As part of Nonfiction November, hosts Katie at Doing Dewey, Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness, Becca at I’m Lost in Books, and Leslie at Regular Rumination challenged us to pair a fiction with a nonfiction book.
When I saw this challenge, I knew immediately that I had the perfect pairing to share (11/22/63 by Stephen King with Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly). Alas…as I started writing, I realized I’d essentially already shared this pairing last year as part of my Books About the Kennedys post. But, we’re still keeping things interesting over here with con men!
The Nonfiction
Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale (originally published in 1980)
“Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot’s uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.” (Amazon) In 2002, this book was made into the movie starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks.
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The Fiction
Sutton by J.R. Moehringer (September 25, 2012)
In Moehringer’s fictional take on real life Willie Sutton, the notorious Depression-era bank robber who was on the FBI’s first ever Most Wanted List, he imagines what could have happened if Sutton took a newspaper reporter and photographer on a trip down memory lane upon his release from prison.
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Great pairing! I haven’t read Catch Me if You Can (I saw the movie – *ducks*), but I really liked Sutton. That was fiction that read like great narrative nonfiction, in a way.
I’m the opposite of you on Catch Me If You Can – read the book, haven’t seen the movie. Sutton was great – and I think you’re right about how it read. I also loved his memoir, The Tender Bar, from a long time ago.
What a great pairing!!
I loved 11/22/63 but I’m not sure I can bring myself to read something by Bill O’Reilly.
Oh, my gosh…Catch Me If You Can is SUCH a great story, right?!! I didn’t read it until AFTER the movie (I didn’t know there was a book until I started doing some recon after watching the film), and it was great. I’ve not heard of Sutton, but it sounds really interesting. I love seeing what folks have paired up; this is great! Mine will be up tomorrow; hope you have a great day, Sarah!
Isn’t it??! Abagnale was quite a wheeler/dealer…to think after his jail sentence he started working FOR the government! Master of reinvention. Sutton is based on a real life bank robber…different type of guy than Abagnale, but the writing is wonderful in that one. I’ll look out for your pairing!
i read catch me if you can not long ago and loved it (not surprisingly because i loved the movie as well). after reading the book i can honestly say i think DiCaprio and Hanks were perfectly cast as their characters.
This is embarrassing, but I haven’t seen the movie!
I would have never thought to pair these two books. Great idea!
There are so many great stranger-than-fiction stories out there. I did see the movie but I’m always interested to know more about the facts. The novel looks great too.
Ha – this was definitely a truth is stranger than fiction type of book…and I love those too!
What a great pairing! I’d love to read Catch Me if You Can. Sutton is new to me, but looks good, too.
Interesting pairing. I’ve only seen the movie of Catch Me if You Can – but both books look great. I still need to read 11/22/63! I need to get an ebook because the size is just too intimidating!
And I haven’t seen the movie! OMG-11/22/63 is one of my all-time favorites. And, yes, e-book is the way to go.
I loved the movie, Catch Me if You Can and had NO idea that it was a book. I’ve been under a rock, I guess. Now, Sutton really sounds like an interesting book for this non-non-fiction reader. I love those type of stories and some true crime, so this one might actually turn me into a non-fiction reader. I’ll have to see if its available at the library.
True crime is one of my favorite book categories – and fiction based on true crime as well! I weirdly read a lot of it last year. Sutton was fantastic – and also his memoir, The Tender Bar. I love his writing style.
I was just thinking about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and wondered to myself if the book was as good as the movie. And then I see your little recommendation. Good timing.
My Nonfiction Pairs
I haven’t seen the movie, so I can’t compare, but I found the book fascinating!
Is it bad that hearing about Sutton makes me want to seek out all kinds of other true crime books? I really enjoyed Catch Me If You Can (movie and book) and like all kinds of true crime books. I’m not familiar with Sutton, though!!
I love true crime – and fiction based on true crime! True Crime – I love Ann Rule and Dominick Dunne…and In Cold Blood. Fiction Based on True Crime – The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress and Monday, Monday…and Sutton, of course!
This is an interesting pairing! I want to pair it with the TV show White Collar too. It seems like they’d go really well together 🙂
Oooh – I’ll have to check out White Collar then – I’ve heard of it, but don’t know all that much about it!
I love reading True Crime books but have never read a heist one even though I love heist movies! Catch Me If You Can is a favorite movie of mine, and I can’t believe I’ve never added the book to my collection, so thank you for reminding me off this and giving me an excuse to go buy a book!
I never saw the movie, but the book is kind of unbelievable…if it were fiction, it would be almost too outrageous to believe.