The Secret Agent

More about the book

Set against the backdrop of 1886 London, the narrative centers on Adolf Verloc, a secret agent and shopkeeper dealing in controversial goods. His domestic life includes his wife Winnie, who cares for her excitable brother Stevie, who has a mental disability. Verloc's connections with a group of ineffectual anarchists, including Comrade Ossipon and "The Professor," highlight the tension between their radical ideals and their inability to enact real change. The group's production of anarchist pamphlets adds depth to their character dynamics and societal commentary.