The Good Soldier

Ford Maddox Ford, 1915

Date read: 11/9/24

Ford wrote this in the manner of someone telling the story to a friend, with lots of digressions and repetitions and etc, so at times the story is hard to follow. Essentially, it is the tale of two couples: The narrator and his wife Florence, and their friends Edward and Leonora. Edward is a serial philanderer, and Florence is a manipulative narcissist. Sounds like a ripping good time! In the end, two of them are dead, one has a broken heart, a teenage girl has gone mad, and, finally, one has found a good relationship.

It is a complex story told in an unusual way. As I said, it can be hard to follow at times but it makes a good read.