Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Vintage (2017), Edition: Translation, 192 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:In his new novel, Paulo Coelho, bestselling author of The Alchemist and Adultery, brings to life one of history's most enigmatic women: Mata Hari. HER ONLY CRIME WAS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN 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 richest and most powerful men. But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari�??s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. In 1917, she was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs Elysees, and accused of espionage. Told in Mata Hari�??s voice through her final letter, The Spy is the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to defy convention and who paid the ultima… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
I still remember my father speaking about the spy / exotic dancer Mata Hari when I was a child. That being said, in asking most people today to tell you who Mata Hari was, they will say, who? Mata Hari, born Margaretha Zelle, recreated herself as a world-renowned exotic dancer in the late 19th
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century, early 20th century. She was a liar, exotic, deceitful, sensual, independent and erroneously convicted of espionage because of who she was in a time of international turmoil and war. The French needed a high profile execution to get people's minds of the real trouble that they were in. Paulo Coelho, as always, writes succinctly and interestingly. Show Less
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
If you are looking for a biography of Mata Hari - that is not it. Coelho says that he had been faithful to the historical record but considering the times and the scandals, that does not constitute a history by itself.
The novel is built in three parts - an execution and 2 letters. The execution is
It's readable, scandalous in places, heart-breaking in others. The chosen media, the letters, allows Coelho to skip the character development and just tell a story and not to worry too much about logic in places - when one writes their death bed confession, they can lie if that helps them after all. It is a short novel but that also works well with the selected style. And the form serves the known end as well - you do not feel that you are missing out on the lack of suspense - because you know you are reading the letter of a dead woman.
And from it emerges a woman that probably was not exactly like that but that is also believable. It is a novel, not a historical narrative and the author even explains that he had to change things. Which is ok. As it is, it made me want to read more about her (and there is a nice list for further reading in the book) so the novel apparently worked on some level.
It is not a great novel but if it is read for what it is, it is readable and enjoyable.
The novel is built in three parts - an execution and 2 letters. The execution is
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of course that of Mata Hari, the letters are by her and by her lawyer. And both of the letters are there to tell a story - hers in her own words until the day she is arrested and the lawyer's about the trial and the end of a woman. It's readable, scandalous in places, heart-breaking in others. The chosen media, the letters, allows Coelho to skip the character development and just tell a story and not to worry too much about logic in places - when one writes their death bed confession, they can lie if that helps them after all. It is a short novel but that also works well with the selected style. And the form serves the known end as well - you do not feel that you are missing out on the lack of suspense - because you know you are reading the letter of a dead woman.
And from it emerges a woman that probably was not exactly like that but that is also believable. It is a novel, not a historical narrative and the author even explains that he had to change things. Which is ok. As it is, it made me want to read more about her (and there is a nice list for further reading in the book) so the novel apparently worked on some level.
It is not a great novel but if it is read for what it is, it is readable and enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Spy, Paulo Coelho, author; Zoe Perry, translator; Hillary Huber, Paul Boehmer, narrators
This novel based on Mata Hari, is creative and captivating, as the real Mata Hari, executed as a spy on October 15th, 1917, most certainly was as well. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born on August 7, 1876,
After being raped by the principal of her boarding school at age 16, Mata Hari no longer believed that sex was an act of love between two people, as her mother had told her. In order to escape her life, she became the wife of a Dutch army officer, Rudolof Campbell MacLoed, an older man who drank too much, engaged in unsafe sex and physically abused her. She went from the frying pan into the fire.
When she left MacLoed, she reinvented herself as Mata Hari, an Oriental dancer. In truth, she was a stripper, but she performed the striptease with class. She did the Dance of the Seven Veils which brought her fame and fortune. Men were enchanted by her, and she survived using her feminine wiles.
When World War I broke out, she was at loose ends. Her career short-circuited, and she was in desperate need of money. When the German government approached her to spy on France, she accepted, although she insisted that she did not intend to pass any worthwhile information to them and had informed the French government immediately so that she could work for France. Still, she was arrested and, accused of being a double agent for Germany. She was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death.
Making use of supposed letters that Mata Hari is said to have written shortly before her death, to her lawyer and her daughter, Coehlo has reimagined the end of her life. As Mata Hari reads her letters, the reader learns the story of her life. It is in this way that plausible doubts are cast about her being guilty of espionage, as charged. The author has done an excellent job of suggesting that she was innocent and was merely a victim of herself and her era, in much the same way as Alfred Dreyfus became a victim of his times.
In this novel, Mata Hari’s lawyer, Maitre Clunet, believed in her innocence. He believed she was convicted even though the accusations were unproven and there was little evidence of her being a double agent. Her accuser, Captain Georges Ladoux, was actually himself accused of being a German spy, a few days after her execution, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Although it may not have been widely known, Margaretha Zelle was Jewish at a time when anti-Semitism was widespread.
The mark of a good book is that it makes you think, and this one will surely encourage the reader to find out more about this woman who has either been maligned by history or has been justly convicted and punished. The book made me wonder if she was another victim of her own or other’s stupidity, or of petty vengeance, or possibly, even anti-Semitism? Was she condemned for her erotic and alluring talents, were women’s jealousy of her a factor, was she abandoned by those men who had curried favor with her because they feared the discovery of their own indiscretions, or was she truly a spy?
She lived in the time of the Paris World’s Fair, Pablo Picasso and Emile Zola, and she knew and had had relationships with many people in high places. She did not expect to be forsaken by all who knew her, many of whom she could bring down with the mere hint of gossip. She admitted that she was a prostitute because she provided affection for gifts. She admitted that she was a liar because she said what was necessary to support herself. However, she never admitted that she was a spy and protested her innocence until the end, when legend has it that she died with dignity. Through her supposed words and the words of her lawyer, a new light is shone upon the life of Mata Hari that bears little resemblance to the one most people have come to believe and have witnessed in film and books. When she left home, her mother gave her tulip seeds to prove to her that life goes on, that there is rebirth even after death. When she died, were the seeds really still in her possession? In a sense, Coelho has brought her back to life with a bit of honor rather than ignominy.
The narrators of this book did an incredible job reading it. Their tone of voice, accent and emotional interpretation were spot-on. The translator did an excellent job, as well, making the words flow easily and even giving it a spiritual undertone, at times. With the combined effort of the author, narrators and translator, the reader is taken into the world of Mata Hari’s life and last days and will view her calm persona and her legendary poise, even in the face of her violent end in front of a firing squad. Marguerite Gertrude Zeller died at the age of 41. Was she framed? The author has presented an alternate verdict on Mata Hari’s life which seems quite credible. The reader is left to make the final judgment.
This novel based on Mata Hari, is creative and captivating, as the real Mata Hari, executed as a spy on October 15th, 1917, most certainly was as well. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born on August 7, 1876,
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at a time when women had little freedom or independence. They were dependent upon their family or husband for their livelihood and, indeed, their lives.After being raped by the principal of her boarding school at age 16, Mata Hari no longer believed that sex was an act of love between two people, as her mother had told her. In order to escape her life, she became the wife of a Dutch army officer, Rudolof Campbell MacLoed, an older man who drank too much, engaged in unsafe sex and physically abused her. She went from the frying pan into the fire.
When she left MacLoed, she reinvented herself as Mata Hari, an Oriental dancer. In truth, she was a stripper, but she performed the striptease with class. She did the Dance of the Seven Veils which brought her fame and fortune. Men were enchanted by her, and she survived using her feminine wiles.
When World War I broke out, she was at loose ends. Her career short-circuited, and she was in desperate need of money. When the German government approached her to spy on France, she accepted, although she insisted that she did not intend to pass any worthwhile information to them and had informed the French government immediately so that she could work for France. Still, she was arrested and, accused of being a double agent for Germany. She was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death.
Making use of supposed letters that Mata Hari is said to have written shortly before her death, to her lawyer and her daughter, Coehlo has reimagined the end of her life. As Mata Hari reads her letters, the reader learns the story of her life. It is in this way that plausible doubts are cast about her being guilty of espionage, as charged. The author has done an excellent job of suggesting that she was innocent and was merely a victim of herself and her era, in much the same way as Alfred Dreyfus became a victim of his times.
In this novel, Mata Hari’s lawyer, Maitre Clunet, believed in her innocence. He believed she was convicted even though the accusations were unproven and there was little evidence of her being a double agent. Her accuser, Captain Georges Ladoux, was actually himself accused of being a German spy, a few days after her execution, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Although it may not have been widely known, Margaretha Zelle was Jewish at a time when anti-Semitism was widespread.
The mark of a good book is that it makes you think, and this one will surely encourage the reader to find out more about this woman who has either been maligned by history or has been justly convicted and punished. The book made me wonder if she was another victim of her own or other’s stupidity, or of petty vengeance, or possibly, even anti-Semitism? Was she condemned for her erotic and alluring talents, were women’s jealousy of her a factor, was she abandoned by those men who had curried favor with her because they feared the discovery of their own indiscretions, or was she truly a spy?
She lived in the time of the Paris World’s Fair, Pablo Picasso and Emile Zola, and she knew and had had relationships with many people in high places. She did not expect to be forsaken by all who knew her, many of whom she could bring down with the mere hint of gossip. She admitted that she was a prostitute because she provided affection for gifts. She admitted that she was a liar because she said what was necessary to support herself. However, she never admitted that she was a spy and protested her innocence until the end, when legend has it that she died with dignity. Through her supposed words and the words of her lawyer, a new light is shone upon the life of Mata Hari that bears little resemblance to the one most people have come to believe and have witnessed in film and books. When she left home, her mother gave her tulip seeds to prove to her that life goes on, that there is rebirth even after death. When she died, were the seeds really still in her possession? In a sense, Coelho has brought her back to life with a bit of honor rather than ignominy.
The narrators of this book did an incredible job reading it. Their tone of voice, accent and emotional interpretation were spot-on. The translator did an excellent job, as well, making the words flow easily and even giving it a spiritual undertone, at times. With the combined effort of the author, narrators and translator, the reader is taken into the world of Mata Hari’s life and last days and will view her calm persona and her legendary poise, even in the face of her violent end in front of a firing squad. Marguerite Gertrude Zeller died at the age of 41. Was she framed? The author has presented an alternate verdict on Mata Hari’s life which seems quite credible. The reader is left to make the final judgment.
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LibraryThing member writemoves
I read this novel in one day. The book is about Mata Hari a woman who was executed for being accused as a spy during World War I. And that is pretty much what I knew about Mata Hari till I read this book. As it turns out, she was not really a spy but a feminist trying to live on her terms. She was
She marveled right before her death, "How was it that a woman who for so many years got everything she wanted can be condemned to death for so little? That is the essence of this book…
This reader sympathized with Mata Hari's struggles to be independent and was dismayed at the injustice forced on her at the end of her life.
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a dancer/stripper and a "companion" to many men of influence and power. She aroused interest and contempt in various elements of French society. She struggled in her early life and came to an epiphany from a tragic event that she witnessed. She quickly left an unhappy marriage to a physically and mentally abusive husband and a very boring life. It turned out that she wound up using her body through dance and prostitution to move on with her life.She marveled right before her death, "How was it that a woman who for so many years got everything she wanted can be condemned to death for so little? That is the essence of this book…
This reader sympathized with Mata Hari's struggles to be independent and was dismayed at the injustice forced on her at the end of her life.
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LibraryThing member KateBaxter
Favorite lines:
“That was my life; I am the nightingale who gave everything and died while doing so.”
“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
“Flowers teach us that nothing is permanent: not their beauty, not even the fact that they will inevitably wilt, because they will still give new seeds. Remember this when you feel joy, pain, or sadness. Everything passes, grows old, dies, and is reborn.”
“But women are able to understand one another without exchanging a word.”
“When we don’t know where life is taking us, we are never lost.”
“That was my life; I am the nightingale who gave everything and died while doing so.”
“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
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who moved forward with courage, fearlessly paying the price she had to pay.”“Flowers teach us that nothing is permanent: not their beauty, not even the fact that they will inevitably wilt, because they will still give new seeds. Remember this when you feel joy, pain, or sadness. Everything passes, grows old, dies, and is reborn.”
“But women are able to understand one another without exchanging a word.”
“When we don’t know where life is taking us, we are never lost.”
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LibraryThing member ozzie65
I have enjoyed every Coelho book I have read so I was excited when my friend let me have her copy of “The Spy”. In short, it is a fictionalized historical novel about the life of Mata Hari told from her point of view in letters to her attorney.
The research into her life is sound so it’s a
She married a naval officer and headed off to Java in Indonesia in what was then called the Dutch East Indies. Although she was an officer’s wife and mother, she was also bored and unhappy. She learned a variety of dances and trotted off to Europe to reinvent herself.
Renaming herself Mata Hari, she became a Parisian cabaret dance sensation and sex symbol. She used her feminine wiles to book gigs and amass finery in the form of clothing and jewels. She paraded around on the arms of wealthy and important men.
With the advent of war and the expulsion of foreigners, she ended up back in Amsterdam with her star on the wane; she approached the French and the German embassy officials attempting to secure a visa in order to get back to Paris, either directly or via the Berlin cabaret scene.
According to her own version of events, she was misunderstood and scapegoated by both sides. Portrayed as a spy, a double agent or a traitor depending on which official was telling the story, she was jailed, tried, found guilty and executed.
While by no means the definitive story of Mata Hari, it is an easy, well written introduction to a fascinating woman. I love the style of Coelho’s writing – it reminds me at times of a modern day Hemingway. It is extremely difficult to write short, crisp sentences that convey a great deal of information without a lot of adjective or adverb filler. Coelho does this well and it is all the more impressive because the original language he writes in is Portuguese.
A nice little fictional novel about Mata Hari from a very good writer. No more, no less.
The research into her life is sound so it’s a
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brief but fascinating glimpse into a woman who was misunderstood. Mata Hari started life in Holland as a simple country girl looking for a way out.She married a naval officer and headed off to Java in Indonesia in what was then called the Dutch East Indies. Although she was an officer’s wife and mother, she was also bored and unhappy. She learned a variety of dances and trotted off to Europe to reinvent herself.
Renaming herself Mata Hari, she became a Parisian cabaret dance sensation and sex symbol. She used her feminine wiles to book gigs and amass finery in the form of clothing and jewels. She paraded around on the arms of wealthy and important men.
With the advent of war and the expulsion of foreigners, she ended up back in Amsterdam with her star on the wane; she approached the French and the German embassy officials attempting to secure a visa in order to get back to Paris, either directly or via the Berlin cabaret scene.
According to her own version of events, she was misunderstood and scapegoated by both sides. Portrayed as a spy, a double agent or a traitor depending on which official was telling the story, she was jailed, tried, found guilty and executed.
While by no means the definitive story of Mata Hari, it is an easy, well written introduction to a fascinating woman. I love the style of Coelho’s writing – it reminds me at times of a modern day Hemingway. It is extremely difficult to write short, crisp sentences that convey a great deal of information without a lot of adjective or adverb filler. Coelho does this well and it is all the more impressive because the original language he writes in is Portuguese.
A nice little fictional novel about Mata Hari from a very good writer. No more, no less.
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LibraryThing member dalexander
A quick read about a subject I knew very little about. I have always associated the name Mata Hari and spy but I never really knew why. Now that I have a little more knowledge, I am left with the question. Was she really a spy or just a woman who measured her self worth by her notoriety? The power
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of being known helped her to deal with life experiences. Show Less
LibraryThing member ginapearson
Short historical fiction about the lives of the woman who came to be known as Mata Hari, her arrest and execution by a French firing squad for allegedly being a spy in 1917. The story is short on details about all the allegations and investigation into her alleged espionage, but has some
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interesting vignettes about the multiple lives she led. Best quote from the book, "when we don't know where life is taking us, we can never be lost." Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
This is a fictionalized biography of Mata Hari, the dancer arrested and executed as a spy during WWI. It is comprised of letters from and about her, and tells the story of her life.
LibraryThing member LisaSHarvey
The Spy
Paul Coelho
My Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️▫️
Publisher Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publish Date November 22, 2016
SUMMARY
Margartha Zelle had a somewhat privilege but mostly unhappy childhood in Holland. In order to get away from her oppressive environment in Holland she
As World War I began her lifestyle and her connections called her to the attention of both the German and French intelligence communities. Both sought her help in gathering information. She was arrested for espionage in Paris 1917.
REVIEW
The Spy is a unique story of a woman trying to find happiness, by totally defying convention. Her ultimate downfall was her vanity and her ego.
Paul Coelho writing is fabulous. It is lyrical, like many of the other novels he has written. Mata Hari's character, her frame of mind was so well developed and conveyed. The Spy was easy read, easy to follow and easy to understand Mata Hari's motivations and her actions. I appreciated the order in which the story was told. It starts with her facing the firing squad, and then her life story is told in her voice in her final letter. It concludes with a informative letter her attorney writes to her, knowing she will never receive in time, but he promises to fight to clear her name even after her death.
I was so conflicted by this beautifully written book. While I loved the book structure, and the story I find Mata Hari such a detestable person, I have trouble separating my feelings about the book from my feelings about the character. Coelho brought Mata Hari to life for me and for that I am grateful. But from his portrayal of her, I see a weak, vapid and narcissistic woman. Perhaps this is who she really was.
Paul Coelho
My Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️▫️
Publisher Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publish Date November 22, 2016
SUMMARY
Margartha Zelle had a somewhat privilege but mostly unhappy childhood in Holland. In order to get away from her oppressive environment in Holland she
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marries an army officer stationed in the Dutch East Indies. Her husband's absusiveness drove her to leave him and abandoned her young daughter. Seeking happiness, she fled to Paris, penniless and sought a way to survive. She took the name Mata Hari and reinvented herself as an exotic dancer and courtesan. Mata Hari captivated and entertained the richest and most powerful men in France. With the help of her many benefactors she was able to live extravagantly for many years. As World War I began her lifestyle and her connections called her to the attention of both the German and French intelligence communities. Both sought her help in gathering information. She was arrested for espionage in Paris 1917.
REVIEW
The Spy is a unique story of a woman trying to find happiness, by totally defying convention. Her ultimate downfall was her vanity and her ego.
Paul Coelho writing is fabulous. It is lyrical, like many of the other novels he has written. Mata Hari's character, her frame of mind was so well developed and conveyed. The Spy was easy read, easy to follow and easy to understand Mata Hari's motivations and her actions. I appreciated the order in which the story was told. It starts with her facing the firing squad, and then her life story is told in her voice in her final letter. It concludes with a informative letter her attorney writes to her, knowing she will never receive in time, but he promises to fight to clear her name even after her death.
I was so conflicted by this beautifully written book. While I loved the book structure, and the story I find Mata Hari such a detestable person, I have trouble separating my feelings about the book from my feelings about the character. Coelho brought Mata Hari to life for me and for that I am grateful. But from his portrayal of her, I see a weak, vapid and narcissistic woman. Perhaps this is who she really was.
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LibraryThing member MarysGirl
I vacillated between 2 and 3 stars on this one, but bumped it based on the lyrical writing. I struggled with the story which I felt was more metaphor than reflective of Mata Hari's life. I particularly had trouble with the philosophical passages which sounded like the author put his own feelings
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and beliefs into the mouths of his characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member ajlewis2
I found the story confusing. I suppose this was to give us a feel for how Mata Hari experienced her life in a deluded and confused state. In that case, the effect was achieved. The only reason I completed the book was that it was short.
Although I did not like the book, I have to admit that the
I'm left wondering if this is anything like the real story of this woman. It seems the intent was not so much to tell her story as to evoke some feeling about her choices and express an opinion about the outcome.
Although I did not like the book, I have to admit that the
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author did evoke powerful images and emotions. At the end there is a section where her lawyer explains things from his point of view. That was the part I especially disliked in that it seemed like such a long rant in a letter to a condemned woman whom he loves. I'm left wondering if this is anything like the real story of this woman. It seems the intent was not so much to tell her story as to evoke some feeling about her choices and express an opinion about the outcome.
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LibraryThing member Marse
A fictionalized look at the life of Mata Hari, told in her own words. It was well-paced and believable. Knowing how her life ended, makes the 1st person narrative all the more poignant. "The Last Day of a Condemned Man" by Victor Hugo came to mind as I was reading it. This is the second book by
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Coehlo that I've read. The first, "The Alchemist", made little impression on me. This book kept my interest because Coehlo kept close to the known facts about Mata Hari, but offered plausible reasons for her actions. Her voice fit the character that would become the phenomenon known as Mata Hari. Show Less
LibraryThing member marquis784
The Spy by Paulo Coelho
2017
This book is based on real events that occcurred in Paris 1917 when Mata Hari was executed.
I enjoyed the historical perspective of this book from the views of Margaretha Zelle, known as Mata Hari. It is written from her perspective and that of her attorney through
"And that was me, Mata Hari, for whom every moment of light and every moment of darkness meant the same thing."
Her attorney notes, "You were beautiful, known worldwide, always envied—though never respected—in the concert halls where you appeared. Liars, what little I know of them, are people who seek popularity and recognition. Even when faced with truth, they always find a way to escape, coldly repeating what had just been said or blaming the accuser of speaking untruths."
"My dear Mata Hari, what spy in their right mind would mention such barbarities with the enemy? But your desire to call people’s attention, at a time when your fame was in decline, only made matters worse."
This story has no spoilers since it's historical fiction with unclear circumstances even to this day as further records are due to be unsealed 2017 after 100 years.
2017
This book is based on real events that occcurred in Paris 1917 when Mata Hari was executed.
I enjoyed the historical perspective of this book from the views of Margaretha Zelle, known as Mata Hari. It is written from her perspective and that of her attorney through
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"letters" in which they describe the events of her life and eventual conviction. She hopes to explain the ambiguities and misconceptions that followed her throughout her life. She honestly admits her flaws and bad decisions which ultimately led to the suspicions of her being accused a spy. She is a strong independent woman who is always very much in charge of her life. She used her sensual beauty and manipulative seduction to forge her life from "nothing" to a woman with power, fame and money. "And that was me, Mata Hari, for whom every moment of light and every moment of darkness meant the same thing."
Her attorney notes, "You were beautiful, known worldwide, always envied—though never respected—in the concert halls where you appeared. Liars, what little I know of them, are people who seek popularity and recognition. Even when faced with truth, they always find a way to escape, coldly repeating what had just been said or blaming the accuser of speaking untruths."
"My dear Mata Hari, what spy in their right mind would mention such barbarities with the enemy? But your desire to call people’s attention, at a time when your fame was in decline, only made matters worse."
This story has no spoilers since it's historical fiction with unclear circumstances even to this day as further records are due to be unsealed 2017 after 100 years.
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LibraryThing member Picathartes
Well, I will say this with certainty: the cover photo of Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle) aka Mata Hari is absolutely stunning.
"Her only crime was to be an independent woman." Yeah, I didn't get that.
This was a short, fast read; a story told by Coelho the way he wanted it to be told. I
There is no escaping the fact that Mata Hari told lies and embellished her life at every turn, Coelho reiterates that time and again. In fact the last part of the book, the words written by her lawyer seem to sum everything up, and that is that she dug her own grave. It was her lifelong sense of entitlement that no matter what she ever did, nothing bad could ever happen to her. She was born into privilege and never let go. No man had ever said "no" to her so she was supremely confident the French President would pardon her because she was, after all, Mata Hari. It is as simple as that.
Mata Hari was a manipulator of men starting at an early age, at least beginning in her teenage years. She tells of being raped as soon as she was sent off to boarding school, but there is no way to know if that was true or not. That is questionable because her whole life she sees herself as a victim, and never misses an opportunity at self-pity. Truth or fiction, she always had an excuse at hand, and was quick to justify any and all of her actions.
Being a citizen of a neutral country - The Netherlands - she had every chance to stay out of harm's way. But her misfortune was that WWI got in the way of her fabulous life. Not satisfied to be normal and boring and, well, maybe actually getting a job and doing something, she agrees to spy for Germany for profit and agrees to spy for France for profit and, well, maybe agreed to spy for other countries for profit as well. All of which fed her self-importance.
Again, Mata Hari spent her life using everyone around her; everyone craved her attentions; particularly men, and mostly men with great wealth. She was hardly the first to manipulate men for fame, wealth, and profit, but she may have been one of the very best. I don't see her being a gold digger in the classical sense, but more as a means to maintain her position as the center of attention (versus needing the security of money). Nowadays we might call her an "attention whore," someone forever seeking approval from all of those around her. She needed to be the most liked, the most beautiful, and so on. She used her body and womanly charms to ensure that every man on the planet fell in love with her, that no man could ever resist her. Had she lived in the 21st century, at very least she would be an Instagram model and TikTok "star," however, more likely she would have millions of OnlyFans and raking in making millions.
That's what I got out of the letters. I have not read the originals nor do I intend to. It seems like most authors now consider her innocent of being a spy, but that still appears to be an ambiguous assumption and no one will ever know. A firing squad does sound extreme although common for the times. (Okay, very extreme since these days it would seem that treason can put you in high office.)
I also didn't get anything about Mata Hari being a strong or independent woman; another seemingly illogical assumption. She spent her life dependent upon the riches and help of others. Not that being wholly independent of men cannot mean a woman cannot be strong and independent, but in Mata Hari’s case that would seem to be the case. I would say a maid or washer-woman, some female who raises children and a family, basically anyone that ever had to work as a strong (and most likely independent) woman before I jumped to the conclusion that a woman born into wealth and relied on the riches of others was the person deserving such a title. At the end of the day, what comes across is that Mata Hari was someone that always took the easy way out. And then one day her luck ran out.
"Her only crime was to be an independent woman." Yeah, I didn't get that.
This was a short, fast read; a story told by Coelho the way he wanted it to be told. I
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believe that he tried to be faithful to the information available, but to me it still comes off as revisionist history. I don't know what to make of it as what clearly comes across is that Mata Hari's life was a fiction so it seems like there is no way to ever know the absolute truth. Any retelling can be presented in any way any author wants.There is no escaping the fact that Mata Hari told lies and embellished her life at every turn, Coelho reiterates that time and again. In fact the last part of the book, the words written by her lawyer seem to sum everything up, and that is that she dug her own grave. It was her lifelong sense of entitlement that no matter what she ever did, nothing bad could ever happen to her. She was born into privilege and never let go. No man had ever said "no" to her so she was supremely confident the French President would pardon her because she was, after all, Mata Hari. It is as simple as that.
Mata Hari was a manipulator of men starting at an early age, at least beginning in her teenage years. She tells of being raped as soon as she was sent off to boarding school, but there is no way to know if that was true or not. That is questionable because her whole life she sees herself as a victim, and never misses an opportunity at self-pity. Truth or fiction, she always had an excuse at hand, and was quick to justify any and all of her actions.
Being a citizen of a neutral country - The Netherlands - she had every chance to stay out of harm's way. But her misfortune was that WWI got in the way of her fabulous life. Not satisfied to be normal and boring and, well, maybe actually getting a job and doing something, she agrees to spy for Germany for profit and agrees to spy for France for profit and, well, maybe agreed to spy for other countries for profit as well. All of which fed her self-importance.
Again, Mata Hari spent her life using everyone around her; everyone craved her attentions; particularly men, and mostly men with great wealth. She was hardly the first to manipulate men for fame, wealth, and profit, but she may have been one of the very best. I don't see her being a gold digger in the classical sense, but more as a means to maintain her position as the center of attention (versus needing the security of money). Nowadays we might call her an "attention whore," someone forever seeking approval from all of those around her. She needed to be the most liked, the most beautiful, and so on. She used her body and womanly charms to ensure that every man on the planet fell in love with her, that no man could ever resist her. Had she lived in the 21st century, at very least she would be an Instagram model and TikTok "star," however, more likely she would have millions of OnlyFans and raking in making millions.
That's what I got out of the letters. I have not read the originals nor do I intend to. It seems like most authors now consider her innocent of being a spy, but that still appears to be an ambiguous assumption and no one will ever know. A firing squad does sound extreme although common for the times. (Okay, very extreme since these days it would seem that treason can put you in high office.)
I also didn't get anything about Mata Hari being a strong or independent woman; another seemingly illogical assumption. She spent her life dependent upon the riches and help of others. Not that being wholly independent of men cannot mean a woman cannot be strong and independent, but in Mata Hari’s case that would seem to be the case. I would say a maid or washer-woman, some female who raises children and a family, basically anyone that ever had to work as a strong (and most likely independent) woman before I jumped to the conclusion that a woman born into wealth and relied on the riches of others was the person deserving such a title. At the end of the day, what comes across is that Mata Hari was someone that always took the easy way out. And then one day her luck ran out.
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LibraryThing member niaomiya
This book has such an intriguing premise: a fictionalized story of Mata Hari, told primarily from her own point of view. It's such a sad story at its heart; I really sympathized with her. I found the book mildly entertaining overall -- and it was a quick read -- but what I really liked about it is
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that it intrigued me enough that I now want to go read the author's recommended non-fiction books about Mata Hari. Show Less
LibraryThing member JillsWorld5
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
Mata Hari would be considered a feminist hero in today's world, a woman who overcame a difficult childhood-raped at 16 by her headmaster at school, escaped an abusive marriage, and suffered the loss of her infant son-who was poisoned, to revamp herself as an artist who clearly made a name for herself.
This short novel left me wanting to learn more about Mata Hari, a woman who lived outside-the-box, even if it ultimately cost her her life.
"Innocent? Perhaps that is not the right word. I was never innocent, not since I first set foot in this city I love so dearly. I thought I could manipulate those who wanted state secrets. I thought the Germans, French, English, Spanish would never be able to resist me—and yet, in the end, I was the one manipulated. The crimes I did commit, I escaped, the greatest of which was being an emancipated and independent woman in a world ruled by men."
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
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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 woman who overcame a difficult childhood-raped at 16 by her headmaster at school, escaped an abusive marriage, and suffered the loss of her infant son-who was poisoned, to revamp herself as an artist who clearly made a name for herself.
This short novel left me wanting to learn more about Mata Hari, a woman who lived outside-the-box, even if it ultimately cost her her life.
"Innocent? Perhaps that is not the right word. I was never innocent, not since I first set foot in this city I love so dearly. I thought I could manipulate those who wanted state secrets. I thought the Germans, French, English, Spanish would never be able to resist me—and yet, in the end, I was the one manipulated. The crimes I did commit, I escaped, the greatest of which was being an emancipated and independent woman in a world ruled by men."
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
192 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0525432795 / 9780525432791