The Secret Agent
A Simple Tale
Adolf Verloc runs a shabby shop in Soho and lives quietly with his wife Winnie, her ailing mother and her simple-minded brother Stevie. He also takes money from a foreign embassy to inform on the anarchists who meet in his back parlor. When a new diplomat demands results and orders a bombing that will shock England into repression, Verloc chooses the Greenwich Observatory as the target, with results nobody intended. Conrad based the story on a real explosion in Greenwich Park in 1894 and treats everyone, revolutionaries, policemen and politicians alike, with the same bleak irony. Published in 1907, it is his most sustained portrait of London, and the domestic tragedy of Winnie Verloc gives the political plot its weight. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, with the first chapter free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about The Secret Agent
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The Secret Agent online?
Yes. The Secret Agent opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The Secret Agent free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Secret Agent is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The Secret Agent in the public domain?
Yes. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The Secret Agent?
About 6 h 13 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The Secret Agent?
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
