The Secret Agent Audiobook

" I have not enjoyed or been so impressed by a book in a long ass time. I suspect I will eventually read it again "

" Read for Novel class, fall 2009. Bo-ring. *ducks* "

" Starts of slow, but eventually picks-up near the end. "

" This is a strange book in the way that is seems to be many things at the same time - a murder mystery, a love story, a family drama. In that sense, it is somewhat ahead of its time. "

" A bit of work, but worth the effort. Strange, sad, and a little scary. "The Professor" is an amazing character. "

" Cleverly plotted depiction of nihlism and anarchism amidst the fog of late 19th century London. I did enjoy many of the in-depth descriptions of psychological states. Both conspirators and law enforcers are carefully portrayed, and with ample attention to detail - think of Henry James writing a Dan Brown novel. But I was also dismayed by more than a few passages of turgid prose. And maybe it's just my personal taste, but Conrad really does overdo the irony bit. "

" The first great spy thriller; the granddaddy of George Smiley and the like. Great! Could have done without the film with Bob Hoskins and Robin Williams, however. :) "

" It reads like the plot of an opera. The action takes place mainly off stage, bur the explosive, emotional drama is assigned to individuals and duets. The characters are believable and the tragedy of the Verlocs' lives is convincingly conveyed. It took me a long time to get to grips with Conrad's prose style, but having got there, the story unfurled in a highly satisfactory way. "

" At times Conrad produces some amazing description of the characters and their thoughts and behaviours. Didn't love the book as, which the exception of the last 50 pages, often not much is happening. "

" A postmodernist half a century before postmodernism existed. "

" Great representation of terrorism, and how it does not quite fit into the definition of a criminal act, but instead one of war. I also enjoyed the relationship portrayed between law enforcers and law breakers. Enjoyed a woman in power, capable of killing as well. "

" Not my favorite as far as Conrad is concerned. Decent. "

" Did you like Anthem by Ayn Rand? If so, this should be right up your alley. "

" not as good as nostromo and the plot is interesting but not so interesting - his capability at the writing craft is astounding and disheartening for someone who wants to write "

" This book is a puzzle in words! There is so much hidden within the pages it blows the mind. BUT... if your not the type of person who normally looks beyond the black and white of the pages: it'll just be a good story of human relationships and troubled politics. "

" I read this book as part of my history course revision, and it may be due to this that I didn't really get into this book. It's a good stand alone book, there are some very interesting characters and a number of important themes running throughout and it was very useful in terms of my course, however it did took some effort to continue reading in places. "

" had to pass this on to a friend cuz of allergies... but I really liked it! "

" This is a great novel filled with vivid, tortured characters. It is suspenseful and well plotted. Though it was published around 1920 and deals with anarchist living in London, it seems to capture the paranoia and angst of living in a major city today. "

" Anarchists and socialists and... lazy bums. A fun read. "

" Good story, but it is a Victorian novel. It is a very good Victorian novel but all the references to England and Empire are kind of lost on the modern reader. The part that redeems the story is the good old fashion murder mystery in it. "

" A pretty cool Conrad story, and refreshing in that it's not about some guy on a boat. "

" This was a book I enjoyed a long time ago and decided to try on my new Kindle. The irony is that the revolutionist he tries to present as off base I agree and enjoy their views. What does that make me? It is a good story, it will keep you reading and for a classic, feels not to heavy and not to discriptive to the point of wordy. "

" A tragic story in all counts. Well written and poignant. "

" I was led to read this after finishing Paul Berman's "Terror and Liberalism" and cannot think of a more sinister character in literature than the Professor in "The Secret Agent". A bit formulaic at times but Conrad's prose pushed me through . . . "

" This is different and then not so different from his stories of a white man in a dark man's world. You just read a lot of despair in Conrad's work and even home in London you have the have's and have nots. Worth a read if you are looking for a different angle on Conrad. "

" A book that continues to change to change my life, because once it changed it so radically. I may just be recovering from the experience and ready to rediscover it. "

" Dark, atmospheric and sophisticated. Like Greene on a bender. "

" A bit hard to get into it, but Chapter 11 is one of the finest things I ever read "

" This is a strange book in the way that is seems to be many things at the same time - a murder mystery, a love story, a family drama. In that sense, it is somewhat ahead of its time. "

" One of my most favorite books ever. Well written, no formulas here. Real people, real characters, surprises. "

" unsurprisingly, i hated every second of this book. conrad suxxxxxxxxxxxx, tell everyone. "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" It is always amazing how different can a book feel the second time you read it. I read this novel like 15 years ago and seemed dull. This time i found so many things, all that narrative mechanism used by the author in order to construct a character and his context. Conrad took a real fact and made it into a real fiction. "

" I can see this getting updated and filmed, a rather inefectual anarchist cell bundles a terrorist attack in London... you would probably get islamicists instead of anarchists. "

" The beginning of this book is a bit boggy in places; but, once you get past the intensity of description of the different anarchists' philosophies and the interview at the embassy, the pace of the plot quickens and from there on the brilliance of Conrad's insights sear out from some of the most casual moments of life he captures on the page. "

" Sympathy is a form of fear. An anarchist plot against time. "

" Trying to read one "book that everyone supposedly has read and I never did" book for one of my usual modern fodder. This was pretty cool when taken in context of its time. "

" I personally dislike Conrad's style of writing, but maybe that's just part of his appeal, and an element to his writing. "

" More of a treatise on anarchism, revolution and terrorism than a novel. Apparently, this work of Conrad was heavily analyzed and quoted in the aftermath of 9/11. "

" Anarchism and terrorism in London a long time ago. Great stuff. "

" You couldn't find a more ironically detached narrator than in this book. A precursor of things to come. "

" This book started off at a painfully slow pace but once a terrorist bomb was set off in the heart of London the pace really picked up and the characters started dropping like flies making for an overall pretty interesting read. "

" The creepiest Conrad story. I like it because the characters are so odd and all so devious. No good guys. "

" This was slow moving at first, and it didn't help that I read it in bits over several months. It actually didn't catch my interest much until the last half. Very typical scene of husband and wife totally not in touch with each other towards the end. "

" Classic Conrad tale of a sleazy pornography peddler who is involved with anarchists in turn of the century England. "

" Interesting story and characters, but I found the writing circuitous and longwinded. "

" Very good short book about the tracking of a spy near the end of the 19th century. Good spy novel from the detective's and spy's perspective. "

" Conrad from 1907 with themes of espionage and terrorism but it's no epic. Instead it focuses on a handful of strongly-drawn characters. "

" I reviewed this book on my blog, Hungry Like the Woolf. "

" There are moments of perfection in this book but not enough to out-weigh the tedium of pointlessly long descriptions. It's only a short but it felt like it took forever to get through. "

" I originally read the novel in the Summer of 1985 and really liked it back then, but the reread was just OK. "

" Interesting story and characters, but I found the writing circuitous and longwinded. "

" I actually liked this book of Conrad's more than Heart of Darkness. It's darker, ironically. "

" I couldn't finish it. I was just slogging. It was well-written, but just so boring to me. "

" This book was great in my opinion. It points out the contradictions and pointless ambitions of political revolutionists especially that of anarchists in particular. "

" Tightly controlled and wordy--typical early 20th century prose style. Hard to get into, but turns the common idea of espionage novels on its head. Ends up really wonderful and masterful. Definitely a better Conrad read than Heart of Darkness! "

" Oh man--I'm not a big Conrad fan, but this one is SO GREAT. "

" not quite as good as lord jim, but a damn fine novel by one of my all time favorites. "

" For a Joseph Conrad novel, no where near as bad as Nostromo. "

" Great representation of terrorism, and how it does not quite fit into the definition of a criminal act, but instead one of war. I also enjoyed the relationship portrayed between law enforcers and law breakers. Enjoyed a woman in power, capable of killing as well. "

" It had that sort of oddly formal feeling... he would describe the most seedy things and make them sound like an English tea party. Good though, I liked it. "

" Reading this as part of Multnomah County Library's "Read the Classics". I'm looking forward to the discussion at the library. "

" So many writers have copied this book that it almost seems like a formula novel. Conrad invented it. "

" Anarchists and socialists and... lazy bums. A fun read. "

" Thought I'd re-read... ok, falls apart a bit toward end... "

" For a Joseph Conrad novel, no where near as bad as Nostromo. "

" For some reason, I liked this better than the other crap Conrad wrote. "

" Dark, disturbing and hopeless, this book has much to say about humanity's faults and little to say about possible redemption. "

" Love this book. Some really great turns of phrase, although Conrad gets a little over excited about demonstrating his grasp of the English language for the most of it. "

" Superb novel that's startlingly contempory to our own time of terrorist cells and self-interested authority figures. Well drawn characters and a lot of dry humour that which again feels quite modern. A great entry point for readers new to Joseph Conrad. "

" One of the free ebooks in my Kobo. It was good. And strange. I liked how it was written, one character per chapter. But not something I would have read if not on my Kobo. "

" Starts of slow, but eventually picks-up near the end. "

" a pessimistic look at a collection of imbeciles in early twentieth century London "

" anarchists, communists, terrorists! what's NOT to like about this novel. "

" I'm still not sure what I think of this book. Some interesting suggestions about terrorism, anarchy and class relations (or class warfare) in very early 20th century... but I wasn't really sold. "

" While a fun read in it's own right, the discussion by 1800's anarchists about what is terrorism and how best to accomplish it reads honorably like today. "

" This book is a puzzle in words! There is so much hidden within the pages it blows the mind. BUT... if your not the type of person who normally looks beyond the black and white of the pages: it'll just be a good story of human relationships and troubled politics. "

" Ossipon = an anagram of "poisson." Insert fishbowl metaphor discussion here. "

" Ugh, something happened. I do not know what, or why, and neither do I actually care. "

" I can see this getting updated and filmed, a rather inefectual anarchist cell bundles a terrorist attack in London... you would probably get islamicists instead of anarchists. "

" Politics, anarchy, terrorism, a simplistic secret agent and a proud women's atttempt to shelter her adored autistic brother. Conrad excelled himself in this haunting exploration of modernism in this dystopian satire. "

" not as good as Heart, but the writing style is still excellent "

" Well, I finally made it through a Joseph Conrad novel. Very dark, sacrificial lambs and all that. "

" Starts of slow, but eventually picks-up near the end. "

" Not what I expected. I thought this would be a James Bond-type spy novel. Instead it is a story of a man who agrees to perform an act of terror simply because his main source of income (petty espionage for a foreign embassy) will end if he refuses. "

" In true Conrad fashion, the plot is very slow in developing so that when the horror comes you are surprised. Enjoy the character development in this story of greed and dissimulation. "

" Completely different than I expected, but interesting on a completely different plane. "

" hate hate hate conrad. always have, and i guess i always will!! even though this was a spy book! "

" A shock when you finish the book! "

" A pretty cool Conrad story, and refreshing in that it's not about some guy on a boat. "

" Starts of slow, but eventually picks-up near the end. "

" I thought this book was okay. But it didn't move me in any particular fashion. I don't quite understand why it's considered one of Conrad's most masterful works, but maybe it just wasn't for me. "

" Red this in 10th grade for US History I of all classes. Anyway. i didn't get it all when i read it. I just found the whole thing confusing. I'm sure by now it would be pretty amazing. "

" Starts of slow, but eventually picks-up near the end. "

" This book started off at a painfully slow pace but once a terrorist bomb was set off in the heart of London the pace really picked up and the characters started dropping like flies making for an overall pretty interesting read. "

" At times Conrad produces some amazing description of the characters and their thoughts and behaviours. Didn't love the book as, which the exception of the last 50 pages, often not much is happening. "

" Tightly controlled and wordy--typical early 20th century prose style. Hard to get into, but turns the common idea of espionage novels on its head. Ends up really wonderful and masterful. Definitely a better Conrad read than Heart of Darkness! "

" A little slow, but a good read. "

" Decent plot with awesome ending accentuated by great writing. "

" This is different and then not so different from his stories of a white man in a dark man's world. You just read a lot of despair in Conrad's work and even home in London you have the have's and have nots. Worth a read if you are looking for a different angle on Conrad. "

" Interesting story and characters, but I found the writing circuitous and longwinded. "

" A very interesting novel. It has some fascinating ideas and I'm glad I read this. I don't think I'll ever read it again though! "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" Before John le Carre and Ian Fleming, spies and agents were a pretty unglamorous bunch. The first half is more a who-got-offed than whodunit, and Mrs. Verloc gradually takes over as a warm, human character beneath the politics. "

" Mix the world's first spy/terrorism novel with Conrad's incredible command of language and you have a well-paced, engaging and deeply philosophical novel. A very good read. "

" Mix the world's first spy/terrorism novel with Conrad's incredible command of language and you have a well-paced, engaging and deeply philosophical novel. A very good read. "

" Mix the world's first spy/terrorism novel with Conrad's incredible command of language and you have a well-paced, engaging and deeply philosophical novel. A very good read. "

" Mix the world's first spy/terrorism novel with Conrad's incredible command of language and you have a well-paced, engaging and deeply philosophical novel. A very good read. "

" Mix the world's first spy/terrorism novel with Conrad's incredible command of language and you have a well-paced, engaging and deeply philosophical novel. A very good read. "

" Conrad was writing about Terrorism long before 9/11. Someone should make an Apocalypse now of this book. "

" Conrad was writing about Terrorism long before 9/11. Someone should make an Apocalypse now of this book. "

" Conrad was writing about Terrorism long before 9/11. Someone should make an Apocalypse now of this book. "

" Conrad was writing about Terrorism long before 9/11. Someone should make an Apocalypse now of this book. "

" Conrad was writing about Terrorism long before 9/11. Someone should make an Apocalypse now of this book. "

" Good book, Hitchcock stole a scene from it. I guess one thing I don't get is, why do people decide to kill shit after reading it? It's not that kind of book, I don't think. "

" Good book, Hitchcock stole a scene from it. I guess one thing I don't get is, why do people decide to kill shit after reading it? It's not that kind of book, I don't think. "

" Good book, Hitchcock stole a scene from it. I guess one thing I don't get is, why do people decide to kill shit after reading it? It's not that kind of book, I don't think. "

" Good book, Hitchcock stole a scene from it. I guess one thing I don't get is, why do people decide to kill shit after reading it? It's not that kind of book, I don't think. "

" Good book, Hitchcock stole a scene from it. I guess one thing I don't get is, why do people decide to kill shit after reading it? It's not that kind of book, I don't think. "

" What a bleak view of humanity - a very depressing book, though well worth the read due to the characterizations and story-line. "

" What a bleak view of humanity - a very depressing book, though well worth the read due to the characterizations and story-line. "

" What a bleak view of humanity - a very depressing book, though well worth the read due to the characterizations and story-line. "

" What a bleak view of humanity - a very depressing book, though well worth the read due to the characterizations and story-line. "

" What a bleak view of humanity - a very depressing book, though well worth the read due to the characterizations and story-line. "

" Perhaps I was not yet a sophisticated reader to appreciate this book properly when I read it, but until I reread it, I can only say that I remember it as the weakest of the books by Conrad that I have read. "

" Perhaps I was not yet a sophisticated reader to appreciate this book properly when I read it, but until I reread it, I can only say that I remember it as the weakest of the books by Conrad that I have read. "

" Perhaps I was not yet a sophisticated reader to appreciate this book properly when I read it, but until I reread it, I can only say that I remember it as the weakest of the books by Conrad that I have read. "

" Perhaps I was not yet a sophisticated reader to appreciate this book properly when I read it, but until I reread it, I can only say that I remember it as the weakest of the books by Conrad that I have read. "

" Perhaps I was not yet a sophisticated reader to appreciate this book properly when I read it, but until I reread it, I can only say that I remember it as the weakest of the books by Conrad that I have read. "