Rated of 5
by Wendy Signed Mata Hari Signed Mata Hari is an interestingly written as well as an intriguing tale about one of histories most mysterious and scandalous woman. The author has written short vignettes about her life, alternating between first, second and third person points of view depending on the time and situation being described. We meet her as a young girl crossing Ameland in the North Sea during low tide. She prides herself on being able to escape death before high tide comes in and this is a recurring image throughout the book- one that helps remind her that she is a survivor during some of the more difficult times of her life. Later we find her unhappily married and she seems at times to barely be a participant in her own life. Her one weakness is her children. Her drive to dance, to spy and to take lovers stems from her need to earn money to pay the lawyers who claim to be working to get her custody of her daughter Non.
The writing style, as well as the famous subject matter, certainly casts the Mata Hari of history in a different light. While most readers know of her impending doom, many will not see her as a spy but as a victim of men, especially her husband, and as a loving mother who wants only to see her daughter again. The novel is a nice blend of historical information as well as a more human look at the sexy dancer whose image was immortalized on Mata Hari cigarettes and biscuit tins.
Rated of 5
by Patricia Signed Mata Hari
I thouroughly enjoyed this book. The 'short' James Patterson type chapters made for easy reading. Getting a glimpse into the life of Mata Hari makes one realize she is so much more than just a spy! The descriptions of Java, and the countries she traveled, gave me a clear visual of the colors, sounds, and feels of those lands.
Rated of 5
by Heather Signed Mata Hari
While reading this book, I was struck by the simple yet lush language. Though the language isn't complex, its direct and confidential tone suggest the intimacy of Mata Hari's confessions. Yannick Murphy does a good job at making the reader see Mata Hari's motivations, and one ends up feeling that this woman could be any of us, struggling against the oppression of her times. I would recommend this book to readers of historical fiction or anyone who would like to get a realistic picture of Mata Hari.
Rated of 5
by Carole Spy Stories
Murphy, in her lyrical language, short chapters, and changing points of view, spins multiple stories and introduces the reader to a fascinating array of characters -- foremost, the complex and complicated Mata Hari. I enjoyed the book and loved the mythical stories Mata Hari told and wrote to her children.
Rated of 5
by Harriet Signed Mata Hari
I enjoyed reading this book with it's many descriptive and interesting portrayal's of the main character, Mata Hari. She was an intriguing person with a lot of baggage which formed the person she became. I was surprised at some of the revelations that came out toward the end. I'm not sure I would recommend it to my book club because of the graphic sexual content throughout the book.
Rated of 5
by Jessica Hits (Almost) Always
There are passages in this book that sound a gong and remind us why we read books in the first place: to encourage us to look at our world and see it in all its grotesque and magical lucidity. Murphy does it. Her language is precise. There's an occasional hiccup in plot, a missed rung on the ladder, though it's easy to forget once the next step's been met. This book is worth the time for those who love a seamless intersection of story and language, history and poetry.
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