Super Short Summary

The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad follows Adolf Verloc, a secret agent in 1886 London, who is forced by his employer to orchestrate a bombing at the Greenwich Observatory to prove his worth. Verloc's involvement with anarchists and the police, coupled with using his wife's brother as a pawn, leads to disastrous and tragic consequences for his family. The plot incorporates elements of espionage, familial strife, and satire.