The Secret Agent Book Review

The Secret Agent: Centennial Editon by Joseph Conrad

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the first Joseph Conrad book that I've read and as such I was a little unsure of what to expect but I can now say that I'm thoroughly impressed by his mastery of English prose, something that's all the more amazing considering that he didn't even learn English till he was in his twenties. There's something about his writing that I really enjoyed. He takes his time exploring the psychology of his characters, developing their thoughts and providing a basis for the actions they commit. I'll be the first to admit that his style may seem rather slow to the modern reader in this age of minimalism and postmodernism but, for me at least, I found it to be quite elegant and superbly paced in the way it keeps you in suspense.
This is a book about terrorism and the psychosis of terrorists and their supposed law-abiding antagonists. While I suppose you could loosely classify this as a detective/thriller book, I think it's a lot more than that. Sure, Conrad purposely keeps you in suspense about certain plot points to add to the thrill of the tale, but at its center this is story that goes beyond simple entertainment. This is a story of opposing forces that seek reconciliation in instances of extreme psychological and emotional pressure. Sometimes these things are shocking to a degree that, if you're like me, you may find yourself having to stop reading so you can come to terms with some markedly disturbing events that take place. Even though this book was published over a hundred years ago, there's a disconcerting similarity between the terror-struck world of The Secret Agent and the one that we find ourselves in at the beginning of the 21st century.
I apologize that this review doesn't really contain any concrete details about the book's plot, I figure you can find a synopsis pretty much anywhere and I wanted to express what this book meant to me. Needless to say, I enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. I don't think everyone will enjoy it as much as me, especially if you only read modern or light-weight literature, but this is a truly great book with some eerily prophetic themes.



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