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Book Review of Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger
reviewed on + 273 more book reviews


I confess, I saw the movie first so perhaps my review is a little skewed. I loved watching Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel, so as I read her story, I would picture Melissa saying or doing the things written in book.

Lee Israel has written two decent biographies, but her writing career is waining so she resorts to theft of signed letters written by more famous authors. These sales stimulate her desire to be as creative as the famous signers, causing her to buy old typewriters that match the type, and even buying old stationery. It's an interesting setup and more interesting how she got caught.

Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. Seemed a shame for an author like Ms. Isreal to fall into a life of petty crime.