Comments on: Books and information about pathological liars / con-artists?

Question: Books and information about pathological liars / con-artists?

SmileyChewtrain — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:50:29 -0800

I'm looking for books, articles, movies or documentaries about con-artists / pathological liars.

I'm doing research for a project on pathological liars / con artists like the young woman "Hope" who is profiled in the Deception episode of Radiolab, or the woman discussed in this thread.

I am looking for profiles or articles on con-artists (and the psychology thereof) who are more of a pathological liar type than professional short term scammer (card tricks, though I think that there is some overlap). These are the types of folks who tend to live their lives from false identity to false identity. It seems that they are in a different league than the "short con" folks, but I don't know if they are typically called something different.

I am looking for anything on the subject, either fiction or non-fiction.

As I type this, I'm noticing some new headlines on the "Rockefeller" kidnap case which seems to indicate he's one of these con-artist impostors as well.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:56:08 -0800

There are many scholarly essays about Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye being a pathological liar. He even states it right up front -- "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life."

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:59:59 -0800

Oh, and there's also Frank Abagnale, the subject of the movie Catch Me If You Can.

Also, Chuck Barris, the creator of the Dating Game and the Newlywed Game, claimed to have been a CIA operative in his book (and movie) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Barris will neither confirm nor deny the account, which adds to the fun.

By: Ponderance

Ponderance — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:09:25 -0800

Kevin Mitnik wrote a great book called "The Art of Deception".

By: box

box — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:11:30 -0800

F for Fake is worth seeing. Ooh, and Iceberg Slim's Long White Con might be worth reading.

By: Rewind

Rewind — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:14:45 -0800

The Talented Mr. Ripley springs to mind. Creepy stuff, that. I understand it was a book too, although I haven't read it.

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:21:49 -0800

The Chameleon from this week's New Yorker is an article about a man who serially impersonates children, to varying degrees of success.

It's very well researched and shows how much the success of a con has to do with the mark's desire to believe that it's real.

By: Rykey

Rykey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:32:45 -0800

Marjoe is a documentary that follows a phony traveling tent-revival evangelist. Great stuff.

By: reeddavid

reeddavid — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:47:51 -0800

Matchstick Men
Criminal (It's a remake; I can't remember the name of the original)
The Spanish Prisoner

By: ScottInAustin

ScottInAustin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:02:15 -0800

Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage is a good source, as is its bibliography at the back of the book
isbn:0393321886

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:27:29 -0800

You'll want to look at the films of David Mamet, as many of his films are built around con games.

In particular, check out House of Games, Homicide, The Spanish Prisoner and Heist

By: scruss

scruss — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:35:22 -0800

The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.

By: LarryC

LarryC — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:37:00 -0800

From history: Memoirs of the Notorious Stephen Burroughs. Burroughs was a confidence man and counterfeiter in the years around 1800. In his unashamed and wildly entertaining account he describe impersonating a minister, seducing school girls, escaping from prison (twice I believe), and a hundred other adventures. It is my favorite American autobiography, and an antidote for Franklin.

By: nushustu

nushustu — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:38:44 -0800

The Grifters
The Sting
Definitely check out F for Fake, mentioned above.

By: SmileyChewtrain

SmileyChewtrain — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:55:03 -0800

Wow, lots of excellent stuff - thanks for the tips! I've got a lot of great reading and viewing ahead of me this weekend. I've been meaning to watch F is For Fake for years, too, but always seem to forget...

Grapefruitmoon's link to the article on The Chameleon is a profile of pretty much exactly the kind of person I am looking for - someone who sees their fraud as less of a game and more of a prison - a lifestyle they are trapped in - their only method of survival (psychologically or otherwise). Bourdin's story is pretty phenomenal, and that article is very well written.

By: Gortuk

Gortuk — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:41:26 -0800

Reading the Chameleon article reminded me of Emmanuel Carrère's The Adversary, the (true) story of another French man trapped in an enormous lie with no way out.

By: alby

alby — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:43:43 -0800

Criminal (It's a remake; I can't remember the name of the original)

That would be the far superior Nine Queens.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:34 -0800

Watch these TV docos online:

Kill Me if You Can. The con to end all cons

The Lottery Liar. A guy pretends to his family he has won 8 million dollars

By: trinity8-director

trinity8-director — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:56:48 -0800

Let's not forget the terribly underrated The Game. Is that already giving away too much?

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:13:12 -0800

What, no one's mentioned His Dark Materials yet?

By: beccyjoe

beccyjoe — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:49:44 -0800

There is a riveting episode of This American Life (podcast) about pathological/compulsive liars. True stories. FASCINATING.

By: beccyjoe

beccyjoe — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:33:02 -0800

(sorry)---> http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=18

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:51:26 -0800

Snakes in Suits

By: nicolin

nicolin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:07:39 -0800

could be interesting to include Zelig.

By: PatoPata

PatoPata — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:19:48 -0800

Lots of true-crime books deal with this sort of person. You might start with author Ann Rule.

By: Rykey

Rykey — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:27:39 -0800

2nding Ann Rule. Just read Heart Full Of Lies, a true crime story of a woman who can't seem to keep her murderous fantasy world and real life from getting mixed up.

By: Rykey

Rykey — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:37:28 -0800

Oh yeah, don't forget about Mike Warnke (previously on MeFi), whose story of being a high priest in a Satanic church was debunked.

By: pageturner

pageturner — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:18:40 -0800

In the current issue of the New Yorker (August 11/18), the article "The Chameleon
The many lives of Frédéric Bourdin" by David Grann newyorker article fits the bill.

By: pageturner

pageturner — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:35:46 -0800

Just realized that the NYer article was already suggested above by grapefruitmoon (& commented on by SmileyChewtrain)....sorry about that!

By: scarylarry

scarylarry — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:38:41 -0800

omeone who sees their fraud as less of a game and more of a prison - a lifestyle they are trapped in - their only method of survival (psychologically or otherwise).

It is a long book and a work of fiction, but this is a pretty concise analysis of the protagonist in Peter Carey's wonderful, achingly gorgeous book, Illywhacker. It really is like nothing else you know.