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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I don't know how much of Frank's story told in this book is true. What I do know is that it makes for a fun and entertaining read. In the book, he accepts that his behavior was like that of an adrenaline junkie's. But what made the account even more fun was his willingness to back up his completely bogus claims with in-depth study and sharp observational skills. Sure, his charm played a huge role and got him out of many scrapes too.
An entertaining read that made me wish that the parts about Frank masquerading as a doctor, lawyer, and professor had made it into the movie as well. Even so, it remains one of my favorites!
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
What a wild and, at times outlandish, story! It’s hard to tell how much is true and how much is fabricated/hyperbolized, but either way Abagnole is such a great story teller. I loved this movie with DiCaprio and Hanks, so hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth was pretty neat.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
From www.abagnale.com: "I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job of telling the story, but he also over dramatized and exaggerated some of the story. That was his style and what the editor wanted."
I finished the book, but it's written in an annoying style. There are many long similes that are supposed to be cute/clever. The writer ("with Stan Redding") uses dozens of cute/coy ways to say, "We had sex."
The book stops before Abagnale goes to prison in the U.S. and is then recruited by the FBI.
I finished the book, but it's written in an annoying style. There are many long similes that are supposed to be cute/clever. The writer ("with Stan Redding") uses dozens of cute/coy ways to say, "We had sex."
The book stops before Abagnale goes to prison in the U.S. and is then recruited by the FBI.
Frank Abagnale's story is one I first learned of through the movie Catch Me If You Can - and it fascinated me. The fact that someone so effortlessly slid between characters and personae, with the bravado and skill of some of our most esteemed professions (think: doctor, lawyer, pilot) is over-the-top fantasy - and this man LIVED it.
The difference from the movie was clearly in his descriptions of the various prisons he endured - from the spa-like "jails" of Sweden to the inhumane tortures of other countries, the gripping narrative of his imprisonments was definitely a highlight of the book.
My only wish is that the book had delved more into his psyche - there is no way a person can slip in and out of lives as he did without some type of personality fractures. Perspective on that would have made this top-notch.
Four stars.
The difference from the movie was clearly in his descriptions of the various prisons he endured - from the spa-like "jails" of Sweden to the inhumane tortures of other countries, the gripping narrative of his imprisonments was definitely a highlight of the book.
My only wish is that the book had delved more into his psyche - there is no way a person can slip in and out of lives as he did without some type of personality fractures. Perspective on that would have made this top-notch.
Four stars.
adventurous
So apparently almost everything in this book is probably fake and Frank made it all up... but it was a good story!!
I loved this book. It's amazing how much you just showing up and smiling does. A lot of his schemes wouldn't work today because of computerized security, but I loved learning about everything he did.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced