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The Secret Agent
- Narrated by: David Threlfall
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
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The Secret Agent
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Summary
Exclusively from Audible
The Secret Agent is based on an actual attempt made in 1894 to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. A labyrinth of greed, corruption, and betrayal, it is the most darkly humorous of all Conrad's tales.
It follows a European secret agent, Adolf Verloc, 'a London shop owner' with anarchist leanings who becomes reluctantly involved in a plot to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. Full of great characters, melodramatic irony and psychological intrigue the tale is far from simple, involving politicians, policemen, foreign diplomats and London's fashionable society.
This classic was written at a time when terrorist activity was increasing. Due to its themes of anarchism, espionage, and terrorism, the book still retains great interest from its audience and was regularly cited by the American media after the September 11 attacks. The New York Times described it as acquiring 'a kind of cult status as the classic novel for the post-9/11 age.'
Though the story did not attain popularity during Conrad's lifetime it is still considered to be one of his finest novels.
Narrator Biography
Having studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, David Horovitch has had a television career spanning over 40 years. One of his most notable roles was in 1984 as Detective Inspector Slack in the first BBC Miss Marple adaptation The Body in the Library. Due to the success of his character, he returned for four Christmas specials. He has had roles in other shows such as Just William (1994), Foyle’s War (2002) and Wire in the Blood (2005) as well as film appearances in The Young Victoria (2009), 102 Dalmatians (2000), The Infiltrator (2016) and Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner (2014). A long time star of the stage, in 2015 he played the role of George Frideric Handel in All the Angels by Nick Drake at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. As well as narrating numerous audiobooks David Horovitch narrated Audible’s multicast drama The Oedipus Plays.
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What listeners say about The Secret Agent
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna
- 15-12-23
Just magnificent narration
Threlfall brings Conrad and the slimy drained aquarium of London back to full life. Superb.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Probity
- 10-01-21
Tedious
There really isn’t much of a story. The best thing about this book is that it’s not very long. It beats me why this is considered a classic.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sue
- 01-11-17
The story of a reluctant spy and a tragic plot
Joseph Conrad continues to write about the dark side of humanity, similar to his other work the Heart of Darkness. The book reads like two separate tales - that of the Verloc family and that of the anarchists.
Set in bleak Victorian London, the novel follows the life of Mr. Verloc, a secret agent, who also is a married businessman on the side selling inappropriate bric-a-brac. His friends are a group of anarchists of which three people are most prominent. Although largely ineffectual as terrorists, they are well known to the police. Verloc is also secretly employed by the Embassy as an agent provocateur. And here it all falls apart.
The more intriguing part of the book surrounds the family, especially his wife Winnie who essentially behaves like a timid matriarch before becoming distraught over the thought of being hanged. Stevie, Winnie's brother who has a mental disability, is treated more like a son than a sibling. And when he encounters tragedy, Winnie changes into a completely different person.
At times, the political aspect can be long-winded, but it ends in a major climax so it's worth getting to the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- David Steward
- 17-01-18
Slow start, but very rewarding.
Appeared to be labouring to get going initially, but it was written when readers expected the author to paint the story on a large canvas, and this is a fine picture. The story rapidly be comes compulsive. The story told, is as true today as it was for the period and place it is set in.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-11-10
The Secret Agent
I really loved this. Tried to read this book, but my dyslexia got the better of me. Listened to this and was very impressed by the quality of the narration.
It is rightly a classic!
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- M Rowlands
- 15-09-21
My first Joseph Conrad read
Narration by David Threlfall is excellent but I was a tad disappointed with the book. I was expecting a spy story from the title but found it wasn't really that. It entertained and gripped best in its final 20%, but it was at times a bit tedious in getting there. Much padded descriptive text. Would have lost little by being half the length.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- NICK
- 28-02-22
Great Author…
… but it’s heavy-going. Conrad tends to dwell over-long on scenes, whether a description of an early morning in London, or the protracted Embassy interview. A novel with a title like The Secret Agent needs to skip along much more lightly.
I lost interest and gave up!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 01-10-19
Conrad's dark masterpiece finds its perfect reader
If all you know of David Threlfall is Frank Gallagher from Shameless, you may be surprised by this performance of what is arguably Conrad's masterpiece. There's a quietness about this reading, a thoughtful, untheatrical performance which allows Conrad's words their full force, shifting from brutal naturalism to impressionism and, apparently accidentally, anticipating many techniques used decades later in film. If you are uncertain whether you could get on with Audiobooks, try this one first.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alasdair
- 06-07-20
Amazing book brilliantly read
I'd have given this ten stars if that had been an option. David Threlfall brought this to life
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- nought
- 12-09-19
Nostalgia
Have read this a few times over the years
And have now thoroughly enjoyed it being
Read to me by a very good narrator thank you audible
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