A spy named Orphan vs The untouchable: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Soviet Espionage, Espionage, Spies, Great Britain, History
A spy named Orphan
"Donald Maclean was one of the most treacherous spies of the Cold War era, a member of the infamous "Cambridge Five" spy ring. Yet little is known of this shrewd, secretive man. The full extent of his betrayal has never…
vs
The untouchable
(From the Hardcover edition) Twenty years after his "retirement," ex-spy Victor Maskell attempts to come to terms with what has happened to his life by embarking on his memoirs. This is the plot which fuels Banville's…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The untouchable has the widest readership — 48 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| A spy named Orphan | The untouchable | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 4.2 (7) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (48) |
Reception
| A spy named Orphan | The untouchable | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1 | 48 |
| Editions | 6 | 15 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 714 |
| Pages | 448 | 409 |