The Spy

THE SPY appeared in December of 1821, 189 years ago as I write this. Why in the world would anyone want to read a novel written nearly two centuries ago? First of all, I submit that the age of a book is pretty much immaterial. Until one has read it, a book is always new to each of its readers. Secondly, THE SPY is very simply an intriguing story, which brings us to one of the two reasons that I thoroughly enjoy it: The story line of the book is as interesting as that of any modern spy novel, probably better in fact. Take this mysterious peddler, Harvey Birch. He is widely believed to be a spy for the British, but where do his loyalties truly lie? What real identity underlies Harper, the stranger driven to the Whartons' home by the storm? Beyond the mysteries lie other fascinating plot threads, for even in the midst of war love exists, both true as in the case of Major Dunwoodie and false as in the person of the British Colonel Wellmere. Beyond its gripping story line, I also found THE SPY most enjoyable reading for what I'll call its educational aspects. Although it is a novel and therefore fictional, I believe it does rather accurately bring out aspects of the American Revolution that are often ignored in American history classes. As happened again eighty-four years later in the War Between the States, the Revolution saw many families whose members were divided in their loyalties. Not all of the colonists were in favor of American independence by any means. Many remained loyal to King George, while many others strove to maintain neutrality in the hope of preserving their property from confiscation or destruction by either side. All of these sundry positions find expression through various characters in THE SPY. Another aspect of the Revolution of which I was hitherto unaware was the existence of irregular armed groups that roamed the countryside amidst the lawlessness of war, ostensibly supporting one side or the other but often more self-serving than anything else. Neither the Skinners (supposedly supporters of the revolutionaries) nor the Cowboys and Refugees (supporters of British loyalists) were particularly trustworthy or observant of any "rules of war," pillaging and burning at their own whims. As with probably any war, things were not quite as neat and orderly as history textbooks make them appear. Bits of historical reality such as this leave the reader not only entertained but also a little bit wiser of our nation's beginnings. To balance the review, I must add a couple of characteristics of Cooper's writing that were a bit distracting, although neither can be called a weakness given the stylistic and social conventions of the time. Early 19th Century writers were not as direct and concise as are modern authors, and the use of rather stilted phrases in lieu of precise nouns was an expected norm. Hence, instead of the single word "doctor," we find "disciple of Aesculapius" and such like. More distracting, though q

Some of my ancestors lived in the area that this book describes. They defended their property and fought against the British army and cattle thieves ("cowboys"). Reading this book helped me picture how it must have been for them at that delicate time in our country's history. The story is entertaining even if the plot is somewhat straightforward.

As an English teacher, I have had trouble over the years finding a novel that could be classified as a classic--or even a well-done movie--about the American Revolution. Cooper's *The Spy* can go some distance toward filling that gap, but it is perhaps the characterization of Caesar, the slave, that has made the book undesirable in today's classroom. Certainly it shows condescension toward Africans, but there is also a great conversation in the book regarding the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom while holding slaves, and Caesar becomes central to the plot more than once in this story. The novel shows how, as in the Civil War, families were divided, enemies mingled, and rowdies loyal to no one wreaked havoc in the countryside. The use of disguise and/or deception is key in this novel: I can count 8 off the top of my head. Things are not what they seem, which, of course, is Cooper's main point as he labors to enshrine the memory of those who allowed themselves to be hated by their American neighbors in order to aid the American cause. Cooper's characterization is not as strong in this novel as what he later achieved with Natty Bumppo, but *The Spy* fills the gap of the missing classic of the Revolutionary period in American literature and should not be left simply to gather dust.

Cooper's second novel and first important book is filled with things that aren't what they seem to be: people in disguise, others claiming things about themselves that aren't true, laws that appear to be unfair, unpatriotic patriots, etc. Set during the Revolutionary War in a sort of no-man's land (Cooper calls it the "neutral ground") north of New York City, where both patriots and English sympathizers intermingle and are more likely to be out for themselves than supportive of either side, the story centers around Harvey Birch, thought by all to be a British spy, but who is actually just the opposite: he's spying for George Washington, who appears in disguise as Mr. Harper. Washington is staying with Henry Wharton, a British sympathizer. Wharton has two daughters who provide the "love interest" of the novel (one is about to marry Colonel Wellmere, who, it's discovered just in time, is already married). Wharton's son, who is about to be hanged as a British spy, is "allowed" to escape by Washington as a favor to Wharton for his hospitality. Cooper's theme is moral ambiguity in the face of unfolding events, though individual characters do make clear decisions based on their beliefs, most of which have nothing to do with the war. Birch in particular acts with unflinching honor in spite of what most think of him. Although the novel at times can feel stiff, Cooper's story is animated and well- dramatized. Not as good as any of the Leatherstocking tales or some of his sea novels, but better than quite a number of his other books.

The plot of this book is based on a real spy story. Therefore, although some do consider it unbelievable, the basis of it is entirely true. The way that the author slowly brings out the character of Harvey Birch is wonderful. He creates numerous sub plots that make the story very interesting. The only weakness is the fact that the author was rushed into stopping the story abruptly. As a result, one hears no more about many important characters until the very end when some are fleetingly mentioned. The ending is so strong, however, that this fault isn't as glaring as it would have been.