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The Spy

Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author),

Zoë Perry (Goodreads Author) (Translator)

3.35 · Rating details · 32,431 ratings · 3,213 reviews

When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless.

Soon she was feted as the most elegant woman in the city.

A dancer who shocked and delighted audiences; a confidant and courtesan who bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men.

But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari’s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. Until, in 1917 she was arrested in her hotel roo ...more

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Hardcover, 208 pages

Published November 22nd 2016 by Hutchinson (first published 2016)

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Lists with This Book

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

The Best of Paulo Coelho

31 books — 837 voters

Mata Hari's Last Dance by Michelle Moran

Mata Hari, The True Story by Russell Warren Howe

Mata Hari - Fiction & Non-Fiction

12 books — 7 voters

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Dec 06, 2016 Tonstant Weader rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-novel

Mata Hari really deserves better than she has been getting in the literary department. First there was Mata Hari’s Last Dance by Michelle Moran that made her inexplicably obtuse and naive considering her accomplishments. Now Paulo Coelho gives us The Spy which seems to be nothing more than a contrivance for some New Age aphorisms. He sees her as someone who was an emancipated woman, that freedom was her crime, but ignores the reality that made her “free”.

The real Mata Hari is more interesting. M Mata Hari really deserves better than she has been getting in the literary department. First there was Mata Hari’s Last Dance by Michelle Moran that made her inexplicably obtuse and naive considering her accomplishments. Now Paulo Coelho gives us The Spy which seems to be nothing more than a contrivance for some New Age aphorisms. He sees her as someone who was an emancipated woman, that freedom was her crime, but ignores the reality that made her “free”.

The real Mata Hari is more interesting. Margaretha Zelle MacLeod was a brave woman who fled sexual abuse and rape by a school headmaster by marrying a man she met by answering an ad. She moved with her husband to Indonesia and discovered that she went from the frying pan to the fire.

He was an abusive man whose gave her syphilis and nearly killed her on more than one occasion. His syphilis likely infected their two children. Their son died, and their daughter, Non, survived. They alleged that a nanny poisoned the children, but historians think it was a cover story as no one was charged. They divorced and she got custody but he refused to pay child support and she eventually gave her daughter back to her ex-husband because he could afford to care for her. Coelho reveals the abuse and the cheating, but ignores that she tried many “respectable” careers for women, trying to support herself and her daughter, before becoming Mata Hari. She did not leave her daughter lightly or ever forget her. She wrote to his cousin confessing that she slept with men for money, “Don’t think that I’m bad at heart, I have done it only out of poverty.”

From this desperation, she forged a career as a dancer and as woman who slept with men for money and favors. Coelho presents her as a libertine, a free-love free spirit, emancipated. She was not. In reality, she wrote, “My own husband has given me a distaste for matters sexual such as I cannot forget,” That of course is not in this book because it contradicts his story of a free woman. Reality was more complicated, a woman who did not so much choose her profession as accept it, and once accepting it, pursued it to the heights of fame and celebrity. To me it seems that using men for fame, wealth, and power came from rage at how they had used her, not vanity and greed. If greed were her motivation, she would not have tried many other occupations first.

It’s been ninety-nine years since Mata Hari was executed. As confidential documents have been declassified, the evidence make clear she was innocent, convicted as a scapegoat for military failures. World War I was a bloodbath, a war of attrition that slaughtered 60% of the men of a generation. Those who made the decisions could not pay, but a foreigner, a prostitute, a nude dancer, she could pay, and pay with her life. Her story is dramatic and oh-so-very moral. A woman transgresses and climbs high but then is brought low, punished for her transgressions, punished for being independent and greedy and vain and for sleeping around. The story of Mata Hari is pure slut-shaming.

Unless the story is real and tells the truth about where she came from, what her motivations were, and how determinedly she dragged herself up from poverty and desperation. Coelho does not do that at all. He makes it sound like she did it easily, she goes to Paris, meets the right people and she’s rich. She never misses her daughter or agonizes over her loss. She’s shallow and stupid, meeting Freud and Stravinsky and others and forgetting their first names, a name dropper who can’t remember the name…pathetic.

With her recently released letters that reveal her own thoughts about her career and her daughter, it seems inexcusable to me that she is still presented as a sexual libertine seeking fame and money, rather than the far more nuanced and complicated woman she really was. Worse, to have her struggle exploited as a vehicle for pabulum like “when we don’t know where life is taking us, we are never lost” or “an artist who desires very little and achieves it has failed in life”

Part One of the book is a letter written by Mata Hari to her lawyer and it does not feel authentic, but it is tolerable next to the histrionic letter written by her lawyer that makes up Part Two. It was only because the book is short, closer to a novella than a novel, and I was so close to finishing, that I kept reading through Part Two. Consider this gem when speaking of the injustice of her fate, “it will continue to happen until the end of time, or until man finds out he is not only what he thinks, but mostly what he feels. The body tires easily, but the spirit is always free and will help us get out, one day, from this infernal cycle of repeating the same mistakes every generation.”

I don’t recommend this book. It’s an inauthentic story by a writer who prefers to push his own philosophy rather than seek the real woman hiding behind the myth. It seems unjust that this woman who was abused her school, her husband, many men and her adopted country, used and betrayed and executed as a scapegoat continues to be exploited and abused by writers who deny her complexity and the very real grit and courage she had.

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Dec 18, 2016 Nat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, diverse-reads

“I am a woman who was born at the wrong time and nothing can be done to fix this. I don’t know if the future will remember me, but if it does, may it never see me as a victim, but as someone who moved forward with courage, fearlessly paying the price she had to pay.”

I picked this one up randomly at the library at the very last second, after spending over half an hour looking for the perfect read. And I’m pleased to say that Paulo Coelho impressed me and then some.

The Spy has brilliant starting ...more

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Oct 08, 2017 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 21th-century, fiction, historical

A Espiã = The Spy, Paulo Coelho

Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod (7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and executed by firing squad in France.

When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless. Within months she was the most celebrated woman in the city. As a dancer, she shocked and delighted audiences; as a courtesan, she bewitched the era’s riche ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 Heidi The Reader rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

The Spy is the story of Mata Hari, told first in her voice and then from the point of view of one of her male admirers.

Paulo Coelho isn't at his best in this novel.

He prefers and excels at metaphorical stories. For example, in this tale, Coelho has Mata Hari comparing herself to the nightingale that impaled itself on a thorn to grow a bright red rose for a young man in love.

I get what he was reaching for- but I think this tale would have been told better through details rather than metaphors.

Als ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Kevin Kuhn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Believe it or not, I might be one of the few people on the planet who have not yet read “The Alchemist”. It is certainly on my list, and I’ve heard many people list it as their favorite book and has changed their life. Due to this and a little knowledge of Mata Hari (just recalling she was an exotic dancer found to be a spy during World War I), when I saw “The Spy” at the bookstore, I picked it up. Besides the cover is captivating, with an old black and white head shot of Mata Hari overlaid on a Believe it or not, I might be one of the few people on the planet who have not yet read “The Alchemist”. It is certainly on my list, and I’ve heard many people list it as their favorite book and has changed their life. Due to this and a little knowledge of Mata Hari (just recalling she was an exotic dancer found to be a spy during World War I), when I saw “The Spy” at the bookstore, I picked it up. Besides the cover is captivating, with an old black and white head shot of Mata Hari overlaid on a sparkly background of blue, fading to green, then pink. It caught my eye, and between the author and the subject matter, I couldn’t pass it up. I think this is another case of my having too high of expectations.

I wasn’t disappointed by the story of Mata Hari. Unlikely, tragic, and intriguing, there is a great deal to take away from the story. But honestly, it was the facts and the true events that fascinated me, not Coelho’s writing or approach. There were aspects that didn’t feel right with Mata Hari as the storyteller, for example, she loses a child. It gets one or two lines then is dismissed. Based on the rest of the sympathetic portrayal, this seem out of character. Which events get detailed verses which are summarized and quickly passed seems random or maybe based on the detail of historical information. Anyways, big picture, I was disappointed with Coelho storytelling. As a pure story, it never pulled me in, and as a historical account, it felt lacking and spotty. Still, the lady, her life and cultural impacts were fascinating, so let’s focus on that for a moment. This review will explore her life in some detail, so spoiler warning, stop here if you don’t want more.

(view spoiler)[ Born, Margaretha Geertuida MacLeod, Mata was of Dutch descent and despite all appearances had no middle eastern or Asian ancestry. While this seems like the central deception of which underscores a whole life of lies, it was not uncommon for dancers in this era to invent exotic backstories for their characters. Margreet, as she was known in her childhood, began life privileged. Her father invested in oil and made small fortune. She went to private schools and lived well until she was around thirteen, when her father went bankrupt. Her parents divorced and her family fell into ruin. Her father’s failure was only the first of a long list of men failing Margreet her entire life. Her high school principle reportedly raped her. Her first husband beat her, raped her, and kept a mistress. And then late in her life, the one man she truly fell in love with completely abandoned her during her trial as a spy.

It’s this continuous failure of men, that really highlights her heartbreaking life. She tries to pull herself out of poverty first by marriage, then by becoming an exotic dancer. In order to become successful, she finds herself sleeping with many powerful and influential men. High society first adores her, using the guise of artistry and modern dance based on authentic sacred Hindu dances, to cover the real appeal – a carefree, provocative strip tease. Eventually, as her novelty wears thin and she ages, critics turn on her. As World War I breaks out, she is pulled (somewhat willingly), into an inept attempt by both the Germans and the French to become a spy and double agent. While men are dying by the thousands both sides attempt to use Mata Hari as a seductress, and she falls into to it, somewhat from fear, but also herself seduced by the desire to be viewed as mysterious and intriguing. The French Government, desperate to deflect the attention from their military fiascos, use Mata Hara as the ultimate scapegoat. In a moment that really defines her life, Mata seductively blows the firing squad a kiss, as they kill her. (hide spoiler)]

Mata Hari was a woman who did anything to pull her life out of poverty and failure. She was used by men, but also manipulated them to become famous and live lavishly. But I don’t believe she choose this life, she reacted to a string of horrific events; rapes, beatings, betrayals the only way she could, with seduction and deceit. While she temporarily found fame and notoriety, she never found requited love. Her extraordinary life was retold many times in many ways through films, plays, musicals, books and even an Opera. Some works focus on her archetype as a femme fetale and others as a victim and scapegoat. While I think Coelho gets her portrayal largely correct, and I valued the retelling of her life, his book falls short of my sky high expectations in terms of exposing the lessons of her tragic life. ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: translated, historical-fiction, retelling-reimagining, listened-to-audiobook, read-2016, stand-alone-novel

Mata Hari...was she a spy or wasn't she? Did she serve as a double agent for Germany and France throughout World War I or did a malicious allegation with zero evidence destroy her life? In this re-imagining based on nonfiction accounts, author Paulo Coelho says no. Her only crime was her choice to be an independent woman, exposing the world to feminism for the very first time, and for that she lost her life by firing squad.

As Mata Hari waited for execution, one of her last requests was for a pen and paper to write letters. Over the past two decades, Germany, Holland, and the U.K.’s MI5 released their files on Mata Hari which provided tons of insight and information into her life. Mr. Coelho combined information from these letters, a researched timeline, along with creative liberties to write a first-person account of Mata Hari's life starting from about age sixteen.

I loved Mr. Coelho's summarized portrayal of this amazing woman. I wish this novel was longer because I wanted to know her much more. However, I highly respect that Mr. Coelho didn't just make stuff up to fill the pages. I'd like to think that The Spy is as fact-based as possible and if the book feels too short it's because you can't write what you don't know. Fairly recently, I read another re-imagining about nonfiction characters where the opposite was done and I have lost all respect for that particular author. The Spy is the first book I have ever read by Paulo Coelho and I look forward to exploring his other work. But most importantly, I look forward to doing my own research about the amazing Mata Hari. If you enjoy stories about strong women who push the boundaries for our gender, then do some research for yourself...and consider checking out The Spy!

My favorite quote:
"The Greeks have a word full of contradictory meanings: metanoia. Sometimes it means repentance, contrition, confession of sins, the promise not to repeat what we did wrong. At other times it means going beyond what we know to stand face to face with the unknown without recollection or memory, without understanding how it will be to take the next step. We are bound to our lives, to our pasts, to the laws of what we consider right or wrong, and suddenly everything changes. We walk the street without fear and greet out neighbors. But moments later they are no longer our neighbors. They put up fences and barbed wire so we can no longer see things as they were before. So it will be with me. With the Germans. With men who decided to find it easier to let an innocent woman die than to recognize their own mistakes. It is a shame that what happens today already happened yesterday and will happen again tomorrow. It will continue to happen until the end of time or until man finds out he is not only what he things but mostly what he feels. The body tires easily but the spirit is always free and will help us get out one day from this infernal cycle of repeating the same mistakes every generation. Although thoughts always remain the same, there is something stronger, and this is called love." ...more

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Dec 13, 2016 Rebbie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

This book reminds me that I shouldn't read historical fiction novels that are based on specific people, rather than a general time period. I'm too critical, and no doubt I expect too much from authors who are brave enough to take on the daunting task of getting inside another person's mind.

I'm of the belief that if you dare to feel that you have the insight into someone else's inner workings and what makes them tick, you better make damn sure that your instinct of human nature is sharp and on po This book reminds me that I shouldn't read historical fiction novels that are based on specific people, rather than a general time period. I'm too critical, and no doubt I expect too much from authors who are brave enough to take on the daunting task of getting inside another person's mind.

I'm of the belief that if you dare to feel that you have the insight into someone else's inner workings and what makes them tick, you better make damn sure that your instinct of human nature is sharp and on point. Otherwise, you have exactly what happened with this story.

Coelho allowed his personal political feelings of feminism to cast a shadow over the book, which undermines the integrity of Mata Hari's true story. Regardless of how he feels, a modicum of extra research would have enlightened him to the fact that Mata Hari was a prostitute out of sheer necessity; it was either that or starve to death.

It was NOT to explore some raging undercurrent of sexual desire that she felt entitled to explore at the expense of her daughter's safety. How Coelho fails to see how this would actually make MH seem less sympathetic truly boggles the mind.

She also didn't leave her daughter with a violently abusive man so easily, especially to chase some pipe dream (at the time) of female liberation and equality. These very specific frame of thoughts were not actively investigated with such gusto until decades later, when women had the emotional support of other women, just so they could avoid the exact situation MH was in: prostitution, because there were precious few other choices for a woman.

To think otherwise is nothing more than a slap in the face to all of the women and children who have been adversely effected by the lack of options for women to leave an abusive husband, and earn the income it takes to provide for their children well enough to escape severe poverty.

And that's why I gave it 2 stars, even though it was painful for me to do so. His heart might have been in the right place, but his agenda should've been left out of this story. This is the wrong platform to use for it, especially as it does not apply here. However, I do love Paulo Coelho, and I look forward to reading more of his books.

...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Aditi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews, paris, friends, family, historical-fiction, penguin-books, france, biograpghy, germany

“Death is nothing, nor life either, for that matter. To die, to sleep, to pass into nothingness, what does it matter? Everything is an illusion.”

----Mata Hari

Paulo Coelho, the international bestselling author, pens a gripping and part fictional tale on the life of a legendary dancer cum falsely accused as a spy, Mata Hari in his new novel, The Spy that opens with the execution of this exotic and talented dancer by the French, but then the author spins a riveting autobiographical account of th ...more

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Mar 19, 2017 Jill McGill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

HER ONLY CRIME WAS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

Margaretha Zelle, aka Mata Hari, was a famous "exotic" dancer who shocked and dazzled audiences; as a prostitute, she entertained the most richest and powerful men.

But unfortunately this lifestyle also brought her under suspicion. In 1917, Mata Hari was arrested in Paris, and accused of espionage. She then was put on trial and executed for treason, and in all likelihood was innocent.

Mata Hari would be considered a feminist hero in today's world, a wo ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Penny (Literary Hoarders) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kobo-book, review-copy-provided, edelweiss, books-read-in-2016

Finally a solid read! This one was short enough where I started this morning and was able to finish it this afternoon. Fascinating story of Mata Hari. Basically, the woman was executed for being considered a double agent but on such flimsy evidence that her execution was seemingly to save the asses and protect the reputation of the powerful men she slept with. A woman that once again rang that tired old bell "I was born at the wrong time." When will it ever be the right time for women to be born ...more

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Mar 03, 2017 Terri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies-general, french-fiction, spy-espionage-history, spy-rings-in-history

I was disappointed in this book considering that the Brazilian author is Paulo Coelho, which is why I wanted to read it. My knowledge of the dancer and famous spy, Mati Hari, is still scarce after reading the book. I felt that the author "phoned it in" and it felt superficial and thin. Mati Hari was a Dutch exotic dancer and mistress to powerful men (both French and German) who was convicted of being a spy for the Germans in World War 1. She was found guilty and shot to death by a firing squad ...more

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Jan 09, 2018 Fiona MacDonald rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

Utterly heartbreaking story. Wonderfully told (Paulo Coelho is a master of the written word) and just so incredibly sad to read. Mata Hari's voice speaks through the pages eloquently, passionately and sensually. I really enjoyed this... no, in fact I loved it. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is interested in Mata Hari's life. ...more

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Mar 20, 2018 Erin Clemence rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

This review is for the audio version of “The Spy” written by Paulo Coelho, narrated by Hillary Huber and Paul Boehmer, and published by Random House Audio.

I continue to read Paulo Coelho books thinking I’ll like them. I choose them because they are so small and therefore I assume they will be easy to read. I also choose them because I hear nothing but good things about Mr. Coelho, especially about how his novels are poignant, well-loved and world-renowned. This exact trap suckered me in w ...more

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Jan 04, 2018 Kelsie O'Driscoll rated it really liked it

After picking up this book, I did some research on Mata Hari before reading the book. Obviously, the book cannot compare to the events that transpired in her life, but I believe Paulo Coelho gave this woman a voice that was condemned by a rigorous society. You can immediately tell that this is a work by Coelho because of his use of metaphors and prose, but it is a delightful read that I, personally, needed at the moment. Instead of picking up a self-help book (no shame in that, I do too!), I hig ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it

Mata Hari was penniless when she arrived in Paris. Soon she is one of the most elegant women in the city.

Paranoia consumed a country at war and Mata Hari's lifestyle comes under suspicion. in 1917 she was arrested and accused of espionage.

The book is told from Mata Hari's final letter. A woman who dared to break the conventions of her time and paid the price for it. Even facing the firing squad she never lost her dignity.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the autho ...more

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Jan 01, 2017 Elena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5

My goal for 2017: Read all of his books.

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Nov 01, 2017 Raghdaa Morad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

2.5 ⭐️ this book was a big disappointment I think i had enough of Coelho writings.

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Jun 19, 2017 Pechi rated it liked it · review of another edition

With this quick evening read, I acquaint myself with Paulo Coelho.

Coelho being one of the most popular authors alive and his books selling in millions, I was a bit skeptical while approaching this book. But all the skepticism evaporated as soon as I began reading the first chapter. All popular books needn't necessarily be bad! Lesson learnt.

Clear prose with interwoven philosophies dictates the life of Mata Hari - who turns out not to be a spy at all but a rather free-spirited woman born a cent ...more

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Dec 02, 2017 Imane rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies, historical-fiction

“The greatest crime i committed was being an emancipated and independent woman in a world ruled by men .”

Mata Hari... traitorous spy, or a victim of male bias ? In this summarized portrayal of this enigmatic woman, we follow the life of Margaretha Zelle an exotic dancer accused of espionage for Germany during World War I. Altough I didn't enjoy this as much as the Alchemist, for me it was a little dry and disjointed. However I still tought it was an enjoyable and worth it read. ...more

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Nov 06, 2017 Katherine rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: bloody-awful, adult, dishonor-on-your-cow, mystery-thriller, historical-fiction, world-war-i, spies

”The crimes I did commit, I escaped, the greatest of which was being an emancipated and independent women in a world ruled by men.”

***This book review is dedicated to my hurricane ass-kicking friend Emer, whose love for Paulo Coelho knows no bounds and sent Hurricane Ophelia running like a banshee.***

photo 49988c39c0975018a7e72e5a1bfef19f_zpsmjhn9dej.gif

Synopsis: Having spent all of his time saving Hawkins, Indiana, Steve Harrington completely forgot to write his history report about Mata Hari due the next week and turns in this sorry excus ...more

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Feb 04, 2017 Bree Hill rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was INCREDIBLE. My only con was that at certain moments things will get mentioned and you are left with unanswered questions. The author only tells you so much but you get so invested in what is going on you don't want to have to fill in the blanks! Other than that I loved it. There are less than ten pages in this 180ish book that I DIDNT highlight something on.
So many beautifully written passages. ...more

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Apr 06, 2019 ☕️Hélène⚜️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was amazing. So, sad too. The execution by firing squad in 1917 I think. She was used by powerful men and that was part of the cause why she was executed.

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Jan 11, 2017 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2017-popsugar-challenge, 2017

Upon hearing the name Mata Hari the first thing that comes to mind is the Greta Garbo character in the 1931 movie of the same name. Mata Hari - exotic dancer, courtesan, cunning woman who used her feminine wiles to seduce powerful men and obtain secrets for the enemy. But was she really a spy for the Germans? In Paulo Coehlo’s latest novel, The Spy, Mata Hari is given much better treatment. Some reviews have even deemed it hagiographic. Gone is the villain seductress and in her place is a libera ...more

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Sep 30, 2017 Peter Monn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such a great read! Check out my full review on my booktube channel at http://youtube.com/peterlikesbooks ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 Md. Al Fidah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

the benefit of translation, one day is enough to finish the whole book :)

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Dec 26, 2017 Chris Dietzel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this, as I enjoy everything Coelho writes, but I wasn't drawn in as much as I was with some of his other books. For me, Coelho is at his best when the entire story is a fable that teaches about the hidden paths in life (The Alchemist, The Zahir). This one had a little bit of that but was much more focused on historical fiction. It was neat to see the author approach that genre, though. ...more

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Feb 23, 2017 Alison rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 STARS.
Now this, this is a feminist type read I can get behind. Based on true events and a very much real woman (who I am most definitely going to be researching further), this was an incredible read about a woman who did what she wanted with her body and strived for a different life and was essential executed because of it. It's more complicated than that, and this is from her letter in jail, but I was intrigued and enlightened and would highly recommend this. ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 KC rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-thriller

This is the story of Margaretha Zelle, aka, Mata Hari. She was abused as a girl by her teacher and then as a young wife by her much older and jealous husband. After suffering the loss of her infant son, she left her home and young daughter to seek fame. By trade she was an exotic dancer and a courtesan. She also was an accused spy during WWI who was tried and executed in front of a firing squad. This tale is told from her point of view, through letters. She was fluent in multiple languages and t ...more

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Sep 30, 2017 Dave rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This was an ok book... nothing exciting or thrilling about it and it times I had to push myself to read on. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. If you wanted to read about Mata Hari I'm sure you could find something else out there with a bit more entertainment to it. ...more

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Dec 04, 2016 Richard rated it really liked it

I was fortunate to read "Mata Hari: The Controversial Life and Legacy of World War I's Most Famous Spy" by Charles River Editors, a title almost as long as the book. It gave me a thorough review of a woman everyone feels they know.
I was therefore excited to get the chance to read "the Spy by the accomplished author Paulo Coelho. I was delighted with this book that seeks to tell the story from Mata Hari's point of view and later with an apology from her counsel. It is clear that even all these y I was fortunate to read "Mata Hari: The Controversial Life and Legacy of World War I's Most Famous Spy" by Charles River Editors, a title almost as long as the book. It gave me a thorough review of a woman everyone feels they know.
I was therefore excited to get the chance to read "the Spy by the accomplished author Paulo Coelho. I was delighted with this book that seeks to tell the story from Mata Hari's point of view and later with an apology from her counsel. It is clear that even all these years after the event she is deemed a spy when the book raises so many issues.
I liked the idea that she was a woman out of her time; I thought it was interesting to read of some of the famous people she met and the comparison with the treatment of Oscar Wilde. It seems shocking to believe he has been revised justifiably in modern times but a woman who sought pleasure and fame is still seen in a notorious light.
There is something to be said that at a time when the war was going so badly for the French her arrest, trial and execution were a distraction. Certainly more recent conspiracy theories can accept a political explanation. It would be good if some statement were made to acknowledge the lack of evidence within the next couple of years before the 100th anniversary of her death sentence.
The story is so worth reading from a social and historical perspective. As a woman Mata Hari had few options other than a life of toil and drudgery due to family debt that scuppered her ambition. the impact of her treatment in terms of sexual abuse can not be discounted either in forging the person she became. In re-inventing herself she tapped into the freedoms associated with this period of history and became more than a husband's wife. In a different time she may have been a courtesan but her sexual freedom and exploitation of men were insufficient to be accused and left to die.
A stimulating read; not racy and with sexual content but a honest reflection of a imperfect woman beautifully reworked in the imagings of a great writer but based on facts and to my mind a nation's disgrace. Unfortunately her life was untimely ended when countless young men were being slaughtered daily. ...more

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About Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho

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The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow in The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in Wordpress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work. ...more

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Quotes from The Spy

“Love is an act of faith & its face should always be covered in mystery. Every moment should be lived with feeling & emotion because if we try to decipher it & understand it, the magic disappears.” — 49 likes

“When we don't know where life is taking us, we are never lost.” — 40 likes

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