Secret Agent (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)

by Joseph Conrad, Graham MacPhee (Introduction)

Overview

In an era not unlike our own, in which menacing acts have become commonplace, Russian spymaster Vladimir seeks to undermine England’s “sentimental regard for liberty.” His challenge is how to rouse the indignation of a population that has sunk into existential indifference under the weight of material comfort, physical security, emotional routine, and intellectual conformity. In The Secret Agent, Conrad explores the confused motives of political terrorists through penetrating psychological insights, building suspense from page to page in a brilliant precursor to modern thrillers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760783214
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble
Publication date:	10/12/2006
Series:	Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Joseph Conrad was born in Russian-occupied Poland in 1857. He was the son of the famous Polish patriot, radical, writer, and intellectual Apollo Korzeniowski, but lost both parents as a result of the harsh conditions of their exile by the Russian authorities. He left home at sixteen and became a ship’s captain, before becoming a prolific author. His best-known works include Heart of Darkness, The Secret Agent, and The Arrow of Gold.

Date of Birth:

December 3, 1857

Date of Death:

August 3, 1924

Place of Birth:

Berdiczew, Podolia, Russia

Place of Death:

Bishopsbourne, Kent, England

Education:

Tutored in Switzerland. Self-taught in classical literature. Attended maritime school in Marseilles, France