The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale Paperback - 2007
by Joseph Conrad; Michael Newton (Editor); Introduction by Michael Newton
Inspired by an actual attempt in 1894 to blow up London's Greenwich Observatory, here is a chillingly prophetic examination of contemporary terrorism and the literary precursor to today's espionage thriller. Revised reissue.
About this book
The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale is one of Joseph Conrad’s later novels. Set in London in 1886, the novel tells the story of Adolf Verloc, a member of a largely ineffectual anarchist group who is also a secret agent, and an operation with unforeseen consequences. In his Author’s Note written in 1920, Conrad explains that the plot of the novel was inspired by the Greenwich Bomb Outrage of February 1894. In this event, explosives prematurely detonated in the hands of French anarchist named Martial Bourdin on the grounds of the Greenwich Observatory. What fascinated Conrad the most about the Greenwich Bomb Outrage was the fact that the motives remained a mystery. Through themes of espionage, anarchism, and terrorism based on horrific, but true events, The Secret Agent questions the world's capacity for reason and order in a smart, yet skeptical way. Perhaps this explains why the novel is said to be one of the three most talked-about works of literature in the media immediately after 9/11.
The Secret Agent did not sell well initially, but is now considered a classic. The novel is ranked 46th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. The Secret Agent has undergone multiple adaptations for both the stage and the screen. Perhaps most notable is Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film, Sabotage, loosely based on the novel, though many changes to the plot and characters were made. (Not to be confused with another 1936 Hitchcock film, Secret Agent, based on short stories by W. Somerset Maugham.)
Fun fact: The Secret Agent is said to have greatly influenced Theodore Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber. Kaczynski, who engaged in a nationwide bombing campaign in the US between 1978 and 1995, strongly identified with the Professor, the villain of the novel.
Summary
In a corrupt London underworld of criminals, terrorists, and fanatics, Mr. Verloc is assigned to plant a bomb. The tragic repercussions for his family show how Conrad's ironic voice is concerned not with politics but with the terrible fates of ordinary people.
First Edition Identification
In a print run of just 2,500 copies, London-based Methuen & Co. first published The Secret Agent in September of 1907. Bound in red cloth with gilt along the spine, the 442-page first edition includes an additional 40-page publisher's catalogue of books for sale at the end as well as a point of issue on the last line of p. 117: the word “be” is duplicated.
Details
- Title The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale
- Author Joseph Conrad; Michael Newton (Editor); Introduction by Michael Newton
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 320
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Penguin Group, London
- Date 2007-12-01
- Features Bibliography, Maps, Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents
- ISBN 9780141441580 / 0141441585
- Weight 0.53 lbs (0.24 kg)
- Dimensions 7.8 x 5.16 x 0.75 in (19.81 x 13.11 x 1.91 cm)
- Ages 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
-
Themes
- Cultural Region: British
- Library of Congress subjects London (England), Conspiracies
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Media reviews
Citations
- Library Journal, 10/01/2015, Page 36
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by Conrad, Joseph
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