Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin Classics (1997), Paperback, 448 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: Looking for a stiff dose of seat-of-your-pants wartime action and adventure? Check out The Spy from American literary master James Fenimore Cooper. This extensively researched tale of the Revolutionary War focuses on the exploits of protagonist Harry Birch, who is passionately devoted to the cause of American independence but nonetheless finds himself falsely accused of treason..
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsLee
It has been forever since I've read this, but I remember it as gripping and fun to read. In my naive youth, I never thought about spies before the Cold War. :)
LibraryThing member AliceaP
It's important to remember the time period that a book was written in when delving into a work of classical literature. For example, The Spy came out in 1821 when American novelists were still focused on telling stories about their brethren over the pond. It was quite revolutionary (pun sooo
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intended) to focus a story on American soil. The story is set during the American Revolution and opens at the end of 1780. Slavery clearly still practiced and attitudes about the slaves themselves were not altogether complimentary. If you go into a work of classic literature without remembering the context of the story itself then you are doomed to find the entire body of work unpalatable. With that being said, I must say I really enjoyed The Spy. True to the style of the time there was a lot of focus on unimportant details which made a majority of the tale drag on somewhat. I felt that it didn't really pick up steam (or grab my interest) until about 3/4 of the way through. There are two fantastic characters, however, which kept me turning those pages: Captain John Lawton (of the Continental Army who is fierce, brave, and impetuous) and Harvey Birch (the spy himself who is always full of wit and intensity). These two indomitable spirits are what make this story a classic piece of American literature. Show Less
LibraryThing member zabs
Great story
LibraryThing member lissabeth21
Concise and interesting. It's like an appetizer; I'm ready for more.
LibraryThing member JBarringer
Mark Twain was right about James Fenimore Cooper- he is not the best writer, and I really wished while reading this book that Cooper had had a stubborn and talented editor to help him polish his writing. The Spy is a great story, but told with a lack of grace that leaves the reader feeling a bit
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lost, disconnected and dissatisfied. Still, there are many modern authors who write just about as badly and become bestsellers, so there are always readers who will enjoy the story and not mind the poor craftsmanship in this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member citizencane
"The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground" was first published in 1821 and was the second of Cooper's published works and his first commercial success. The action of the novel takes place in Westchester ("West Chester") County, NY in 1780 not long after the defection of Benedict Arnold to the British
As espionage tales go this is actually pretty thin on the activities of the protagonist as a spy. The hero is in fact a double agent who is apparently a spy working in the service of Sir Henry Clinton, and wanted desperately for hanging by the Americans who are unaware that, in fact, he is an agent of George Washington. The plot, in so far, as it chronicles the activities of the hero, consists of his efforts to elude the American forces or to escape his captors when taken prisoner. Along the way he distinguishes himself through services rendered to members of the Wharton family, whose only son is a British serving officer, taken while in civilian disguise, during a family visit and doomed to the same fate as Major Andre and our hero.
The Wharton family symbolizes the American people writ large. As is often the case in a civil conflict the family members' are divided in the loyalties. The son, Henry, is an serving British officer. The loyalties of his sisters Sarah and Frances are divided between the King (Sarah) and native country (Frances). Their father strives to maintain a public facing neutrality while privately leaning toward the British cause. Their aunt Jeanette Peyton, a Virginia transplant, who is the younger sister of Mr. Wharton's late wife. It turns out that her relative, Peyton Dunwoodie, is a major in the American army and the the ranking local commander of a troop of dragoons stationed in the area.
Major Dunwoodie is a childhood friend of Captain Henry Wharton, the British officer who is threatened with execution by hanging after his capture in civilian disguise by Dunwoodie's subordinate, Captain Lawton. Dunwoodie's difficulties are further complicated by his affections for young Frances.
The supporting cast of characters includes a Colonel Wellmere, a British officer, much admired by Sarah Wharton; a Captain Singleton who is seriously wounded during a battle that takes place near the Whartons' home, his sister Isabella who is transported to the scene to attend to her brother during his convalescence; Dr. Sitgreaves , a surgeon attached to the American army; Katy Haynes, the housekeeper to John Birch and his son Harvey (our protagonist); Betty Flanagan,a female sutler and perhaps camp follower of the American dragoons; The Wharton family's black slave, Caesar, and a mysterious gentleman named Harper who kicks off the story, but then disappears until near the end of the narrative.
Cooper writes in a style reminiscent of Jane Austen. His heroes and heroines are exemplars of manliness and the feminine virtues and their dialogue is formal and moderate in tone at least as it concerns the Wharton family, the officers and Harvey Birch. The men are animated by honor, patriotism, loyalty (to their brethren and the their duty), courage and regard for reputation. The ladies are modest, tender hearted, devoted to their family, and virtuous in love.
Like a good movie serial the action involves one near miraculous escape after another, romance, heroism above and beyond, and the threat to safety and happiness posed by cads, cowards and blackguards. This is clearly a tale that is out of fashion and is not for those readers who strive to be politically correct and as such consider concepts such as "gentlemen" and "ladies' to be modes of oppression. If you belong the 1619 Project school of American history this is not for you.
For the rest of us, Cooper's "Tale of the Neutral Ground" is highly recommended.
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and the capture and execution of his British contact, Major Andre.As espionage tales go this is actually pretty thin on the activities of the protagonist as a spy. The hero is in fact a double agent who is apparently a spy working in the service of Sir Henry Clinton, and wanted desperately for hanging by the Americans who are unaware that, in fact, he is an agent of George Washington. The plot, in so far, as it chronicles the activities of the hero, consists of his efforts to elude the American forces or to escape his captors when taken prisoner. Along the way he distinguishes himself through services rendered to members of the Wharton family, whose only son is a British serving officer, taken while in civilian disguise, during a family visit and doomed to the same fate as Major Andre and our hero.
The Wharton family symbolizes the American people writ large. As is often the case in a civil conflict the family members' are divided in the loyalties. The son, Henry, is an serving British officer. The loyalties of his sisters Sarah and Frances are divided between the King (Sarah) and native country (Frances). Their father strives to maintain a public facing neutrality while privately leaning toward the British cause. Their aunt Jeanette Peyton, a Virginia transplant, who is the younger sister of Mr. Wharton's late wife. It turns out that her relative, Peyton Dunwoodie, is a major in the American army and the the ranking local commander of a troop of dragoons stationed in the area.
Major Dunwoodie is a childhood friend of Captain Henry Wharton, the British officer who is threatened with execution by hanging after his capture in civilian disguise by Dunwoodie's subordinate, Captain Lawton. Dunwoodie's difficulties are further complicated by his affections for young Frances.
The supporting cast of characters includes a Colonel Wellmere, a British officer, much admired by Sarah Wharton; a Captain Singleton who is seriously wounded during a battle that takes place near the Whartons' home, his sister Isabella who is transported to the scene to attend to her brother during his convalescence; Dr. Sitgreaves , a surgeon attached to the American army; Katy Haynes, the housekeeper to John Birch and his son Harvey (our protagonist); Betty Flanagan,a female sutler and perhaps camp follower of the American dragoons; The Wharton family's black slave, Caesar, and a mysterious gentleman named Harper who kicks off the story, but then disappears until near the end of the narrative.
Cooper writes in a style reminiscent of Jane Austen. His heroes and heroines are exemplars of manliness and the feminine virtues and their dialogue is formal and moderate in tone at least as it concerns the Wharton family, the officers and Harvey Birch. The men are animated by honor, patriotism, loyalty (to their brethren and the their duty), courage and regard for reputation. The ladies are modest, tender hearted, devoted to their family, and virtuous in love.
Like a good movie serial the action involves one near miraculous escape after another, romance, heroism above and beyond, and the threat to safety and happiness posed by cads, cowards and blackguards. This is clearly a tale that is out of fashion and is not for those readers who strive to be politically correct and as such consider concepts such as "gentlemen" and "ladies' to be modes of oppression. If you belong the 1619 Project school of American history this is not for you.
For the rest of us, Cooper's "Tale of the Neutral Ground" is highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member debbie13410
This was written in 1821 and frankly I had a hard time comprehending the style of writing. I really didn't want to take the time to study it. It was almost like reading Shakespeare. I want to read Last of the Mohicans so I will be sure to have my dictionary out and take plenty of time to comprehend
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it. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1836
Physical description
448 p.; 7.72 inches
ISBN
0140436286 / 9780140436280