But what is one to say to an act of destructive ferocity so absurd as to be incomprehensible, inexplicable, almost unthinkable; in fact, mad? Madness alone is truly terrifying, inasmuch as you cannot placate it either by threats, persuasion, or bribes.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the quote above was from a recent op-ed piece concerning terrorism and the perils of the world we live in. But in fact it is from the disturbing Mr. Vladimir who is a character in The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad.
Does the book title sound vaguely familiar? Perhaps you remember it from an old course syllabus or being mentioned by a friend. In fact, it fits perfectly into our latest series titled Books You Have Always Meant to Read and is the next title to be discussed on Tuesday, April 24th at the Main Library auditorium starting at 7 pm.
Everett Community College professor Roger Berger will lead the discussion of Conrad’s absurd and dark tale of anarchists, revolutionaries and the hapless Mr. Verloc as he attempts to create a “series of outrages” against the status quo.
If you feel inspired by the discussion and want to learn more, definitely take a look at our resources on the author and his works. Perhaps even some information on Greenwich Observatory which, thankfully, still stands…
Be sure to visit A Reading Life for more reviews and news of all things happening at the Everett Public Library
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