The Good Soldier
The Good Soldier
Book Brief
146
Novel • Fiction
England • Early 1900s
1915
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Taking place just before World War I, Ford Madox Ford’s 1915 novel The Good Soldier narrates the intertwined lives of two couples, John and Florence Dowell, and Edward and Leonora Ashburnham, through the unreliable perspective of John Dowell. The story explores the complexity of their relationships, marked by adultery, betrayal, and moral dilemmas, ultimately leading to tragic outcomes. Instances of mental health crises and self-harm are depicted.
Mysterious
Melancholic
Dark
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
29,218 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier is lauded for its innovative narrative style and intricate examination of human relationships. Critics commend the novel's unreliable narrator and its exploration of deception and tragedy. However, some find its non-chronological structure challenging and its pace slow. Overall, it is considered a complex, rewarding read.
Who Should Read The Good Soldier?
A reader who enjoys psychological depth, unreliable narrators, and intricate character studies will appreciate The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. Fans of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby will find its exploration of morality and human relationships compelling.
29,218 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
The Good Soldier is often regarded as one of the greatest works of modernist literature, praised for its innovative narrative structure that employs an unreliable narrator and a non-linear timeline.
Ford Madox Ford originally titled the book The Saddest Story but changed it to The Good Soldier upon the suggestion of his publisher, partly due to the outbreak of World War I, which made the original title feel too somber.
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The novel is known for Ford's application of impressionism in literature, a technique borrowed from visual arts aiming to capture the complexity of reality through subjective and fragmented narratives.
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146
Novel • Fiction
England • Early 1900s
1915
Adult
18+ years
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