The Secret Agent (Illustrator): A Simple Tale Kindle Edition

This seems to be a translation back into the original English by a beginner somewhere. There are hilarious comparisons in almost every sentence but here's a sample:Conrad's English: "Winnie Verloc was a young woman with a full bust, in a tight bodice, and with broad hips. Her hair was very tidy."The Beginner: "Winnie Verloc become a younger woman with a complete bust, in a good bodice, and with extensive hips. Her hair changed into very tidy."Buy this only if you have Conrad's original to read, and are looking for laughs.

A simple tale, yes. Although, it drags dramatically on and on it says little. The actual story unfolds after passing about 70 % of the book. In which it tells of a tragic end of three people. An afterthought of two, one only a little more connected than the other, walk away with their own thoughts. Nothing more. Hardly a satisfactory read.

It was hard to get into at first, but once you adapt to the pace of the book it truly deserves its ranking as one of the best novels by one of the best novelists of the twentieth century. The style will take your breath away.

I really tried to get into the book but it was too hard to read. A lot lot of words runtogether likethis. You have to stop and pick themapart.

BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION

This was my first Conrad novel. Somehow, I never had to read Heart of Darkness in high school, and now I know that I should thank some god of literature for that. The Secret Agent is not a bad book, but it’s certainly not my taste. The novel has a solid plot and characters. As I expected from a 1907 novel, there was a hefty amount of misogyny and racism in the novel. Time and time again, the characters remind you that women are not to be trusted and likely to be illogical harpies, and that it’s not a good sign if you have the “nose of a negro.”The main female character in the book is Winnie, who is the wife of Verloc. She seems a bit of a jerk throughout most of the book. But after the climax, I came to like her quite a bit, even if Conrad was sure to make her more hysterical than she ought to be.There’s nothing really spectacular about this novel. While it goes more in-depth regarding the motivations and plotting of the characters than I suspect other spy novels do, I never actually found myself caring for more than one, maybe two, and that is the heart of a novel for me. If I can’t care about your characters, I can’t care about your novel. And I did not care about the characters of The Secret Agent.I really don’t have much else to say. Perhaps readers looking for an older and more global espionage novel would enjoy this, but it was not for me.

Some have suggested reading this book to understand the events on 9/11. That is a debate that I don't want to take a stand on here on Amazon.First, this is a good book, and a worth-while read in any case. Conrad is not only worth reading, he's a necessary read.The story is set in London in 1907. The secret agent Verloc is double-agent for an unspecified country, most likely Russia, and a member of a small anarchist cell. The anarchists are particular to the point of eccentricity. Some members are merely players, others enjoy the sound of their own voice, and another enjoys mixing chemicals to create explosives. Like some modern `home grown' terrorists, these anarchists are ineffectual - much talk and little action. Verloc's only income besides his pay as an provocateur comes from a dusty little shop where he sells odds-and-ends - and pornography. Vladimir, who runs Verloc out of the unnamed embassy, threatens to cut Verloc off unless he carries out a magnificent operation.Conrad begins to weaves an interesting tale of political intrigue and psychological insight.The mastermind of the plot isn't an anarchist either he's a Russian diplomat frustrated with the refusal of the London police to arrest the anarchists which are in his way. In short, a government sponsors an act of terrorism in order to provoke a crackdown on terrorists.It's a very interesting story, and one that any lover of good spy stories, literature or stories of human nature.

I know there is much to Conrad's book, and that many who have no interest is espionage say the book is not about spying, but I disagree. The book is all about a spy, and what makes a spy, and reasons a man becomes one.At one level, the spy here, is manipulating the people around him, from this family, his paymaster, his wife, etc, but in reality, its his paymaster, who is not only manipulating him, he's manipulating the entire police force, and thus the country.Its very complex, but any one who likes spy novels, and conspiracy stories will understand this book much more then those who just read Conrad because he's a great writer. Conrad did not just pick this topic to display his wordcraft, he displayed great tradecraft too.So, if you like the great game, spy fiction, espionage, read this book, get into the spy's head, and see the plots within the plots, and master the moves!Enjoy!

Excellent