The Secret Agent

What’s the book?
Everybody has read Heart of Darkness. You probably skimmed it in high school, or read the Spark Notes (or Clif’s Notes, since Spark Notes didn’t exist for many of you) and went on with your life. Enter LiteraryHuman. We are here to suggest a different book by Mr. Joseph Conrad, a work whose merits and modernist credentials have really been overshadowed by Joe’s other work, and the torrent of cries of “RACIST!” that have come in its backlash. With a cast of characters that includes Marxists, terrorists, police inspectors, dolts, and evil genii (I think this is the correct plural?), The Secret Agent is an incredible exemplar of modernist technique. It is a tragedy and a work of early 2oth century quintessence.

What’s it about?
The Secret Agent himself, Mr. Verloc, is pretty much the antithesis of the common conception of a secret agent. He is the anti-007, fat, lazy, and ineffective. He lives in a sex shop. No, really, he does, and it is rather funny, especially considering the fact that the book was written 1907. The plot follows Verloc and his deviant clique of revolutionaries, their plans to bomb a London site, and the police that attempt to solve their attempts, but it quickly turns down a road more tragic than the reader may have initially expected. The Professor, a ruthless bombmaker, is truly compelling in his wanton disregard for morality, and the tension of the story carries the reader through to the literary punch without descending into the depths of boredom.

Why should you read it?
The buffoonery of some of its characters and the depravity of others, and the close looks at each one’s inner thoughts make it an intriguing read, but it’s not long enough to seem labored. It packs a lot of emotional punch and pounds its theme of modernist disconnection home with the hammer of innovative perspectives, allowing the reader to view events from many sets of eyes. Okay, that last sentence was a bit melodramatic, but seriously, it’s a good read and you’ll feel much more literary when you are done. Not to take anything away from Heart of Darkness, which is a terrific book, but this overlooked great brings a lot more groundbreaking style to the table.