For Your Eyes Only vs The Riddle of the Sands: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Spy stories, Secret service, British, Great Britain, Thriller, Mystery
For Your Eyes Only
"Bond watched her as she reached the edge of the tables and came up the aisle. It was hopeless. She was coming to meet someone—her lover. She was the sort of woman who always belongs to somebody else. What damnable…
vs
The Riddle of the Sands
“I HAVE read of men who, when forced by their calling to live for long periods in utter solitude-save for a few black faces-have made it a rule to dress regularly for dinner in order to maintain their self-respect and prevent a relapse into barbarism.”
Childers's lone masterpiece, THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS, considered the first modern spy thriller, is recognisable as the brilliant forerunner of the realism of Graham Greene and John le Carre. Its unique flavour comes…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- For Your Eyes Only is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 6 for The Riddle of the Sands.
- For Your Eyes Only has the widest readership — 16983 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| For Your Eyes Only | The Riddle of the Sands | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (16983) | 3.6 (7871) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (4) | 3.4 (17) |
| Apple Books | 3.5 (29) | 4.0 (18) |
Reception
| For Your Eyes Only | The Riddle of the Sands | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 16983 | 7871 |
| Editions | 93 | 532 |
| Citations | — | 4 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 9497 | 9028 |
| Reading it now | 712 | 977 |
| Written reviews | 975 | 841 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4129 | 2880 |
| Pages | 146 | 336 |