The Christmas Guest vs The Talleyrand Maxim: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mystery
The Christmas Guest
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“Delicious…I defy you to stop reading The Christmas Guest once you begin.” — New York Times Book ReviewNew York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an…
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 The Talleyrand Maxim highest: The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9 · The Christmas Guest 3.6.
- The Christmas Guest has the widest readership — 45921 ratings behind its score.
- The Christmas Guest runs the darker storyline; The Talleyrand Maxim stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Christmas Guest | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (45921) | 3.9 (180) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (80) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (133) | 4.5 (13) |
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Reception
| The Christmas Guest | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 45921 | 180 |
| Editions | — | 115 |
| Want to read | 38050 | 102 |
| Reading it now | 1070 | 28 |
| Written reviews | 6556 | 30 |
| Wikipedia attention | 99 | — |
| Pages | 103 | 195 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Christmas Guest or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9/5, The Christmas Guest 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Christmas Guest or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Christmas Guest is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Christmas Guest (103 pages, ≈ 1 h 54 m); The Talleyrand Maxim (195 pages, ≈ 3 h 37 m).
Which is harder to read: The Christmas Guest or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Christmas Guest: Moderate; The Talleyrand Maxim: Challenging.