The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
"The Secret Agent" is a dark political satire set in London in the late 19th century, revolving around a secret agent who is also a shopkeeper, his anarchist friends, and his family. The story unfolds as the agent is coerced by his foreign employers to orchestrate a bombing in a bid to provoke a political response, but the plan goes disastrously wrong, leading to tragic consequences and a deep exploration of themes such as anarchism, espionage, terrorism, and betrayal.
The 700th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 12th on D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels (D. G. Myers)
- 46th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 85th on The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time (Mystery Writers of America)
- The Best Classics (The Times)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)