The Good Soldier is Ford Madox Ford's masterpiece, a riveting story
and one of the most compelling examples of early Modernism: a virtuoso
performance of how to use an "unreliable narrator." Wealthy American
John Dowell tells what he calls "the saddest story," about a secret
affair between his wife and another man that is finally revealed in a
crescendo of death and madness. Ford's novel reflects contemporary
interests in psychology, sexuality, and the New Woman, and it treats
Henry James's "transatlantic theme" with an existential horror
comparable to Joseph Conrad's. Its portrayal of the destruction of a
civilized elite anticipates the cataclysm of the First World War, which
erupted while Ford was finishing the book.
This new edition features an Introduction by Max Saunders, one of the
leading Ford scholars, who explores the novel as a key work of
Modernism, shedding light on the nature of literary Impressionism and
its relationship with the psychological realism of the characters. An
appendix includes Ford's crucial essay "On Impressionism," written
contemporaneously with the novel, which offers insight into Ford's
artistry. This edition also has extensive notes, a chronology of the
novel's main events, and an up-to-date bibliography.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other
valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
