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    Original titleThe Secret Agent: A Simple Tale
    Originally publishedJanuary 1, 1907
    GenreFiction · Classics · Literature · Mystery · Espionage · Novels · Crime · Thriller · 20th Century · British Literature
    Plot summary

    Set in London in 1886, the novel follows the life of Adolf Verloc, a secret agent. Verloc is also a businessman who owns a shop which sells pornographic material, contraceptives and bric-a-brac. He lives with his wife Wi… See more

    Characters

    • Adolf Verloc: a secret agent who owns a shop in Soho in London. His primary characteristic, as described by Conrad, is indolence. He has been employed by an unnamed embassy to spy on revolutionary groups, whi… See more

    Background: Greenwich Bombing of 1894

    Conrad's character Stevie is based on the French anarchist Martial Bourdin who died gruesomely when the explosives he carried detonated prematurely. Bourdin's motives remain a mystery as does his intended target, whic… See more

    Major themes

    Terrorism and anarchism are intrinsic aspects of the novel, and are central to the plot. Verloc is employed by an agency which requires him to orchestrate terrorist activities, and several of the characters deal with te… See more