united states

In his second novel, James Fenimore Cooper forces readers into the minds and mentalities of his characters, while practically bringing the readers to the scene with his excellent writing ability. Both of these things help to establish the basic ideas in the novel and make it easier to understand.
The story takes place during the heart of the American Revolution in 1780 on the neutral ground of Westchester County, New York. Harvey Birch is an American spy wrongly suspected by Patriots to be a spy for the British. Harvey meets a family named the Whartons, who are torn apart by the war. Throughout the story, Harvey helps the family by trying to save Henry Wharton, a British Spy, while he himself has to evade both the Continental Army and American guerrillas. In the end, George Washington offers the spy a reward, but Harvey refuses because he was motivated by his love for his country, and not by money.
Though it may seem unbelievable, the basis for the story of The Spy is actually true. There are even real characters, including General George Washington. The plot was very complex, growing thicker and thicker, containing many subplots which enhanced the entertainment value of the book. There were some very significant ideas in this novel, such as the elder Wharton's neutrality during the war which held his family together. There were also some confusing events, including Harvey Birch's sudden change of mind while handing his pardon note to Major Dunwoodie. Another puzzling aspect of the story was how the Continental Army still suspected Birch to be a spy for the British even after seeing all his pro-patriot actions. This book would be great for historians, history teachers, or war fanatics, but Cooper's sophisticated language would be more difficult for high school students.

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.

For the bulk of the novel, Fennimore Cooper seems to spin his literary wheels attempting to develop depth into his characters. Failing miserably, the plot quickens and the novel becomes more entertaining, although hardly believable. The ultimate reason for the danger in the book becomes rather silly, but still there is some redeaming quality to the novel. This was basically Fennimore Cooper's first attempt at an American novel and so some tolerance is warrented. I shall try the next book, The Pioneers, in time.