The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition vs The Talleyrand Maxim: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mystery
The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition
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1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • An intelligent, lightning-paced thriller set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., with surprises at every turn.“Impossible to put down.... Another…
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
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 16 for The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition.
- The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition has the widest readership — 1267 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (180) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (1267) | — |
| Google Books | 2.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (566) | 4.5 (13) |
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Reception
| The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition | The Talleyrand Maxim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1267 | 180 |
| Editions | — | 115 |
| Want to read | — | 102 |
| Reading it now | — | 28 |
| Written reviews | — | 30 |
| Pages | 874 | 195 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Talleyrand Maxim 3.9/5, The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition or The Talleyrand Maxim?
The Talleyrand Maxim is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Talleyrand Maxim (195 pages, ≈ 3 h 37 m); The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition (874 pages, ≈ 16 h 11 m).
Which is harder to read: The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition or The Talleyrand Maxim?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Lost Symbol: Special Illustrated Edition: Moderate; The Talleyrand Maxim: Challenging.