After first seeing the movie, I loved it. When Linda's sister Regina offered me the book to read, I accepted. After reading the book, I saw the movie again and was quite disappointed. After reading the true story, the movie didn't hold up for me. The truth was more interesting, partially because it was so unbelievable.

The movie glossed over Frank's imprisonment in Europe, which was described in horrific detail in the book. The other striking differences were the character of his father, the nature of his relationship with his fiance, and amount of focus on the detective that became Tom Hank's character in the movie. Other than that, the movie seemed largely accurate. But somehow, the book was far more enjoyable. Frank's explanations of the details necessary to pulling off his cons, of the oversights and security flaws he exploited, and of his narrow escapes were wonderful. Where the movie was total hollywood, the book was true crime.