Ford Madox Ford

The British author Ford Madox Ford published a book titled ''The Good Soldier'' is a Tale of Passion in 1915. It takes place just before World War I and details the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham's marriage, which on the surface seemed flawless, as well as that of his two American friends. The book's narrative is told in a non-chronological order of flashbacks; Ford's groundbreaking interpretation of literary impressionism included this literary trick. Ford successfully employs the tactic of the unreliable narrator as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is considerably different from what the beginning leads the reader to assume. The book was based somewhat on two instances of infidelity as well as Ford's complicated personal life. The Saddest Story was the book's initial title, but the publishers requested a change when World War I broke out. Ford coined the satirical phrase "The Good Soldier," and it became popular. On the Modern Library's 1998 list of the top 100 English-language books released during the 20th century, The Good Soldier was ranked number thirty. The BBC ranked the best 100 British books of 2015, and The Good Soldier came in at number thirteen.

Set just before World War I, The Good Soldier chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham and his seemingly perfect marriage, as well as the marriage of Edward's American friend, John Dowell. Edward has had a nine-year affair with John's wife, who uses a fake heart condition to avoid intimacy with her husband. Affair after affair costs Edward a fortune in bribes, blackmail, and gifts for his lovers. His wife Florence must set their differences aside and sort out their financial situation. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford Maddox Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery in Ford's messy personal life. This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.

The Good Soldier (1915) is a novel by Ford Madox Ford. Set just before the First World War, the novel is superficially the story of Edward Asburnham, a man with a reputation for philandering. Considered an important proto-modernist novel, The Good Soldier employs a fragmented narrative told by an unreliable narrator who appears at times as distant, gossipy, voyeuristic, and even vindictive. Praised as one of the greatest English-language novels of the century, The Good Soldier remains Ford’s most popular work. John Dowell has secrets. Married for nine years to a serially unfaithful woman, friends with a man who falls in love at first sight with every woman he meets, he lives an exciting life without ever doing much himself. As he sorts through his memories, revealing the sordid details of his loved ones’ private lives, it becomes clear that Dowell is haunted by tragedy. His psychological state, shaped by years of jealousy and paranoia, reveals the soul of a man without faith, thrown from one betrayal to the next by his manipulative wife. But how could he fail to see what was right under his nose? Can a man truly be as innocent as Dowell claims to be? The Good Soldier is a masterpiece of English fiction that poses timeless questions regarding friendship, fidelity, and sexuality. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Editorial ReviewsAmazon.com ReviewFirst published in 1915, Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier begins, famously and ominously, "This is the saddest story I have ever heard." The book then proceeds to confute this pronouncement at every turn, exposing a world less sad than pathetic, and more shot through with hypocrisy and deceit than its incredulous narrator, John Dowell, cares to imagine. Somewhat forgotten as a classic, The Good Soldier has been called everything from the consummate novelist's novel to one of the greatest English works of the century. And although its narrative hook--the philandering of an otherwise noble man--no longer shocks, its unerring cadences and doleful inevitabilities proclaim an enduring appeal. Ford's novel revolves around two couples: Edward Ashburnham--the title's soldier--and his capable if off-putting wife, Leonora; and long-transplanted Americans John and Florence Dowell. The foursome's ostensible amiability, on display as they pass parts of a dozen

Two couples, two marriages--both are seemingly perfect, both are falling apart. Beneath the surface gentility of American John Dowell with his wife Florence and the landed grace of Edward and Leonora lie fictions and deceit. There are secret desires, hidden power-games, suicides, and madness. Everyone is hiding something; even the narrator can't be trusted. Brilliantly inventive, tragic, and ironic, The Good Soldier is one of the great novels of the twentieth century.

Two couples, two marriages--both are seemingly perfect, both are falling apart. Beneath the surface gentility of American John Dowell with his wife Florence and the landed grace of Edward and Leonora lie fictions and deceit. There are secret desires, hidden power-games, suicides, and madness. Everyone is hiding something; even the narrator can't be trusted. Brilliantly inventive, tragic, and ironic, The Good Soldier is one of the great novels of the twentieth century.

First published in 1915, "The Good Soldier" is Ford Madox Ford's tragic tale of the relationship between two couples. The first couple is English, Captain Edward Ashburnham, the good soldier referenced in the title, and his wife Leonora. The two at first have a seemingly perfect marriage but over the course of the novel is revealed that a constant series of infidelities by Edward has driven Leonora to attempt to exert increasing control over Edward's affairs, placing great strain on their relationship. The second couple is American, John and Florence Dowell, who have been living abroad in Europe for quite some time. John, a wealthy American Quaker, is held romantically at a distance from his wife Florence, who feigns a heart condition so that she may carry on an affairs of her own. What ensues is a tragic series of events which is described by John as the "saddest story ever told." Often cited as one of the greatest novels ever written, "The Good Soldier" presents the epitome of the unreliable narrator in John Dowell, leaving the reader wondering whether or not he is an innocent victim or a master of manipulation seeking to evoke the sympathy of his audience. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The Good Soldier is set just before World War I and tells the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham. This best-selling title by Ford was included in the the 100 best novels list by The Guardian: "Ford's masterpiece is a searing study of moral dissolution behind the facade of an English gentleman - and its stylistic influence lingers to this day."

Opening with the famous line "This is the saddest story I have ever heard", The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is Ford Madox Ford's 1915 novel. Set at the dawn of World War I, it tells of the lives of two seemingly perfect couples; with the result that neither the characters nor their relationships are what they seem.

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, the soldier to whom the title refers, and his own seemingly perfect marriage and that of two American friends. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery and on Ford's messy personal life. The Good Soldier 30th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, the soldier to whom the title refers, and his own seemingly perfect marriage and that of two American friends. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery and on Ford's messy personal life. 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. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Good Soldier 30th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2015, the BBC ranked The Good Soldier 13th on its list of the 100 greatest British novels.

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, the soldier to whom the title refers, and his own seemingly perfect marriage and that of two American friends. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery and on Ford's messy personal life. 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. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Good Soldier 30th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2015, the BBC ranked The Good Soldier 13th on its list of the 100 greatest British novels.

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, the soldier to whom the title refers, and his own seemingly perfect marriage and that of two American friends. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery and on Ford's messy personal life. 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.

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, the soldier to whom the title refers, and his own seemingly perfect marriage and that of two American friends. The novel is told using a series of flashbacks in non-chronological order, a literary technique that formed part of Ford's pioneering view of literary impressionism. Ford employs the device of the unreliable narrator to great effect as the main character gradually reveals a version of events that is quite different from what the introduction leads the reader to believe. The novel was loosely based on two incidents of adultery and on Ford's messy personal life. 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. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked The Good Soldier 30th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2015, the BBC ranked The Good Soldier 13th on its list of the 100 greatest British novels. This classic title has been published by RADLEY BOOKS. Each RADLEY CLASSIC is a meticulously restored, luxurious and faithful reproduction of a classic book; produced with elegant text layout, clarity of presentation, and stylistic features that make reading a true pleasure. Special attention is given to legible fonts and adequate letter sizing, correct line length for readability, generous margins and triple lead (lavish line separation); plus we do not allow any mistakes/changes/additions to creep into the author's words. Visit RADLEY BOOKS at www.radleybooks.com (or search RADLEY CLASSIC on Amazon) to see more classic book titles in this series.

Ford Madox Ford (born Ford Hermann Hueffer 17 December 1873 - 26 June 1939) was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature. Ford is now remembered for his novels The Good Soldier (1915), the Parade's End tetralogy (1924-28) and The Fifth Queen trilogy (1906-08). The Good Soldier is frequently included among the great literature of the 20th century, including the Modern Library 100 Best Novels, Ford was born in Wimbledon 5] to Catherine Madox Brown and Francis Hueffer, the eldest of three; his brother was Oliver Madox Hueffer. Ford's father, who became music critic for The Times, was German and his mother English. His paternal grandfather Johann Hermann H ffer was first to publish Westphalian poet and author Annette von Droste-H lshoff. Ford used the name of Ford Madox Hueffer, but in 1919 he changed it to Ford Madox Ford (allegedly after World War I because "Hueffer" sounded too Germanic in honour of his grandfather, the Pre-Raphaelite painter Ford Madox Brown, whose biography he had written. In 1889, after the death of his father, Ford and Oliver went to live with their grandfather in London. Ford graduated from the University College School in London, but never attended university.