AccueilGroupesDiscussionsPlusTendances
Site de recherche
Ce site utilise des cookies pour fournir nos services, optimiser les performances, pour les analyses, et (si vous n'êtes pas connecté) pour les publicités. En utilisant Librarything, vous reconnaissez avoir lu et compris nos conditions générales d'utilisation et de services. Votre utilisation du site et de ses services vaut acceptation de ces conditions et termes.

Résultats trouvés sur Google Books

Cliquer sur une vignette pour aller sur Google Books.

Chargement...

L'espion (1821)

par James Fenimore Cooper

Autres auteurs: Voir la section autres auteur(e)s.

MembresCritiquesPopularitéÉvaluation moyenneMentions
7741528,530 (3.29)20
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:

Looking for a stiff dose of seat-of-your-pants wartime action and adventure? Check out The Spy from American literary master James Fenimore Cooper. This extensively researched tale of the Revolutionary War focuses on the exploits of protagonist Harry Birch, who is passionately devoted to the cause of American independence but nonetheless finds himself falsely accused of treason.

.… (plus d'informations)
Chargement...

Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre

Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.

» Voir aussi les 20 mentions

Affichage de 1-5 de 15 (suivant | tout afficher)
This was written in 1821 and frankly I had a hard time comprehending the style of writing. I really didn't want to take the time to study it. It was almost like reading Shakespeare. I want to read Last of the Mohicans so I will be sure to have my dictionary out and take plenty of time to comprehend it. ( )
  debbie13410 | Oct 22, 2022 |
337-1
  gutierrezmonge | Oct 17, 2022 |
"The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground" was first published in 1821 and was the second of Cooper's published works and his first commercial success. The action of the novel takes place in Westchester ("West Chester") County, NY in 1780 not long after the defection of Benedict Arnold to the British and the capture and execution of his British contact, Major Andre.

As espionage tales go this is actually pretty thin on the activities of the protagonist as a spy. The hero is in fact a double agent who is apparently a spy working in the service of Sir Henry Clinton and wanted desperately for hanging by the Americans who are unaware that, in fact, he is an agent of George Washington. The plot, in so far as it chronicles the activities of the hero, consists of his efforts to elude the American forces or to escape his captors when taken prisoner. Along the way he distinguishes himself through services rendered to members of the Wharton family, whose only son is a British serving officer, taken while in civilian disguise, during a family visit and doomed to the same fate as Major Andre and our hero.

The Wharton family symbolizes the American people writ large. As is often the case in a civil conflict the family members are divided in their loyalties. The son, Henry, is a serving British officer. The loyalties of his sisters Sarah and Frances are divided between the King (Sarah) and native country (Frances). Their father strives to maintain a public facing neutrality while privately leaning toward the British cause. Their aunt Jeanette Peyton, a Virginia transplant, who is the younger sister of Mr. Wharton's late wife. It turns out that her relative, Peyton Dunwoodie, is a major in the American army and the ranking local commander of a troop of dragoons stationed in the area.

Major Dunwoodie is a childhood friend of Captain Henry Wharton, the British officer who is threatened with execution by hanging after his capture in civilian disguise by Dunwoodie's subordinate, Captain Lawton. Dunwoodie's difficulties are further complicated by his affections for young Frances.

The supporting cast of characters includes a Colonel Wellmere, a British officer, much admired by Sarah Wharton; a Captain Singleton who is seriously wounded during a battle that takes place near the Whartons' home, his sister Isabella who is transported to the scene to attend to her brother during his convalescence; Dr. Sitgreaves , a surgeon attached to the American army; Katy Haynes, the housekeeper to John Birch and his son Harvey (our protagonist); Betty Flanagan,a female sutler and perhaps camp follower of the American dragoons; the Wharton family's black slave, Caesar, and a mysterious gentleman named Harper who kicks off the story, but then disappears until near the end of the narrative.

Cooper writes in a style reminiscent of Jane Austen. His heroes and heroines are exemplars of manliness and the feminine virtues, and their dialogue is formal and moderate in tone at least as it concerns the Wharton family, the officers and Harvey Birch. The men are animated by honor, patriotism, loyalty (to their brethren and their duty), courage and regard for reputation. The ladies are modest, tender hearted, devoted to their family, and virtuous in love.

Like a good movie serial the action involves one near miraculous escape after another, romance, heroism above and beyond, and the threat to safety and happiness posed by cads, cowards and blackguards. This is clearly a tale that is out of fashion and is not for those readers who strive to be politically correct and as such consider concepts such as "gentlemen" and "ladies' to be modes of oppression. If you belong to the 1619 Project school of American history this is not for you.

For the rest of us, Cooper's "Tale of the Neutral Ground" is highly recommended. ( )
  citizencane | Jun 14, 2021 |
I'm not fond of books that describe every minute detail like this one does, but when it was written, it would have given an excellent description of what life was like during the Revolutionary War. No other book that I've read gave a description of the Skinners, those who had loyalty to neither side & stole from both with no conscience, destroying property at will. This is one of the author's first novels & may (or may not) be based on a true story.



( )
  CAFinNY | Apr 26, 2019 |
Quick read: light and enjoyable despite the execution. Lovely way to get to know a version of Mata Hari. ( )
  BridgitDavis | May 10, 2018 |
Affichage de 1-5 de 15 (suivant | tout afficher)
aucune critique | ajouter une critique

» Ajouter d'autres auteur(e)s (19 possibles)

Nom de l'auteurRôleType d'auteurŒuvre ?Statut
Cooper, James Fenimoreauteur principaltoutes les éditionsconfirmé
Baldridge, C. Le RoyIllustrateurauteur secondairequelques éditionsconfirmé
Pitz, Henry C.Illustrateurauteur secondairequelques éditionsconfirmé
Winterich, John T.Introductionauteur secondairequelques éditionsconfirmé
Vous devez vous identifier pour modifier le Partage des connaissances.
Pour plus d'aide, voir la page Aide sur le Partage des connaissances [en anglais].
Titre canonique
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais. Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Titre original
Titres alternatifs
Date de première publication
Personnes ou personnages
Lieux importants
Évènements importants
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais. Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Films connexes
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais. Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Épigraphe
Dédicace
Premiers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais. Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
It was near the close of the year 1780 that a solitary traveler was seen
pursuing his way through one of the numerous little valleys of
Westchester.
Citations
Derniers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais. Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
(Cliquez pour voir. Attention : peut vendre la mèche.)
Notice de désambigüisation
Directeur de publication
Courtes éloges de critiques
Langue d'origine
DDC/MDS canonique
LCC canonique

Références à cette œuvre sur des ressources externes.

Wikipédia en anglais

Aucun

Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:

Looking for a stiff dose of seat-of-your-pants wartime action and adventure? Check out The Spy from American literary master James Fenimore Cooper. This extensively researched tale of the Revolutionary War focuses on the exploits of protagonist Harry Birch, who is passionately devoted to the cause of American independence but nonetheless finds himself falsely accused of treason.

.

Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque

Description du livre
Résumé sous forme de haïku

Discussion en cours

Aucun

Couvertures populaires

Vos raccourcis

Évaluation

Moyenne: (3.29)
0.5
1 3
1.5
2 5
2.5 2
3 20
3.5 5
4 19
4.5 1
5 3

Est-ce vous ?

Devenez un(e) auteur LibraryThing.

 

À propos | Contact | LibraryThing.com | Respect de la vie privée et règles d'utilisation | Aide/FAQ | Blog | Boutique | APIs | TinyCat | Bibliothèques historiques | Critiques en avant-première | Partage des connaissances | 203,189,815 livres! | Barre supérieure: Toujours visible