“The Good Soldier” by Ford Madox Ford – July 2009

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“The Good Soldier” by Ford Madox Ford – July 2009

Post by Clare Bookclub Mod » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:19 am

Set in a period from 1904 to 1913, “The Good Soldier” tells the story of two couples, the American Dowells and the British Ashburnhams. John and Florence Dowell meet Leonora and Edward Ashburnham in Germany and they become firm friends. The story is narrated by the naive John Dowell who has realised that their friendship is not what it at first seemed. John is attempting to make sense of his world having discovered that his life was built on lies and that his wife had been carrying on an affair with his friend for years. It opens with the famous first sentence "This is the saddest story I have ever heard" and indeed suicide, madness, illness and death feature throughout. It tackles issues of love and propriety and exposes what lies beneath the thin veneer of ordinary, polite society.

The story is told in a non-chronological way and there are several layers and many interesting characters along the way. It is often left to the reader to put the pieces together and make sense of events. This novel is not a page-turner. It needs to be read slowly to fully appreciate the beautifully written prose.

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