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The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
96 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 1987
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August 18, 2025
Mr Verloc is 'The Secret Agent' in this dark, moody novel. He is a 'seller of shady wares,' from his London shop, in run down Soho, and, to an unspecified foreign government. When he comes face to face with his new handler, who's less than pleased with his usefulness he is forced to find a way to blow up the Greenwich Observatory in order to prove himself. Infuriated by this new turn of circumstances, and running out of time, Verloc comes up with a plan, that ends in a shocking tragedy.
Overall a good entertaining read. The kernel of the story is good, and for the most part engaging, however, I found some descriptive passages overlong. The book could have been at least fifty pages shorter for me. Having said that, the narrative builds nicely towards the climax of the book. Pulling the reader along. Set in 1886 and published in 1907, the novel is ahead of its times in its depiction of its subject matter, but deeply rooted in its time regarding its depiction of women.
Overall a good entertaining read. The kernel of the story is good, and for the most part engaging, however, I found some descriptive passages overlong. The book could have been at least fifty pages shorter for me. Having said that, the narrative builds nicely towards the climax of the book. Pulling the reader along. Set in 1886 and published in 1907, the novel is ahead of its times in its depiction of its subject matter, but deeply rooted in its time regarding its depiction of women.
Displaying 1 of 1 review