Ford Madox Ford "The Good Soldier" PDF

This book talks about the friendship and family relationships between two young Americans on the brink of World War I. The broken relationships, betrayals, and past secrets are narrated from the perspective of a friend, John Dowell. The work is considered one of the first representatives of the literary technique of the "unreliable narrator".

Throughout the book, we will often encounter irregular time jumps, events and character descriptions that do not match previous statements. The narrator raises doubts in your mind: denying what is believed. This story, in which the author seems to be playing a game with the reader, will either fill you with an infinite sense of discomfort or provide a very interesting and satisfying reading experience!

The book was added to the "100 Best English Novels of the 20th Century" list by the "Modern Library" in 1988.

An interesting fact: The book's iconic opening sentence is as follows: "This is the saddest story I have ever heard." The original title of the book was also "The Saddest Story" to match this introduction.

However, when the book was published by the publisher after World War I, they found the title too "hopeless" for the post-war period and wanted to change it. Madox Ford sarcastically suggested "The Good Soldier" as the title. However, the publisher actually printed the book with this title and the work became known worldwide with this title. The author later expressed regret about this incident.