The Good Soldier

Description

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a book by British writer Ford Madox Ford, first published in 1915. Set just before World War I, the story is narrated by John Dowell, an American who recounts the events surrounding the tragic relationships between himself, his wife Florence, and their friends Edward and Leonora Ashburnham during a series of vacations in Europe. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect marriages of both couples are built on lies and illusions. The Good Soldier exemplifies the unreliable narrator trope. Through a sympathetic lens, John Dowell's recounting appears believable, yet a closer examination easily reveals the potential for a far darker interpretation of the story's unfolding events. The novel's original title was The Saddest Story, but after the onset of World War I, the publishers asked Ford for a new title. Ford suggested (sarcastically) The Good Soldier, and the name stuck.

№ 13 in The BBC's 100 Greatest British Novels.

№ 41 in The Guardian's 100 Best Novels Written In English.

№ 43 in The Guardian's 100 Greatest Novels Of All Time.

This book has 75,918 words, 117 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1915.

Production notes: This ebook of The Good Soldier was published by Global Grey in 2019, and updated on the 9th May 2024. The artwork used for the cover is 'Käte and Hugo Perls' by Edvard Munch.