25 Bone Chilling In Cold Blood Quotes About The Psychology Of Crime
Published June 21, 2023
Revisit Truman Capote’s classic psychological thriller with our In Cold Blood quotes.
In Cold Blood is one of Truman Capote’s most beloved novels.
Find out why with our In Cold Blood quotes below.
Who is Truman Capote?
Truman Capote was an American author and actor.
He wrote novels, plays, short stories, and movies.
He is best known for Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood.
Check out these Truman Capote facts below:
- In Cold Blood is based on actual events.
- Capote inspired Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird.
- Harper Lee assisted Capote in researching In Cold Blood.
What is In Cold Blood about?
In Cold Blood is the story of the Clutter family from Holcomb, Kansas.
The family is brutally murdered by men who did not think twice about taking their lives.
The Clutters were killed by ex-convicts Perry Smith and Richard Hickock.
Hickok and Smith were found guilty of murder and executed in 1965.
Why is In Cold Blood such a powerful piece of literature?
There is an old saying that truth is stranger than fiction.
Capote uses In Cold Blood to take this adage further by bringing to life the shocking story of a murder in Kansas.
Truman wrote In Cold Blood as a work of non-fiction, and it was published in 1966.
The story focuses on the brutal 1959 murders of four family members from Kansas.
Naturally, writing about such a draconian tragedy took lots of research.
Capote took on Harper Lee as an assistant to research the facts of the case.
Both Capote and Lee interviewed police investigators, witnesses, neighbors, and emergency service people to get the story’s full scope.
As a result, In Cold Blood is a true crime thriller that captivates the reader.
Did In Cold Blood drive Truman Capote insane?
It took Capote years to thoroughly research the needed material for In Cold Blood.
The book was a massive effort, and the nature of the work took a toll on Truman Capote.
He never published another book after In Cold Blood, and many argue that the research for the book took a toll on his mental health.
To learn more, check out our In Cold Blood quotes below.
Short In Cold Blood quotes about conventionalism and faith
These quotes are chilling and to the point.
1. “It is easy to ignore the rain if you have a raincoat.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
2. “It isn’t a question of faithfulness to your own concepts.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
3. “There is considerable hypocrisy in conventionalism.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
4. “Nothing is more usual than to feel that others have shared in our failures.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
5. “You are a human being with a free will. Which puts you above the animal level.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 142
The top In Cold Blood quotes about sorrow and victims
These quotes remind us why murder is a primary theme of In Cold Blood.
6. “Sorrow and profound fatigue are at the heart of Dewey’s silence.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Pages 245
7. “I’ve tried to believe, but I don’t, I can’t, and there’s no use pretending.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 262
8. “The walls of the cell fell away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 265
9. “Those fellows, they’re always crying over the killers. Never a thought for the victims.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 267
10. “The crime was a psychological accident, virtually an impersonal act; the victims might as well have been killed by lightning.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 245
The best In Cold Blood quotes about compromising and paradox
These quotes give us a glimpse into the mind of a killer.
11. “They shared a doom against which virtue was no defense.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 185
12. “Just as it is an ordinary reaction to forget those who have shared in our achievements.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
13. “But if you live your life without feeling and compassion for your fellow man, you are as an animal.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 142
14. “It is a matter of compromise so that you can remain an individual without the constant threat of conventional pressures.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
15. “Any thinking person is aware of this paradox, but in dealing with conventional people, it is advantageous to treat them as though they were not hypocrites.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 144
Famous In Cold Blood quotes
16. “I despise people who can’t control themselves.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 202
17. “My acquaintances are many, my friends are few; those who really know me fewer still.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 146
18. “The enemy was anyone who was someone he wanted to be or who had anything he wanted to have.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 200
19. “Hickock whistled and rolled his eyes. “Wow!” he said, and then, summoning his talent for something very like total recall, he began an account of the long ride–the approximately ten thousand miles he and Smith had covered in the past six weeks.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 222
20. “Be consistent in your attitude towards her and do not add anything to the impression she has that you are weak, not because you need her good-will but because you can expect more letters like this, and they can only serve to increase your already dangerous anti-social instincts.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 145
In Cold Blood quotes about accidents and confessions
Here are some more memorable quotes from Capote’s classic.
21. “I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Softspoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Page 244
22. “But the confessions, though they answered questions of how and why, failed to satisfy his sense of meaningful design.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Pages 245
23. “The crime was a psychological accident, virtually an impersonal act; the victims might as well have been killed by lightning.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Pages 245
24. “Except for one thing: they had experienced prolonged terror, they had suffered. And Dewey could not forget their sufferings.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Pages 246
25. “Nonetheless, he found it possible to look at the man beside him without anger – with, rather, a measure of sympathy for Perry Smith’s life had been no bed of roses but pitiful, an ugly and lonely progress toward one mirage and then another.” — Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, Pages 246
In Cold Blood is a window into the human soul
Sometimes it is hard to acknowledge the darkness of the human soul.
In Cold Blood is a powerful example of how humans can be driven to evil.
Do you have a favorite In Cold Blood quote?
Please be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
