The untouchable vs The Vanished Messenger: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Espionage, Spy Fiction, Fiction
The untouchable
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(From the Hardcover edition) Twenty years after his "retirement," ex-spy Victor Maskell attempts to come to terms with what has happened to his life by embarking on his memoirs. This is the plot which fuels Banville's…
The Vanished Messenger
“There were very few people upon Platform Number Twenty-one of Liverpool Street Station at a quarter to nine on the evening of April 2 - possibly because the platform in question is one of the most remote and least used in the great terminus.”
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There were very few people upon Platform Number Twenty one of Liverpool Street Station at a quarter to nine on the evening of April 2 possibly because the platform in question is one of the most remote and least used in…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Vanished Messenger is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 7 for The untouchable.
- The Vanished Messenger has the widest readership — 69 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The untouchable | The Vanished Messenger | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.8 (69) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (7) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (48) | 4.5 (16) |
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Reception
| The untouchable | The Vanished Messenger | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 48 | 69 |
| Editions | 15 | 241 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | — | 85 |
| Reading it now | — | 21 |
| Written reviews | — | 8 |
| Wikipedia attention | 714 | — |
| Pages | 409 | 245 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The untouchable or The Vanished Messenger?
The untouchable has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The untouchable 3.9/5, The Vanished Messenger 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The untouchable or The Vanished Messenger?
The Vanished Messenger is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Vanished Messenger (245 pages, ≈ 4 h 32 m); The untouchable (409 pages, ≈ 7 h 34 m).
Which is harder to read: The untouchable or The Vanished Messenger?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The untouchable: Moderate; The Vanished Messenger: Challenging.