Book Review 2014: An Officer and a Spy
Book #3
Still haven’t figured out how to resize images, which means that this photo has absolutely nothing to do with this book. Maybe it’ll make you feel inspired to go out and get it, which you definitely should.
First off, this book is SO GOOD! So good that I had to use caps lock there. It is definitely the best book I’ve read all year (okay, so I’ve only read 6, but whatever), and probably one of the best books I’ve read for a while. My dad gave it to me and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but once I got a few chapters in I was hooked.
Robert Harris’ An Officer and a Spy tells the story of the Dreyfus Affair, a real case, from the perspective of Georges Picquart, head of France’s counterspionage agency. The story begins with the sentencing of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish offer who has been accused of spying for the Germans. Dreyfus is exiled to life imprisonment far away, where life is not so good in his tiny cell. Picquart, a loyal French officer, is promoted to the spy unit — not a job he was truly excited to take on — but he vows to do a good job nonetheless. He quickly discovers that there is another spy passing secrets to the Germans. When he delves deeper into the facts, he realizes that something fishy is going on and that Dreyfus may not be the horrible traitor the army has painted him to be. Picquart attempts to uncover the truth but finds barriers at every step, including some that threaten his own freedom.
The Good: This is extraordinarily good storytelling. My dad read a nonfictional account of the Dreyfus Affair after reading this book and could not believe how true to the facts Harris stayed. Every part of this book is exciting, every character is engaging, and every new discovery within it is thrilling. I was surprised how anxious I felt at some parts, even though I had an idea of how it would ultimately end. I don’t really have anything else to add other than to encourage everyone to go get a copy and read it right now.
The Bad: It wasn’t long enough and I’m not still reading it.
