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Rating: 
Summary: Joseph, what happened?
Review: As a die-hard Conrad fan, I was disappointed by The Secret Agent, which seemed to try too hard to be ironic. Conrad is best in character studies, such as Lord Jim, and this plunge into political satire does not suit him. I love to make fun of socialists and anarchists as much as the next person (since, you know, they believe the same things when their ideologies are contradictory), and Conrad really wants us to feel contempt for the characters. Mostly, however, I felt indifference. There are some witticisms in here, and I enjoyed Stevie, the "slow" brother of Mrs. Verloc. Overall, however, Conrad was best at sea. Everyone should read Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, and if you appreciate those, try Chance and Victory. But don't look to this book for an accurate or flattering representation of Conrad.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrorism 100 years ago
Review: Terrorism is not new. Conrad shows us the mind of a terrorist and the planning behind attacks with a horrifying clarity.
Rating: 
Summary: a grim view of the anarchists
Review: This is a grim, gritty, cynical tale set in the world of the anarchists and secret agents around the start of the 20th century. There are no blind romantics, no overwhelming causes, and no anarchistic politics. As is often the case with Conrad, this is a story about people, people in an exotic world.
The setting is London, the crime an attempt to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. The motives are far from pure: money, careerism, hack value, a peaceful mind. Mrs. Verloc, an anarchist's wife, is at the center of the tale. As Conrad tells us, and shows us repeatedly, she is not a woman to look beneath the surface of things, but she is a woman of some depth.
The story is sad. It is a tragedy, and the ending seems inevitable given the players Conrad has set in motion. This is probably appropriate given the subject matter.
The writing is excellent. The tale is well told. I would have given it a full five stars save for the sheer grimness of the tale. If you are a reader who gives extra points to depressing stories, you should consider this ranking a five.
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