The Secret Agent (Paperback)

"The Secret Agent" is a grim, gritty, cynical tale set in the world of the anarchists and secret agents around the start of the 20th century. There are no blind romantics, no overwhelming causes, and no anarchistic politics. As is often the case with Joseph Conrad, this is a story about people, people in an exotic world. The setting is London, the crime an attempt to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. The motives are far from pure: money, careerism, hack value, a peaceful mind. Mrs. Verloc, an anarchist's wife, is at the center of the tale. As Conrad tells us, and shows us repeatedly, she is not a woman to look beneath the surface of things, but she is a woman of some depth. The story in "The Secret Agent" is sad. It is a tragedy, and the ending seems inevitable given the players Conrad has set in motion. This is probably appropriate given the subject matter. The writing is excellent and the tale well told. If you are a reader who gives extra points to depressing stories, this one should receive a five on sheer grimness alone.