Who wrote the novels 'Lord Jim' (1900) and 'The Secret Agent' (1907)?
The Secret Agent The Secret Agent The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale is a novel by Joseph Conrad, published in 1907. The story is set in London in 1886 and deals with Mr Adolf Verloc and his work as a spy for an unnamed country (presumably Russia). "The Secret Agent" is one of Conrad's later political novels in which he moved away from his former tales of seafaring. The novel deals broadly with anarchism, espionage and terrorism. It also deals with exploitation of the vulnerable in Verloc's relationship with his brother-in-law Stevie, who has a learning difficulty. Because of its terrorism theme, it
The Secret Agent However, there were detractors who criticised the novel's "unpleasant characters and subject". "Country Life" magazine called the story "indecent" and criticised Conrad's "often dense and elliptical style". "The Secret Agent" has come to be considered one of Conrad's finest novels. "The Independent" calls it "[o]ne of Conrad's great city novels" whilst "The New York Times" insists that it is "the most brilliant novelistic study of terrorism". "The Secret Agent" is said to have influenced the Unabomber—Ted Kaczynski; he was a great fan and as an adolescent kept a copy at his bedside. He identified strongly with the character of "The