Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake by Frank W. Abagnale with Stan Redding (1980)
“No man has a prayer, I thought, when he worships a hustler’s god.” (176)
Well, the new year is well underway, and so comes with it our reading list for the 2023 Siblings+ Book Club! Although there wasn’t a run-away leader from our list of 67 titles this time around, my selection of Catch Me If You Can was the group’s top pick and so became our first read of the year.
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Simply stated, I loved this true-crime memoir for its humor, emotion, and unique capers that Frank W. Abagnale truly lived. Obviously, like most everyone in America, I watched the movie before I read the book, because seriously, who could have passed up a Hanks-DiCaprio flick in the early 2000s? Because the film was so well-done, it’s hard to answer the age-old question of which is better…but obviously, since this is Abagnale’s story and since the film took great liberties with Hanratty’s character, I’m going to have to say “the book.”
As a side note, there’s another, equally fascinating story of similar conman called The Great Imposter (1959) written by Robert Crichton who also wrote one of my favorite novels from the ’60s, The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1966). Check those books out as well!
A True Anti-hero
One thing that struck me about this memoir is the pride with which Abagnale recounts his capers. Arrogance is a moral flaw, of course, and not one to be praised, but reading a memoir tinged with regret vs. one tinged with self-satisfaction makes for a very different experience! This book is filled with Abagnale’s proudest recollections of his most daring exploits, and it’s just way more fun to read than it would have been if he had hated himself for the crimes of his past. Ultimately he turns his life around and uses his unique skills for the benefit of humanity, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not too ashamed of his daring past. Abagnale writes in the very first paragraph, in fact (my favorite line of all):
“Modesty is not one of my virtues. At the time, virtue was not one of my virtues.” (1)
He’s no hero by any stretch of the imagination—at least not until he reforms himself post-prison. He’s a villain through and through, which ultimately gives context to his insatiable love for women and money. Still, as a solo criminal not tied to any organizations and making up his cons on the fly, he maintained a loosely righteous code of ethics: he’d only steal from organizations that could afford it. In his own words:
“My targets had always been corporate targets: banks, airlines, hotels, motels or other establishments protected by insurance.” (168)
He also said:
“In my entire career, I never yenched a square John as an individual.” (156)
Yeah, I didn’t know these words either, but it just means he never conned an actual person, and if he ever found out that an individual was punished for his crimes, he’d find a way to pay them back. Now that’s a stand-up conman!
Starting Young
Another thing that struck me was how young Abagnale was when he committed all these crimes, a teenager posing as a man 10-15 older than he really was. You kind of lose sight of this reality as he travels the world, conning bank tellers and stewardesses alike with his forged checks and false identities. At one point in his adventures, he passes the bar exam (on his third attempt) and says:
“I cracked up. I hadn’t even finished high school and had yet to step on a college campus, but I was a certified lawyer!” (105)
His age becomes apparent, though, when he’s finally arrested by the French and tossed naked into one of the most inhuman prison in modern literature. Only the miserable dungeons of Papillon compare. By this point in the book, we’re not sure what justice looks like for such a young man who committed these corporate-level crimes. We begin to feel sorry for him, at least until he falls into the hands of the merciful Danes and thanks them for their kindnesses by giving them the slip.
Ultimately, Frank did face the music that was coming to him and served some time in prison. In the end, he found a way to market his abilities for good, becoming a well-respected crime specialist and helping banks and organizations recognize counterfeits and cons.
Conclusion
This was a fascinating book and well worth the read. Frank W. Abagnale has written three other books, including The Art of the Steal, which I’d be very interested in reading. Maybe it’ll make it to next year’s Siblings’ list!
©2023 E.T.