The Secret Agent

Published in 1907 and dedicated to H.G. Wells, The Secret Agent by (Polish-born) Joseph Conrad is set in London in 1886 and is one of his later novels. In this period, he moves away from seafaring tales to political themes. This novel is inspired by an actual event.

Adolf Verloc is a secret agent who provides information and takes care of arriving undercover agents of an un-named government through their embassy. He also runs a shady business selling pornography, comic books, contraceptives, and the like. As well as this, he’s a confidential informant to Chief Inspector Heat of the London police. His family consists of his wife, Winnie, her Mother, and his (presumably) autistic brother-in-law, Stevie. His circle of friends is a group of anarchists (Ossipon, Yundt, Michaelis, and explosives expert, “The Professor”). They are known to the police and are kept under observation by them. For the most part, they publish anarchist literature, mainly “The FP” which stands for “The Future of the Proletariat". When a bombing occurs at the Greenwich Observatory, it goes wrong, and the bomber is blown to pieces. Chief Inspector Heat and the Assistant Commissioner are called upon to investigate. They begin their inquiries with the usual Anarchist suspects.

Conrad writes this tale with amazing fluidity and use of the English language. His psychological style, cleverness of plot, and storytelling are rarely surpassed in English Literature. The effect he achieves is surprisingly cinematic.