“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.”
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| ©M.Kikon |
This book
hooked me till the last page.
'The Spy' by Paulo Coelho is written based on a true event about a Dutch exotic dancer named Margaretha Geertruida Zelle who later changed her name as “Mata Hari."
'The Spy' by Paulo Coelho is written based on a true event about a Dutch exotic dancer named Margaretha Geertruida Zelle who later changed her name as “Mata Hari."
She delighted the audience with her dance and became a famous
courtesan and a dancer. She was later accused and arrested for being a double
espionage, as her lifestyle seemed suspicious during the times of the war.
This book
is a fascinating and an engaging read, where Paulo Coelho narrates and bring us
closer to the character through a fictional letter written by Mata Hari to her
lawyer, Maitre Clunet, one week before her execution. As described in the book,
she was a graceful and an elegant lady, who wanted nothing but to be independent. Although with no knowledge about Javanese dance, she became one of the finest Java dancer in Paris.
I won’t delve further into the story, but I would surely love to mention how the book narrates Mata Hari's life in Paris. She was penniless, but turned out to be the
most celebrated dancer in the city which gave her both wealth and fame. Her richness and whereabouts were questioned, and thus she was executed.
“Mata Hari was one of our first feminists,” Coelho said, she handled her life with challenges, choosing to be independent.
“Mata Hari was one of our first feminists,” Coelho said, she handled her life with challenges, choosing to be independent.
Paulo
Coelho wrote the book in a beautiful thought provoking manner, and it
took me into the world where "Mata Hari" existed. I would certainly call her a
strong woman who was left with nothing, but her zeal to become famous and independent made her going. She was married to a person who tortured
her like she was no human, her son was killed, and she lost her daughter over
custody. What could be even worse for her?
The story is unforgettable, as the ultimate price which she paid was for the things she never did.
The story is unforgettable, as the ultimate price which she paid was for the things she never did.
After reading the book, there is one thing which she
questions and it still haunts me.... “How is it that a woman who for so many years
got everything she wanted can be condemned to death for so little?”
Book details:
Book- The Spy
Author- Paulo Coelho
Publisher-
Price- Hardcover- Rs 299
- Paperback Rs 1,144
- Paperback Rs 1,144
Pages-
My Rating 4.9/5
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