The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford is a tale of passion, miscommunication, and deception set in the late 1890s, focusing on the intertwined lives of two couples. Narrated by the deceived husband, the story unfolds in a non-chronological order, revealing the complexities of relationships and the unreliability of perception. The novel delves into themes of betrayal, hidden truths, and the facade of societal expectations, offering a nuanced portrayal of human nature and societal norms of the Edwardian era.

Characters:

The characters are complex and flawed, reflecting deep contradictions and moral ambiguities, with the unreliable narrator at the forefront.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is impressionistic and non-linear, characterized by an unreliable narrator that adds complexity and depth to the narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot follows two couples in a tragic tale of infidelity, where the narrator, through a non-linear narrative, explores their intertwined lives and the consequences of their actions.

Setting:

The story is set in a European health spa in the early 20th century, reflecting societal norms and moral dilemmas of the upper middle class.

Pacing:

The pacing is deliberate and reflective, employing flashbacks to gradually build tension and reveal character arcs.

THIS is the saddest story I have ever heard. We had known the Ashburnhams for nine seasons of the town of Nauheim with an extreme intimacy—or, rather with an acquaintanceship as loose and easy and yet...

Notes:

The Good Soldier was originally titled The Saddest Story, which aligns with the novel's themes of tragedy and despair.

The novel features a deeply unreliable narrator, John Dowell, who struggles to understand the events around him.

The story is told in a non-linear format, leading readers through a series of flashbacks and reflections by the narrator.

Themes of infidelity, deception, and the complexity of human relationships are central to the narrative.

The setting includes a wealthy spa community just before World War I, highlighting societal norms of the time.

Ford Madox Ford engaged in literary circles with contemporaries like Joseph Conrad and Ernest Hemingway, influencing various literary movements.

The characters are portrayed as morally ambiguous, with none being completely good or evil, reflecting the complexity of human nature.

Ford’s writing style combines impressionism with a focus on the psychological depth of characters, making the narrative rich and layered.

The exploration of societal expectations about marriage and propriety is a recurring theme, often highlighted through the characters' actions and conflicts.

The book is often cited as a masterclass in narrative technique, particularly in its use of an unreliable narrator and fragmented storytelling.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of infidelity, mental illness, suicide, and emotional manipulation.

Has Romance?

The book contains significant romantic elements, predominantly focusing on infidelity and complex relationships.

From The Publisher:

The Good Soldier tells the stories of two outwardly happy couples who meet at a health spa in Germany just before the start of the First World War, and whose loveless, adultery-ridden relationships are strained and gradually disintegrate, with tragic consequences.

Drawing inspiration from his personal life, Ford Madox Ford innovatively used non-chronological flashbacks as well as an unreliable narrator to reveal the scandalous affairs, lies and betrayals behind the façade of respectability, and craft a masterly work of fiction and a subtle investigation of the notions of truth and deception.

Ratings (6)

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It Was OK (1)
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Reader Stats (14):

Read It (6)
Want To Read (5)
Not Interested (3)

1 comment(s)

Bekahpaige

It Was OK

5 months

I read this for an English lit class in college and greatly enjoyed it. Very funny.

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About the Author:

Ford Madox Ford was born on 17 December 1873 in Merton, Devon. He began writing in the 1890s and both his fiction and his criticism are celebrated. His most famous works are The Good Soldier (1915) and Parade's End (1924-8). His other major contribution to literature was the foundation of the English Review in 1908 and the Transatlantic Review in 1924. Ford changed his surname from Hueffer in 1919 after serving in the British army in France during the First World War. After 1927 Ford lived in the United States and France, and he died in Deauville on 26 June 1939.

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The Good Soldier

Ford Madox Ford