The Secret Agent

A delight to re-read this after a break of about 15 years. It's always a pleasure reading Conrad, but particularly so with this novel, since it is quite atypical, not set on the sea, distinctly modern in style. At heart is perhaps a classic Conradian concern: the futility of existence, the desire to make a mark, be noticed, even if the “true” purpose of such a course of action is not clear. Another interpretation may simply be a consideration about the absurdity of politics in general and anarchism in particular. The Secret Agent is compulsive reading, owing not just to its length and plot, a bomb, a stabbing, the unpredictable actions of all the characters, but also owing to its constant shifts in temporal perspective. Another aspect of this work that is often underappreciated is its comedy. Conrad, perhaps justifiably, sees much mirth in how humans behave, particularly under stress. I could also not help but think how Graham Greene must have been influenced by this work. 9/10.

By Joseph Conrad