By:
Ullah, Inam Gul. iukhan233@gmail.com
Paulo Cohelu,
the internationally renowned novelist, new novel The Spy is indeed an
entertaining piece of prose. The novel is set in Netherland, France and Germany
and is based on a true story. The main character is Mata Hira who undergoes
various difficulties during the course of her life.
She leaves
her home at an early age when gets raped by the headmaster of her school. She
wanders in search of food and shelter, and the needs finally turn her to be a
dancing girl and an expensive prostitute. Being a good looking girl, her dance
at the club invites a huge gathering, and she sleeps with wealthy people in
exchange of money. Thus she befriends people belonging to higher social
circles. The profession takes her to France and Germany, and she finally gets
trapped in the field of espionage during the Second World War. The action leads
her to prison and finally to the gallows.
She is a
loyal and egotist girl, she earns though her body to feed and clothe it again.
She shows loyalty to France, and it is therefore she informs the French
intelligence service of the German’ s demands of her. She wants to be loved to
the marrow, but her desire rarely fulfills at the cost of her own life. On this
count her character somewhat resembles Amtal, a character by the noted
Pakistani Urdu novelist, Banu Qudsiya. Here like Mata Hira, Amtal too longs for
someone to love her sincerely, loyally and dearly.
The novel
shows Paulo Cohelo story telling power and the spell he casts on the readers.
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