An essay written in 1966 by a Franco-Bulgarian historian named Tzvetan Todorov states that each masterpiece creates an entirely new genre, while still obeying the previously valid rules of the genre. In summary, each book establishes the existence of two genres: that of the genre that violates, which dominates universal literature, and that of the genre that creates. Since its publication in 1965, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood has occupied a unique place in the history of American literature. His expansion into the genre of journalism, which he labeled the "nonfiction novel," was the first conscious pursuit of using novelistic devices while respecting the protocols of journalism to generate a new literary art form. Thanks to its peculiarity and ability to tell a story, In Cold Blood is an American classic. In 1959, Capote decided to create a new literary genre: the non-fiction novel. He came across the Clutter murders while flipping through the New York Times. The article briefly described the quadruple murder of Herb Clutter, a wealthy Kansas farmer, as well as his wife and two children. Capote envisioned the case as the perfect topic for his next project, which he described as a long-form work of nonfiction. Capote was accompanied by his childhood friend and author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. Lee, familiar with small-town life, earned the trust of Holcomb's citizens faster than Capote, whose bombastic and flowery demeanor distinguished him at the time of the murders, ever could. Despite Capote's difficulty fitting in, the book still caused an immediate sensation. There are several reasons why In Cold Blood was successful. The meticulousness of Capote’s writing is demonstrated from the first sentence, “The village of Holcom… medium of paper… to formulate the kind of legacy reserved for only the most influential literary masterpieces. Capote's book remains one of the most compelling literary works of the twentieth century, both for its fusion of journalistic and belletristic narrative and for its extraordinary observation on the nature of evil in America. Its impact was, and still remains, monumental. Capote's seductive ability to confuse his reader despite a sad subject like this is something to ponder. It had the power to galvanize compassion and apprehension in equal parts. The suspense of the book, despite readers knowing the outcome of the book from the beginning, is largely based on the requirement to reveal gory details and their concealment until the end. Works Cited Malin, Irving. Truman Capote's In Cold Blood: A Critical Handbook. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1968. Print.