The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad

[Diane]

Rating: 3.5 stars


This is very different from other Conrad novels since it doesn't take place on a boat and has a different type of plot from his other novels. It is the story of Verloc, a man who leads a double life. He is a business owner of a shady type of establishment, an anarchist, and a terrorist/double agent. Life is good until he is asked coerced to carry out a job he really doesn't want to do. Verloc modifies the plan and things go awry.

Lots of sudden time-jumping and lots of characters, many of whom are unlikable, but overall a good book. It is also not a cheery book in any way, (view spoiler)[especially for the female or disabled characters. (hide spoiler)]

[Tatjana]

This is a dark novel about middle class in London at the beginning of last century. It discusses issues of anarchism, Bolshevism and socialist ideas. Among them, main character Verloc is a Russian spy, who has a wife and small shop in suburban London. The story unfolds around these two characters, leading to their tragedy. Although many ideas do not seem to be interesting to modern age, writing is nice and rich, as well as personal tragedy of Verloc and his wife Winnie.
Rating: 3 stars

[Kristel]

Reason Read: 1001, TBR/ROOT
This book was written in 1906 by Joseph Conrad. Its themes are terrorism/anarchism, politics.Sounds like today doesn't it? It was set in London in 1886. Anarchism is a unified organization but a collection of ideas on rejection of government and authority. The character Adolf Verloc is a spy living in London. His front is London shopkeeper. The anarchist are Michaelis who spent time in prison and really isn't much danger in any way, Comrade Ossipon, and "The Professor". Although largely ineffectual as terrorists, their actions are known to the police. The group produces anarchist literature. The story explores the lone anarchist, the bomb maker as the extreme form. This type abandons conventional morality and are not constrained by morality or social order. It shows that the ones hurt by political violence are the innocent and another point in the book is that anarchists and the legal authority are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, The Secret Agent is not a favorite book of proclaimed anarchists and this is because Conrad story points out that mostly anarchists are unproductive and when they're not, the ones hurt the most are the innocent that are just in the wrong place and the wrong time. So, its not a first in spy lit and its not a fave of anarchists but it has an interesting point and is worth reading. Rating 3.4

[Valerie]

read June 2024

I particularly liked this novel. Conrad’s writing is very descriptive, which he uses to great affect regarding the characters and London. It seems like it was never pleasant and sunny in the London of the secret agent. Conrad also has a real ability to write memorable characters – even it they are minor you have a vivid idea of them. He writes with a great deal of empathy for his characters as well, they may not be likeable but they are human with feelings and frailties. The story of Mr. Verloc the Secret Agent, probably wouldn’t be classified as a spy thriller in contemporary terms but I always wanted to know what was going to happen next and there are a few unexpected twists along the way! 5*