Skip to main content

The Spy by Paulo Coelho (Book Reviews- 3.5/5)

The Alchemist author Paulo Coelho's latest book 'The Spy' is based on the adventurous life of the famous accused secret agent of the late 1800s, Mata Hari. Written in the format of a pair of exchanged letters, the novel throws light on the early life of the exotic Dutch dancer, and her side of explanation for the convinced espionage.

 The story begins with the execution process of Margaretha Zelle - stage name Mata Hari - by the French government. The absence of fear from the dancer's face and body language reflects her boldness since the very beginning. The story moves forward in the form of a letter by Mata Hari to her attorney, Maitre Clunet. The letter encapsulates her entire life journey; from a little girl in Holland to being deceitfully married to finally becoming the desire of scores of men around the world.

 The 208-page novel has been published by Penguin Random House in a hardcover format, which is pretty handy and kind of cute too, The bestselling author has included a few brilliant quotes in the drama fiction, including:

 "They're tulip seeds, the symbol of our country. But, more than that, they represent a truth you must learn. These seeds will always be tulips, even if at the moment you cannot tell them apart from other flowers. They will never turn into roses or sunflowers, no matter how much they might desire to. And if they try to deny their own existence, they will live life bitter and die."
&

"When we don't know where life is taking us, we are never lost."

 There are moments when the reader feels pity for Mata Hari and simultaneously bewildered by her boldness and beauty. She is pretty much in depression, right from separating from her parents, ill-fated marriage, and abandoning her baby daughter, and tries to cover the void with seductive dance and expensive haute couture dresses. The reader feels very connected with the lead character at many points, and Coelho makes sure the reader finds her/himself lost completely in the story, like all of his books.

 The Spy brings with it the touching story of Mata Hari, but since the plot is based on a real incident, the book somehow lacks the freshness of Paulo Coelho's stories. The Spy isn't very successful at bringing out the peculiarity of Coelho's writing, unlike his other writings The Alchemist & Adultery. The book somehow doesn't appear to be a 100% Paulo Coehlo creation to the reader.

 I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Book details:  

Title: The Spy
Author: Paulo Coelho
Category: Contemporary Fiction

Find the book: Amazon | Goodreads | Flipkart 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Perks of being a Solo Traveler: What my amazing Solo Trips taught me

Today marks the first anniversary of my first ever solo-trip. I had picked Agra, Uttar Pradesh for I was always mesmerized by the breathtakingly beautiful Taj Mahal. After somehow convincing my parents to allow me to travel alone, I landed up in Agra for a three-day trip.              It's fun, it's slightly overwhelming, even weird at times, but the experience of being on your own in a new town taught me a lot. Here are some perks that the adventure of solo travel brings along with it:   1. You make all the rules: Wanna go lakeside at 5 am? Or feeling like taking a nap in the afternoon? You can do whatever you like, whenever you like. Evening walks by the sea shore or enjoying breeze in the balcony, it's totally your call. Taj Mahal, Agra, UttarPradesh 2. Staying at amazing hostels: Backpacker hostels are far safer and cheaper than hotel rooms. Moreover, sharing your dorm room with travelers from different nationalities is an...
5 comments
Read more

A Life of my Own by Rupangi Sharma (Book Reviews: 4/5)

'A Life of my Own' is a story that will take you on an emotional ride; sympathy, joy, anger, and pride, all wrapped up in this 168 page book. Shweta is pregnant for the first time post several years of her marriage, but her husband and in-laws force her to consult a doctor for the baby's gender reveal. Things go downhill after that and Shweta has no other choice but to protect her foetus from her torturing in-laws. Her journey is inspiring and written with honesty. The uniqueness of the plot was the conversation between the baby and God, where the inquisitive former would ask a variety of questions about it's mother and the people around her. Their brief chit-chats are pretty interesting as well. I appreciate the author's way of presenting her characters. As much I enjoyed reading the book, my heart sank down everytime there was a remark on female foeticide in India and the blind bias for a male child. We usually ignore this fact assuming it's a rural thing and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Rule Breakers by Preeti Shenoy (Book Reviews: 4/5)

Preeti Shenoy's latest release is based in the small tourist town of Joshimath in the foothills of the Himalayas. The progatonist, Veda, a 20-year-old English Arts student has been raised in a house with a strict father, a meek mother and four siblings, Veda being the eldest of all. The story revolves around the dramatic lifestyle changes happening time to time in Veda's life once she moves to Pune post an expeditious wedding to live with her in-laws.   Veda has been an obedient, dutiful child of her parents quite in contrast to her immediately younger sister Vidya, the rebel of the house. Her parents were never interested in getting the women of the house educated and believed in preparing them for marriage as soon as the first proposal came towards their way. Shenoy's lead character gets married to an eight-year-older Bhuwan working in a multinational company. The plot moves forward with Veda's mother-in-law's torturous behaviour towards her, accompanied...
Post a Comment
Read more