If you can't be good vs The man who lost the war: 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 man who lost the war
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Set in post-war Berlin, a disillusioned former CIA operative and a Russian spy cross paths in their search for an elusive double agent.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate If you can't be good highest: If you can't be good 4.0 · The man who lost the war 3.6.
- If you can't be good is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for The man who lost the war.
- If you can't be good has the widest readership — 201 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| If you can't be good | The man who lost the war | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (201) | 3.5 (44) |
Reception
| If you can't be good | The man who lost the war | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 201 | 44 |
| Editions | 8 | 8 |
| Want to read | — | 266 |
| Reading it now | — | 18 |
| Written reviews | — | 4 |
| Pages | 249 | 434 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: If you can't be good or The man who lost the war?
If you can't be good has the higher combined reader rating across sources (If you can't be good 4.0/5, The man who lost the war 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: If you can't be good or The man who lost the war?
If you can't be good is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: If you can't be good (249 pages, ≈ 4 h 37 m); The man who lost the war (434 pages, ≈ 8 h 02 m).
Which is harder to read: If you can't be good or The man who lost the war?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — If you can't be good: Moderate; The man who lost the war: Moderate.