for a while or literally the first half of the book you wait for the actual story to begin. There is too much emphasis on background and I think that takes away from the suspense of the story. Capote wanted the book to read like a movie and it doesn't until the actual murder takes place, or he starts referring to everything is being done by the Clutters for the last time. I think the background is helpful, but overboard. I haven't seen the movie, but on the previews before Junebug there was one for the Capote movie and it looked almost more like a documentary about his attachment to the killers primarily Perry. I wish he would have added a bit after the actual story about that to add some more fact to his observations.
I also agree with Lara's point about revenge I like to think that we all get what is coming to us and this is fundamental you learn this or are atleast introduced to this concept at a very young age (right from wrong, do onto others as they will you...). Lara's concept is accurate that in the newspaper we forget that these deceased especially in huge airplane accidents, etc. had extroadinary lives connected with those that knew them. Capote reminds us of this by documenting the lives of an ordinary Kansas family. Events like 911 and the documentaries done after remind us of the face behind the picture in such tragedies. Many times in our everyday lives we forget almost or distance ourselves from the lives of these victims and label such incidents as the "Bikini strangler," which is often not only somewhat inhumane to me, but missing the point. Each of these deaths in Kansas, Clemson, and Georgetown had a life that was ended because of some selfish, misguided other who hopefully and in all cases was eventually caught and revenge was served. The true mystery that puzzles me is that although in these big name cases ending in hot pursuit with man hunts are only a fraction of the many murders that occur just the same everyday. So it is almost illusion that justice is usually served, but still I am thankful that such tributes are made because it focuses on the life in the deceased and keeps the public watchful and reminded of the life that existed behind the statistic.