From Publishers Weekly The life of WWI spy Mata Hari is examined from the perspective of the historical figures who knew her in this intriguing first novel by a British journalist. Beginning in 1895, when opportunistic Margaretta (Gerda) Zelle of the Hague married Rudolph MacLeod, a captain in the Dutch army, and went with him to Indonesia, Skinner chronicles the rise of a femme fatale who eventually dined with royalty, had her portrait painted by master artists and passed herself off as an exotic dancer before engaging in a career of espionage. The novel is written in a series of linked chapters, alternately narrated by the protagonist herself, her disenchanted husband (who tells about Gerda's chronic infidelity, the death of their young son and the breakup of their marriage), one of her maids and an omniscient narrator. Ever resourceful, Gerda returns to Europe and reinvents herself as an "Oriental dancer," engaging in liaisons with military and public figures and finally being recruited by the German espionage service. She is killed by a French firing squad in Paris in 1917. Skinner's research is assiduous, encompassing many aspects of fin de siŠcle European and Asian life. He incorporates in-depth explanations of Javanese musical instruments (which Mata Hari integrated into her art) and such topics as the origins of Cubism, the process of "dowsing" and the 1903 assassination of the king and queen of Serbia. Because Skinner chooses not to put himself inside his protagonist's head and maintains a dispassionate tone throughout, the tale is cool and distancing, but perhaps the legendary courtesan should remain an enigma. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Skinner's debut novel portrays Mata Hari through a series of imagined accounts from people who knew her. Each provides a limited perspective on the woman who transformed herself from Margaretha Zelle from The Hague into a renowned courtesan. Sections of letters, newspaper reviews of her performances, and other documentary fragments are interspersed with first- and third-person narratives that recall her experiences in Europe and the East Indies. Essays on topics ranging from absinthe to the Orient Express to Zeppelins precede chapters that tie Mata Hari to the subject in some way. We emerge from the novel as though leaving a hall of fun-house mirrors. Each view reflects some facet of its subject, but none offers a whole picture. This ambiguity might be Skinner's point, but ultimately it is unsatisfying. The book may renew interest in the enigmatic woman, executed as a spy, but those who really want to learn about her life and times will turn to biography or histories of the era. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., MankatoCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. See all Editorial Reviews
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从叙事节奏上看,这本书的处理手法极为高明,它避开了传统传记那种平铺直叙的流水账模式,而是巧妙地采用了多线索交织的方式。开篇并不是直接切入主角的童年或成名之初,而是从一个极其戏剧性的高潮场景切入,比如某次审讯的紧张瞬间,或者一场盛大演出的谢幕之后。这种“倒叙悬念”的技法,极大地抓住了读者的注意力,让人迫不及待地想知道“她是怎样走到这一步的?” 随后,故事线索开始有条不紊地回溯,但即便是回顾过去,作者也始终保持着一种电影般的镜头感。时而拉近,专注于某个眼神的交流或一次隐秘的信件往来;时而拉远,描绘当时欧洲社会政治局势的暗流涌动。这种动态的叙事结构,使得即便涉及复杂的历史背景和政治阴谋,读起来也丝毫不觉枯燥,反而像在观看一部高成本制作的时代剧,每一个转折都恰到好处,每一个伏笔都精准有力。
评分这本书的封面设计本身就带着一种引人入胜的魔力,那种深沉的酒红色调,配上模糊却又充满故事性的女性侧影,让人立刻联想到一个充满秘密、危险与魅力的时代。我拿到书时,首先被它厚实的质感吸引,那种纸张的触感预示着这不是一本轻松的读物,而是需要沉下心来细细品味的史诗。这本书的排版也做得非常考究,字体选择典雅,行距适中,阅读起来非常舒适,即便是面对大段的历史背景描述,也不会让人感到视觉疲劳。更值得称赞的是,随书附带的几张历史照片——虽然是黑白的,但其清晰度和所捕捉到的神韵,仿佛能让你一瞬间穿越回那个巴黎的歌舞厅,闻到空气中弥漫的香水和烟草味。我特别喜欢作者在章节开头使用的那些简短的、富有诗意的引文,它们像一扇扇小小的窗户,让我对即将展开的章节内容充满了期待和遐想,似乎在暗示着,真相往往比我们想象的还要曲折和迷人。这本书在视觉和触觉上的用心,无疑为接下来的阅读体验奠定了极高的基调,它不仅仅是一本书,更像是一件精心制作的艺术品,值得珍藏。
评分这本书的语言风格,可以说是集合了历史学家的严谨与小说家的浪漫。作者在考证历史事实时,展现了近乎偏执的细致,参考文献和脚注的详实程度令人咋舌,这为全书的可靠性提供了坚实的基础。然而,一旦进入人物的内心世界或对场景的描绘,笔锋便立刻转向了抒情和富有画面感。例如,对于异域风情舞蹈的描述,文字犹如流动的水银,充满了异国情调的慵懒与诱惑;而当描述她身处权力核心,周旋于各国军官之间时,语言又变得锋利、精准,充满了心理学的洞察力。这种在严谨与华丽之间的自如切换,让这本书的阅读体验极为丰富。它既能满足对历史真相的渴求,又能满足对文学美感的追求,不像某些传记那样索然无味,也不像纯粹的小说那样缺乏历史的厚重感,达到了完美的平衡点。
评分令我印象最深刻的是作者对于“时代精神”的捕捉和刻画。这本书不仅仅是在讲述一个女人的生平,它更像是一面镜子,反射出二十世纪初欧洲社会那种即将崩塌的奢靡与躁动。那些巴黎沙龙的浮华、维也纳宫廷的虚伪,以及战争阴影下的焦虑与猜忌,都被作者描绘得淋漓尽致。书中对那个时代女性地位的探讨也极其深刻,主角的每一次选择,无论是为了生存、为了荣耀还是为了爱情,都与当时社会对女性的刻板印象和限制息息相关。作者没有将她简单塑造成一个“蛇蝎美人”或“无辜受害者”,而是将她置于一个宏大的历史背景下,展现了一个在男权世界中努力寻求自主权的复杂灵魂。这种宏大叙事与个体命运的交织,让整本书的格局一下子被拔高了,不再局限于个人恩怨,而上升到了对自由、身份和战争伦理的深刻反思。
评分全书读完后,留下的余韵非常悠长,久久不能散去。这本书最成功的地方在于,它成功地塑造了一个“符号”而非仅仅是一个人物。作者通过对大量一手资料的梳理和对比,巧妙地保留了足够的“模糊地带”,拒绝给出一个简单的定论。你读完之后,关于她究竟是忠诚的间谍、单纯的交际花,还是时代洪流中的牺牲品,依然会有自己的判断空间。这种开放性的结局处理,恰恰是历史人物魅力的体现——越是被定性,就越是失去光彩。这本书的价值就在于,它提供了一切线索,邀请读者自己去成为法官和陪审团,去解读那个时代赋予她的复杂身份。这使得这本书不仅是一次被动的阅读,更是一次主动的思考和历史对话,这也是我愿意向所有对历史悬疑和人性探索感兴趣的读者强烈推荐它的主要原因。
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