Read Me If You Can

I know I said that I was going to read Mirror Mirror next, but this morning I was watching Catch Me If You Can, which is one of my favorite movies (with great actors like Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCarpio, a great score, a great script and a great story, you just can't go wrong with that movie).  I've always been rather interested in reading Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s actual autobiography of the same title, so I decided, finally, to drive over to the library and pick up a copy.

I'm already more than half way into it.  I couldn't put it down for awhile, although about two thirds (pg 202 out of 293) of the way into it, it is starting to drag a little bit.

My main thoughts as I was reading:

Great Details

Abagnale gives detailed accounts of how he executed his cons, including descriptions about how he created his fake checks.  While it's fascinating to learn just how he did it, after about the Nth time, it starts to get a little repetitive.  I understand it's a little bit different each time, but for me particularly, my interest lies more in how he managed to pull off the con and convince people to believe him.  As he states in the book, many of his checks were not actually that convincing; rather, it was the manner in which he interacted with the banks and various others that cashed the checks.  He was a charmer.

Conversational Narrative Voice

Abagnale's style of writing sounds very conversational, as though he were sitting right next to you telling you his story.  He uses vernacular words quite often, making it feel as though you were in the 60's - it's a nice touch for an autobiography and adds a touch of historical flair.  It adds to the appeal of the novel; not only are you reading about these amazing cons that a teenager pulled off, but you're immersed in the 60's atmosphere. Great for history lovers.  Of course this was written in 1980, when the 60's weren't that long ago; I doubt it's intended to be any type of 'historical piece' but that is the awesome thing about reading first hand accounts.  It's almost like a 'primary document'.  And I love me some historical primary documents (thus the appeal of museums).

Differences from the Movie

I was surprised to find that the movie actually takes a number of liberties with the story.  I vaguely remember seeing, at the time the movie came out, one of those behind the scenes extras explaining that Abagnale was consulted for the movie.  While it does combine various relationships, cut out a few cons (he posed as a college professor for one summer, this does not appear in the film, although the film does show him teaching a high school French class when he is mistaken for the substitute), I think that all in all the movie does stay true to the spirit of the book and condenses things in a way that feels natural and necessary for a movie.  It seems to play up the relationship between Handratty and Abagnale (oh, and it's O'Riley in the book); this is a nice touch I think as far as telling an interesting story to movie audiences, but something rarely touched upon in the book.  Abagnale describes his pursuers as phantoms as he rarely encountered them aside from a few close run ins here and there.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys autobiographies, history, and perhaps a general interest in learning more about Frank Abagnale's adventures... otherwise, the movie is brief and generally (I feel) a well done adaptation, that stays true to the general themes of the book, if not being specifically accurate.

Well I have to get back to reading (or maybe go to sleep considering it's already past midnight -- how did that happen?).  The most interesting part (imho) is coming up - Frank's capture and his life afterwards.

Update 11:39 am:

So I ended up staying up to finish the book, instead of going to bed.  I couldn't put it down.  Once Abagnale is caught, the story becomes horrifying.  The prison in France sounds like something out of Count of Monte Cristo, minus actual beatings. Abangale is imprisoned in pitch black dark, with nothing but a bucket.  The walls are covered in mold and he eventually discovers (upon his release) that his bucket and the floor are covered in maggots.  It's hard to imagine how a person can survive in such conditions (and many didn't).  

Once returned to the US, Abagnale manages to escape several times before ultimately being caught for good (this is right where the story ends).  It then goes on to an Afterward that explains what happened to him (trouble finding a job since he was an ex-con and then eventually becoming a consultant for banks and companies to develop more secure checking practices) and includes an interview with Abagnale, where they ask questions about his feelings about the movie that was made.  (The copy I had was published after the movie, although the book was published in 1980.)