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The Secret Agent
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
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The Secret Agent
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Summary
Inspired by an actual terrorist attack on Greenwich Laboratory in 1894 ‘The Secret Agent’ is arguably Conrad’s greatest work. Mr. Verloc, the spy, is roused to action by his masters. He is to instigate an act ‘of destructive ferocity so absurd as to be incomprehensible, inexplicable, almost unthinkable; in fact, mad’. All does not run smoothly however and leads to Mr Verloc’s wife, Winnie, demonstrating how quickly rational equilibrium can change to frenzied destruction. Setting his story in a subterranean grimy London peopled by deceptive, dishonourable characters, Conrad not only reminds us of the futility of mindless aggression but also of how near it is to the surface of human behaviour.
Critic reviews
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What listeners say about The Secret Agent
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adrian J. Smith
- 22-11-18
Classic tale of the Anarchist era
The Secret Agent is less an espionage novel, and more a portrait of revolutionary anarchism.
The story can be difficult to follow at times as it can be rather heavy on dialogue at the expense of plot development, making the drama and action less clear, but a worthy read that provides a feel for the times.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- pjb2707
- 11-07-15
Classic literature - but a bit hard going
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Not for me. It is very well narrated but just didn't capture my interest. I felt the story could have been told in half the pages.
If you’ve listened to books by Joseph Conrad before, how does this one compare?
N/A
Have you listened to any of Peter Joyce’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No
Do you think The Secret Agent needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No
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