I recently finished reading The Secret Agent, I have to admit that for the first two thirds of the book I really wasn't enjoying it. I found Conrad's style too monotonous and I felt no emotional connection with any of the characters. I was really struggling to keep reading it but I'm definitely glad that I did.
I don't know if it was because I began reading with a different frame of mind or because the narrative got more exciting but the last few chapters were brilliant. I suddenly found that I was empathising with all the characters and I couldn't put it down.
The ending was great, dramatic and final. I finished the book feeling like I loved it, then remembered how much I disliked it to begin with.
I won't give anything away about the plot because it's definitely a book that you should read but after I finished it I read the notes that came with my edition and the whole story is based around a real event. Joseph Conrad heard about a man who it was believed had attempted to blow up Greenwich Observatory and decided to make up the story behind it. Finding this out made me like it even more.
It's a brilliant political tale that leaves you questioning yourself and the world around you, the incredible ending was definitely worth the somewhat dull start to the novel, go and get a copy now.
