Regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the

IMO, E.

sales of the novel should be the subject of both main clause and modifying phrase.

D it is.

Can't be E.

E - Regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War, "sales of the spy novel reached"...

it sounds like the sales of the spy novel were regarded by the analysts as the result of tensions.

It does sounds like the sales of ~ by the "analysts".
Analysts regarded its sales as the result of the tensions => make sense!

where is "its"?

from your sentence it isn't clear who do "sales" belong to...

I picked E initially, but then rethought what it says and settled on D

What I meant was
"Analysts regarded sales of the novel as the result of the tensions"

yeah... I think I should go back to my origirinal E... not only because of this but because of the fact that original uses 1960s as a period when Americans were afraid of USSR, not during Cold War...

but still kind of b/w D and E... lesson learned... stick to your first strike

go with E. D is in passive. also "reaching..." doesnot sounds good.

I initially chose the choice D. cos the structure seems to be logical. Such as Cold War....When Americans.......

However "Reaching the Zenith...in 1960's" prompted me to change my mind to E.

Will go with E.

IMO others have modifier problem.

The spy novel was not the result of Cold war. But Cold war or the perception of the cold war could result in the high sales of spy novels.

I want to go with B here. Everything seems good, and i can live with the book reaching its zenith of sales.

E - correct - idiomatic and free of modifier errors.

A - incorrect - correct idioms are
1). "to regard as" not "to regard to be".
2). "to perceive as" not "to perceive like".

B - incorrect - "regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War" incorrectly modifies "the spy novel" instead of "sales of the spy novel"

C - incorrect - same modifier error as in B. Further "perceived....like" is unidiomatic.

D - incorrect - "reaching the zenith of its sales in the 1960s" incorrectly modifies "the spy novel". It should modify "sales of spy novel"

will go with E.

though there is no grammar errors in D,
E makes the sentence more meaningful than D does.

I think ETS would agree
Logic > Grammar.

D sounds weird,

Reaching the zenith of its sales in the 1960s, the spy novel was regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. as a constant threat.

Can the spy novel itself reach the zenith ?

Though we can see its sales in the choice D, (its= novel's), we can't ignore the existence of reachingwhich is supposed to modify the spy novel.

sales of the spy novel ... Regarded as the result of tensions
E it is

OA is E.

OE:
The original sentence contains several errors. First, the proper idiom is "to regard as" not "to regard to be". Second, the initial modifier "regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War" should modify "sales" and not "the spy novel." Third, the proper idiom is "to perceive as" not "to perceive like".

(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.

(B) The modifier "regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War" incorrectly describes the spy novel when it should modify sales of the spy novel. Moreover, the modifier use of "regarded . . . to be" is unidiomatic.

(C) The modifier "regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War" incorrectly describes the spy novel when it should modify sales of the spy novel. Additionally, the phrase "perceived the U.S.S.R like" is unidiomatic.

(D) The modifier "reaching the zenith of its sales in the 1960s" incorrectly describes the spy novel when it should modify sales of the spy novel.

(E) CORRECT. "Sales" is correctly positioned as the subject of the opening modifier. Additionally, the phrases "regarded by analysts as . . ." and "perceived the U.S.S.R as" are idiomatic.

another one

Lesson definitely learned

thanks dahiya for making me think

Originally chose (D), but after reading the OE I understand why it should be (E). Another good idiom to remember: perceive as~