James Fenimore Cooper
It's hard to be fair to a book like this, written as it was in the early 1800s. Some of the sentence structure seems overwrought and Cooper uses far too many commas for my liking (which is saying something), but this is merely a product of the times. The subject matter and plot, on the other hand, are fair game for criticism but continue to resonate through the ages. The Spy is particularly interesting because it deals with the American Revolution only 40 years or so after its end, written when America was still a new and emerging concept and vividly engaging a morality central to the war. The book can be easily boiled down to a moralistic patriotic trope, but its discussion of spying and its double standards offer interesting, if unintended, insights into patriotism and the state of mind of young America. The book's hero, Harvey Birch, illustrates a fundamental contradiction: spying is either the worst treachery that one can perform (when done for the enemy) or ranks among the noblest of sacrifices one can make for the cause. A modern, jaded eye can discern the necessary bias within the text, a bias which makes the book particularly valuable as a historical document as well as a literary one. Most interesting is the pivotal position of the loyalist Whartons, displayed sympathetically despite their fervent belief in the sanctity of the Crown and a vivid reminder that Americans themselves were deeply split about the war being fought on their fields and in their wilderness.
The plot itself isn't particularly engaging and is a bit jumpy. It is sometimes difficult to discern with which side a particular character is aligned; this is essential for Harvey, intriguing for Mr. Harper, engaging for the Whartons, and inconceivably frustrating with the generals who love the Wharton sisters. Careful reading is often necessary, which is as much due to the age of the book as its sometimes roundabout construction. It takes a while for the central plot to firmly develop and begin to move, and scene transitions can be rocky and confusing. By the end of the novel, its conclusion seems inevitable and has been predictable almost from the start, though there are some interesting action scenes and chases in the middle. Despite its reliance on a now obscure story of an executed British spy (Major Andre), the book is an interesting historical novel that, itself, is now historical. Its view of the American Revolution isn't groundbreaking but, with fierce patriotism, reveals much about the character of early America and the scope and turmoil of the Revolution itself. Its plot is interesting but ultimately the book is most valuable for its unintended contents and will benefit readers who are willing to read between the lines for an early view of the American Revolution with some interesting characters attached.
Grade: B
The plot itself isn't particularly engaging and is a bit jumpy. It is sometimes difficult to discern with which side a particular character is aligned; this is essential for Harvey, intriguing for Mr. Harper, engaging for the Whartons, and inconceivably frustrating with the generals who love the Wharton sisters. Careful reading is often necessary, which is as much due to the age of the book as its sometimes roundabout construction. It takes a while for the central plot to firmly develop and begin to move, and scene transitions can be rocky and confusing. By the end of the novel, its conclusion seems inevitable and has been predictable almost from the start, though there are some interesting action scenes and chases in the middle. Despite its reliance on a now obscure story of an executed British spy (Major Andre), the book is an interesting historical novel that, itself, is now historical. Its view of the American Revolution isn't groundbreaking but, with fierce patriotism, reveals much about the character of early America and the scope and turmoil of the Revolution itself. Its plot is interesting but ultimately the book is most valuable for its unintended contents and will benefit readers who are willing to read between the lines for an early view of the American Revolution with some interesting characters attached.
Grade: B
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