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A review by carolpk
Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Lee Gruenfeld, Bill Mason
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.