The Secret Agent
By Joseph ConradThe Secret Agent is Joseph Conrad's dark satire on English society, edited with an introduction and notes by Michael Newton in Penguin Classics.
In the only novel Conrad set in London, The Secret Agent communicates a profoundly ironic view of human affairs. The story is woven around an attack on the Greenwich Observatory in 1894 masterminded by Verloc, a Russian spy working for the police, and ostensibly a member of an anarchist group in Soho. His masters instruct him to discredit the anarchists in a humiliating fashion, and when his evil plan goes horribly awry, Verloc must deal with the repercussions of his actions. While rooted in the Edwardian period, Conrad's tale remains strikingly contemporary, with its depiction of Londoners gripped by fear of the terrorists living in their midst.
This edition of The Secret Agent contains a chronology, further reading, notes and maps of London and Greenwich. In his introduction, Michael Newton discusses London's real-life world of political anarchy, and Conrad's portrayal of the Verlocs' marriage.
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine and grew up under Tsarist autocracy. After spending years in the French, and later the British Merchant Navy, Conrad left the sea to devote himself to writing. In 1896 he settled in Kent, where he produced within fifteen years such modern classics as Youth, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Typhoon, Nostromo, The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes.
If you enjoyed The Secret Agent, you might like Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Demons, also available in Penguin Classics.
'A brilliant book, one of the greatest works of modern irony'
Malcolm Bradbury
Book details
- Paperback
- 320 pages
- English
- 0141441585
- 9780141441580
About Joseph Conrad
joseph conrad (born józef teodor konrad korzeniowski ) was a polish-born english novelist who today is most famous for heart of Read More about Joseph Conrad
More Books By Joseph Conrad
People who bought this also bought
The Soaps: Daytime Serials of Radio and TV Book by Madeleine Edmondson
Used Book
You and God and ME Together : A Special Book for Parent and Teen : Exploring Life, Learning about Our Faith and Making the Right Move
Used Book
How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer: The Five Qualities That Make Salespeople Great
Used Book
True South: Henry Hampton and "Eyes on the Prize," the Landmark Television Series That Reframed the Civil Rights Movement
Used Book
Voicing Today's Visions: Writings by Contemporary Women Artists
Used Book
Belief Matters: Grappling with the Essentials of the Christian Faith book by Pete Briscoe
Used Book
Life 2.0 : How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness
Used Book
Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
New Book
Parenting a Grieving Child: Helping Children Find Faith, Hope, and Healing After the Loss of a Loved One
Used Book
The Results Obsession : ROI-Focused Digital Strategies to Transform Your Marketing
Used Book
Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day by Daryl Collins
New Book
The Skeptical Feminist: Discovering the Virgin, Mother, and Crone
Used Book
Favorite Recipes The Costco Way - Delicious Dishes Using Costco Products
Used Book