The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion
by Ford Madox Ford

1 out of 5 stars

DNF at page 62.
John Dowell tells the story of how he discovered that his wife had been having an affair with another married man for years. Mr. Dowell and his wife, Florence, meet Mr. and Mrs. Ashburnham at a European spa where they strike up a casual friendship that continues for nine years. They meet again each summer in Europe and spend their vacation together. Edward Ashburnham seems like a good fellow, trustworthy and decent, but he has a history of adultery and debauchery that he keeps secret.

I did not care for the nonlinear storytelling. It jumps around all over the place in a conversational style. I can recognize the brilliance of writing in this style and the mystery that is created with the nonlinear narrative, but I still didn’t enjoy it.

I really hated all these characters and the way they are described. I hated that so much of the book is focused on the evil nature and wicked deeds of the titular character, Ashburnham. The poor narrator seems so confused and lost and disillusioned, but it’s evident that he is not innocent in this story either. He’s an unreliable narrator, and he is clearly manipulating his story in the way he tells it.

The whole attitude of the book is just full of despair and wickedness. Maybe it gets better later on, but I lost interest pretty quickly and decided to DNF it.

This book has been screened on the Screen It First website. To see how the sensitive subject of adultery was handled in this book, check it out on the website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-good-soldier-1295963