Small Mercies vs The Talleyrand Maxim: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mystery
Small Mercies
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Instant New York Times Bestseller“Small Mercies is thought provoking, engaging, enraging, and can’t-put-it-down entertainment.” — Stephen KingThe acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a…
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The Talleyrand Maxim
“Linford Pratt, senior clerk to Eldrick & Pascoe, solicitors, of Barford, a young man who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook, with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy, had once during one of his periodical visit to the town Reference Library, lighted on a maxim of that other unscrupulous person, Prince Talleyrand, which”
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The “Talleyrand Maxim” holds that “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.” The adage has the character of guidance for life for an ambitious legal clerk, Linford Pratt. Unlike most people, he…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Small Mercies highest: Small Mercies 4.5 · The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9.
- Small Mercies has the widest readership — 1171 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Small Mercies | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (180) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (80) | — |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1171) | 4.5 (13) |
Reception
| Small Mercies | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1171 | 180 |
| Editions | 5 | 115 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | — | 102 |
| Reading it now | — | 28 |
| Written reviews | — | 30 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1988 | — |
| Pages | — | 195 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Small Mercies or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Small Mercies has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Small Mercies 4.5/5, The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9/5).
Which is harder to read: Small Mercies or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Small Mercies: Moderate; The Talleyrand Maxim: Challenging.