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kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
It was odd how much Mason made his career as a master jewel thief sound like a regular job, albeit, a regular job which required intensive planning, irregular equipment, and night hours.
carolpk's review against another edition
3.0
I came across this book while weeding our non-fiction collection. Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief hadn’t circulated in a few years but I hated to relegate it our book sale so decided to take it home and give it a read. I have to admit, the title intrigued me. You’ve got to wonder why an honest, god-fearing woman, would be fascinated with a book about stealing other people’s valuables. The author explains this as our American Culture. Just look at a film like The Godfather. Weren’t you rooting for the bad guys?
Quickly, I found myself shaking my head at the sheer audacity of this guy. At first, I was enthralled by Mason’s descriptions of how he pulled the heists of such powerful and rich people like Armand Hammer and Phyllis Diller. The more I read, though, I found myself getting annoyed at his exploits which often sounded like bragging rights. Sure he was good at his thievery, but is something to be proud of? Then, as Mason eventually learned, I remembered the feeling of being robbed myself. Though nothing of great importance was taken from me, and I had no fear the robber would return, I felt down right violated and resented that some person kicked my door in and rummaged through my dresser drawers. It’s not a nice feeling!
I did finish the book. I wanted to know if Bill Mason changed his ways. You may be the judge of that.
I decided Bill Mason, may have been a genius in his chosen profession, jewel thief, but in the end, it seems to me, he could have put all that cleverness to far better use. It seemed to come down to addiction and this reason alone I’ll keep the book in our collection. There is much to ponder here.
Quickly, I found myself shaking my head at the sheer audacity of this guy. At first, I was enthralled by Mason’s descriptions of how he pulled the heists of such powerful and rich people like Armand Hammer and Phyllis Diller. The more I read, though, I found myself getting annoyed at his exploits which often sounded like bragging rights. Sure he was good at his thievery, but is something to be proud of? Then, as Mason eventually learned, I remembered the feeling of being robbed myself. Though nothing of great importance was taken from me, and I had no fear the robber would return, I felt down right violated and resented that some person kicked my door in and rummaged through my dresser drawers. It’s not a nice feeling!
I did finish the book. I wanted to know if Bill Mason changed his ways. You may be the judge of that.
I decided Bill Mason, may have been a genius in his chosen profession, jewel thief, but in the end, it seems to me, he could have put all that cleverness to far better use. It seemed to come down to addiction and this reason alone I’ll keep the book in our collection. There is much to ponder here.
stephjo26's review against another edition
2.0
Reading about his scores was interesting although it started to seem repetitive. Hearing about what he did to his family was terrible. Lots of language.
scaryfridge5's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.25
What an awesome book. Well written and fascinating. Only downside is that the second half of the book is 90% law and order. Just not as interesting as the heisting. Still very good
leviel's review against another edition
5.0
Really great book and that's coming from someone who struggles to read biographies/autobiographies. Great sense of storytelling and not afraid of self-reflection and self-deprecation in turn.
jilliannewrites's review against another edition
5.0
Loved, loved, loved. Personal, touching, exciting and entertaining. It was written with a sense of humor and an insight that makes me want to meet this remarkable guy.
floranella's review against another edition
2.5
I can’t say I didn’t enjoy reading this book, because the heist scenes were exciting and the insight into his first-hand experience with dirty cops & the prison system were interesting (if somewhat grim & infuriating).
I also can’t say I enjoyed reading this book, because the author’s actions often frustrated and disgusted me. The book also could have used a better editor who made it less repetitive and cut down the page count. The writing style also wasn’t my favorite but I got used to it by the end.
So 2 1/2 stars it is.
I also can’t say I enjoyed reading this book, because the author’s actions often frustrated and disgusted me. The book also could have used a better editor who made it less repetitive and cut down the page count. The writing style also wasn’t my favorite but I got used to it by the end.
So 2 1/2 stars it is.
samcarlin's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look into the life of a jewel thief. I was fascinated by how he committed some of the thefts, and like he says in the book, a lot of them are more boring than you imagine them. There were some bits that got a little tedious. I was mostly interested in the thefts themselves, so his time in jail and dealing with his lawyers/case wasn't as intriguing to me.
albatrossonhalfpointe's review against another edition
3.0
I really love heist movies. I'm pretty sure that's what drew me to this book in the first place, and in that respect, it didn't disappoint. The first half of the book describes a number of Mason's scores in delightful detail. Within the first few pages, he describes inching along a narrow ledge on the outside of a building to get the target patio, and you really do feel like you're hanging right there with him. The others are just as suspenseful and meticulously laid out. Good times.
The second half of the book addresses some of his more personal issues and his legal troubles, going into detail about his trials, his time as a fugitive, his relationships, his time in jail, etc., and I didn't enjoy that part as much, although it was still quite compelling.
I thought he and Gruenfeld managed to do a pretty good job of portraying Mason as someone who you can't entirely figure out why people love him so much but you also can't quite bring yourself to loathe. And even he gratefully acknowledges his astonishment at the love and support he got from a shocking number of people, despite everything. This does speak to his character, I think, and his people-judgement skills, as he managed to surround himself with friends who were genuinely friends no matter what, even though I wonder if a little less acceptance from some of them might have helped steer him off the criminal path a little sooner.
He discusses, at the end, the irresistible compulsions he felt to go after these scores, and compares them to other kinds of addictions, without coming across as trying to excuse his actions on those grounds, and I think that's interesting. We know there are people who get pretty major adrenaline kicks, and this is just one manifestation of that, and I wonder if therapy might have also helped keep it in check.
I'm also reminded of the character of Stella in The Italian Job, who took the safe-cracking skills her father taught her and put them toward a legitimate career helping cops get into safes and testing safe manufacturers' new models. I don't know if there would be any way of turning Mason's mad cat burglary skillz into a legitimate career along those lines (finding the flaws in supposedly high-security buildings, for example), but it might have been something to consider, that could have maybe provided enough problem-solving satisfaction to keep him on the straight and narrow. There might not be the adrenaline to go with it, but maybe it could have helped?
Because you really do find yourself kind of rooting for the guy, not so much to successfully steal a bunch more stuff, but to finally stop and to stay out of trouble. Because in many ways, he really does come across as a good guy who just gets sucked into this addiction of his. Like I said, he doesn't excuse himself on those grounds, and I'm not trying to excuse him on them either, but the book does manage to make you feel that way a little.
In any case, I don't know how much or how little embellishment this book contained, but it was a fun read, and that's enough for me.
The second half of the book addresses some of his more personal issues and his legal troubles, going into detail about his trials, his time as a fugitive, his relationships, his time in jail, etc., and I didn't enjoy that part as much, although it was still quite compelling.
I thought he and Gruenfeld managed to do a pretty good job of portraying Mason as someone who you can't entirely figure out why people love him so much but you also can't quite bring yourself to loathe. And even he gratefully acknowledges his astonishment at the love and support he got from a shocking number of people, despite everything. This does speak to his character, I think, and his people-judgement skills, as he managed to surround himself with friends who were genuinely friends no matter what, even though I wonder if a little less acceptance from some of them might have helped steer him off the criminal path a little sooner.
He discusses, at the end, the irresistible compulsions he felt to go after these scores, and compares them to other kinds of addictions, without coming across as trying to excuse his actions on those grounds, and I think that's interesting. We know there are people who get pretty major adrenaline kicks, and this is just one manifestation of that, and I wonder if therapy might have also helped keep it in check.
I'm also reminded of the character of Stella in The Italian Job, who took the safe-cracking skills her father taught her and put them toward a legitimate career helping cops get into safes and testing safe manufacturers' new models. I don't know if there would be any way of turning Mason's mad cat burglary skillz into a legitimate career along those lines (finding the flaws in supposedly high-security buildings, for example), but it might have been something to consider, that could have maybe provided enough problem-solving satisfaction to keep him on the straight and narrow. There might not be the adrenaline to go with it, but maybe it could have helped?
Because you really do find yourself kind of rooting for the guy, not so much to successfully steal a bunch more stuff, but to finally stop and to stay out of trouble. Because in many ways, he really does come across as a good guy who just gets sucked into this addiction of his. Like I said, he doesn't excuse himself on those grounds, and I'm not trying to excuse him on them either, but the book does manage to make you feel that way a little.
In any case, I don't know how much or how little embellishment this book contained, but it was a fun read, and that's enough for me.