If you can't be good vs The Blackbird: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Spy Fiction, Fiction
If you can't be good
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An old CIA connection brings trouble for a Washington, DC, barman in this thriller from "America's best storyteller" (The New York Times Book Review).   As the saying goes, you can't pick your friends. If you…
The Blackbird
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Donald E. Westlake is one of the greats of crime fiction. Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, he wrote twenty-four fast-paced, hardboiled novels featuring Parker, a shrewd career criminal with a talent for heists. Using…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate If you can't be good highest: If you can't be good 4.0 · The Blackbird 3.7.
- The Blackbird has the widest readership — 679 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| If you can't be good | The Blackbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (201) | 3.7 (679) |
Reception
| If you can't be good | The Blackbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 201 | 679 |
| Editions | 8 | 10 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 265 |
| Reading it now | — | 36 |
| Written reviews | — | 85 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 252 |
| Pages | 249 | 184 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: If you can't be good or The Blackbird?
If you can't be good has the higher combined reader rating across sources (If you can't be good 4.0/5, The Blackbird 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: If you can't be good or The Blackbird?
The Blackbird is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Blackbird (184 pages, ≈ 3 h 24 m); If you can't be good (249 pages, ≈ 4 h 37 m).
Which is harder to read: If you can't be good or The Blackbird?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — If you can't be good: Moderate; The Blackbird: Moderate.