{"product_id":"secret-agent-5","title":"Secret Agent","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Secret Agent\u003c\/i\u003e is Joseph Conrad's dark satire on English society, edited with an introduction and notes by Michael Newton in Penguin Classics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the only novel Conrad set in London, \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Agent\u003c\/i\u003e communicates a profoundly ironic view of human affairs. The story is woven around an attack on the Greenwich Observatory in 1894 masterminded by Verloc, a Russian spy working for the police, and ostensibly a member of an anarchist group in Soho. His masters instruct him to discredit the anarchists in a humiliating fashion, and when his evil plan goes horribly awry, Verloc must deal with the repercussions of his actions. While rooted in the Edwardian period, Conrad's tale remains strikingly contemporary, with its depiction of Londoners gripped by fear of the terrorists living in their midst. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis edition of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Agent\u003c\/i\u003e contains a chronology, further reading, notes and maps of London and Greenwich. In his introduction, Michael Newton discusses London's real-life world of political anarchy, and Conrad's portrayal of the Verlocs' marriage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine and grew up under Tsarist autocracy. After spending years in the French, and later the British Merchant Navy, Conrad left the sea to devote himself to writing. In 1896 he settled in Kent, where he produced within fifteen years such modern classics as \u003ci\u003eYouth\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHeart of Darkness\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLord\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eJim\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTyphoon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNostromo\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Agent\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUnder Western Eyes\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you enjoyed \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Agent\u003c\/i\u003e, you might like Fyodor Dostoyevsky's \u003ci\u003eDemons\u003c\/i\u003e, also available in Penguin Classics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A brilliant book, one of the greatest works of modern irony'\u003cbr\u003eMalcolm Bradbury\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54252639125848,"sku":"9780141441580","price":16.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780141441580.jpg?v=1767767435","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/secret-agent-5","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}