One of the most controversial American authors of the twentieth century, Truman Capote is best known as the author of In Cold Blood (1966), a work of literary journalism that recounts the slaughter of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. But he also wrote numerous short stories, dozens of ...
One of the most controversial American authors of the twentieth century, Truman Capote is best known as the author of In Cold Blood (1966), a work of literary journalism that recounts the slaughter of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. But he also wrote numerous short stories, dozens of nonfiction pieces for popular magazines, several other novels, and some works for Hollywood and Broadway. Since his death in 1984, scholarly interest in his writings has grown considerably. This volume traces the critical reception of his works. Included are previously published reviews and essays, along with some pieces written specifically for this book. The volume is divided into several sections on broad topics. Each section is organized chronologically and traces both the development of Capote's talents and the evolution of critical attitudes toward his work. A comprehensive introduction charts the history of Capote's critical reception, and extensive bibliographic material records the present state of scholarship.