I seem to have a love-hate relationship with Conrad--probably because I'm reading several of his works back to back in a Ph.D. level course. But I must say, I was quite impressed with "The Secret Agent." There are surely moments of repetition (which others have mentioned is distracting and often annoying) and there are definitely a lot of adjectives that just pop up over and over again, making you want to scream. But at its core, this tale about domestic terrorism really resonates with today's world.

I think Stevie remains the most interesting character, because while one might not think he is complex, he actually may be the most complex character because of his ability to transcend different character archetypes. Mrs. Verlac is also notable, and there are some areas where one might apply a feminist reading to her character (if you so dare/desire).

The modernist perspective on domesticity and domestic terrorism, and their interactions and inter-relationships, is fascinating. Definitely a read that I would suggest to those that like Conrad, but also to those just interested in views on modernism or terrorism. Definitely one of the better Conrad novels that I've read thus far.