My Cultural Diet

Given that one of its protagonists is a beautiful ballet dancer-turned-Russian spy trained in “sexpionage,” Red Sparrow does occasionally slip into lurid and graphic detail. Some readers might find that titillating but more intriguing are the novel’s descriptions of mundane spy work, which possess a verisimilitude thanks to the author’s own history in the CIA as a recruiter of foreign agents. Although I was never not entertained by Red Sparrow, I found it devoid of any nail-biting tension, which one would expect from an acclaimed spy novel. I suspect that’s because, with a few notable exceptions, all of the Russian agents are corrupt, self-serving, back-stabbing bastards. Meanwhile, American agents might be crass and uncouth, but every single one of them is smart, competent, and loyal. Matthews’ contempt for Russia’s government and spy agencies is both undeniable and understandable, but it also means that you know how every single conflict, twist, and conspiracy is going to pan out. Finally, I found it amusing that one of the novel’s villains is a shrewish (and sex-obsessed) Democratic senator who betrays her country and starts selling secrets to the Russians. That might’ve been plausible in 2013, but it feels less so in 2025 when our Republican president publicly kowtows to Putin and various right-wing figures have a history of parroting Kremlin talking points.

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