A Perfect Spy vs The Day of the Jackal: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
A Perfect Spy
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Magnus Pym, ranking diplomat, has vanished, believed defected. The chase is on: for a missing husband, a devoted father, and a secret agent. Pym's life, it is revealed, is entirely made up of secrets.
The Day of the Jackal
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In a class by itself. Unputdownable' Sunday TimesOne of the most celebrated thrillers ever written, The Day of the Jackal is the electrifying story of an anonymous Englishman who in, the spring of 1963, was hired by…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Day of the Jackal highest: The Day of the Jackal 4.3 · A Perfect Spy 4.0.
- The Day of the Jackal is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 11 for A Perfect Spy.
- The Day of the Jackal has the widest readership — 149030 ratings behind its score.
- A Perfect Spy runs the darker storyline; The Day of the Jackal stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Perfect Spy | The Day of the Jackal | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (23769) | 4.3 (149030) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (48) | 4.2 (204) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (234) | 4.5 (384) |
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Reception
| A Perfect Spy | The Day of the Jackal | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 23769 | 149030 |
| Editions | 23 | 69 |
| Citations | 10 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 20075 | 295 |
| Reading it now | 3022 | 6 |
| Written reviews | 1434 | 16 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4744 | 21957 |
| Pages | 607 | 377 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Perfect Spy or The Day of the Jackal?
The Day of the Jackal has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Day of the Jackal 4.3/5, A Perfect Spy 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Perfect Spy or The Day of the Jackal?
The Day of the Jackal is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Day of the Jackal (377 pages, ≈ 6 h 59 m); A Perfect Spy (607 pages, ≈ 11 h 14 m).
Which is harder to read: A Perfect Spy or The Day of the Jackal?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Perfect Spy: Moderate; The Day of the Jackal: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
A Perfect Spy: 1 film adaptation; The Day of the Jackal: 2 film adaptations.