A review by cate_ninetails
The Spy by Paulo Coelho

2.0

Despite being a history lover I actually don't know a lot about Mata Hari so I jumped at the chance to read this book. Presented as letters between Margaretha Zelle and her solicitor, Édouard Clunet, my main grievance with this book is that it is entirely too short for the rich source material. I was able to whisk through the 208 pages in a disappointingly short time, and unfortunately the narrative suffers for it, feeling rushed and patchy. The correspondence conceit also I feel is not managed well. It seems unnecessary, as certainly the book is mostly written as a short story. Until we see the answer from the solicitor I could have forgotten I was reading a letter at all. Perhaps they would have been better presented as a series of letters to better construct the flow of events, because I found some of the jumping around jarring.

All this aside, there is certainly so much that interests me about this woman that I am moved to find a more complete biography and learn more about her so for that I have the author to thank. I only wish that Mr. Coelho had taken the time to write something with more substance because it seems such a tragic story, especially considering the strides that women have made since. More than just a courtesan or a victim, Mata Hari is also a self made woman who created her own legend that endures to this day.