Paulo Coelho: The Spy,9781786330543 hardback, Penguin Random House UK, (German: Paulo Coelho: Die Spionin, Diogenes Verlag, 19.90 € hardback)

Most of Paulo Coelho’s work is usually too esoteric for my taste but I loved the book he became famous for, “The Alchemist”, and when I saw that he had written a novel about the legendary Mata Hari, I was intrigued and decided to give him another go. Mata Hari was a colorful personality in the early 20th century, dancer, It girl of her time, mistress to many man and supposed spy, so plenty of material to write a captivating book I figured.  I could not have been more wrong.

Coelho decides to set the book by letting Mata Hari or Margaretha Zelle as was her original name, telling her own life story.  As she is waiting for a pardon after being sentenced to death in France’s Saint Lazare prison,  accused of spying, she writes a letter to her lawyer looking back on her life.  What could have become an unputdownable, fascinating story of a self- determined modern woman, burbled along instead,  going from one shallow life event to the next, from one empty love story to the another with very little meaningfulness,  depth or insight into the real life or loves of Mata Hari , instead filling the chapters with platitude.

I took the novel on a holiday with me and was thoroughly bored.  His attempt to put himself into Mata Hari’s shoes failed royally in my opinion. I do love the book cover !