“This is the saddest story I have ever heard” — so begins The Good Soldier, the novel that Ford Madox Ford regarded as his best — and with good reason. It isn't perhaps as sad as the storyteller claims — but it is a lesson narration, the use of flashback, and literary impressionism. It's also, crucially, a gripping story, brilliantly told; a shocking and constantly surprising tale of marital strife, sexual intrigue, deep deception, fathomless mystery and tragic death. There is nothing else like it. It is a modernist classic and one of the finest novels of the twentieth century. This edition features a new introduction by Sam Jordison. It details Ford Madox Ford's turbulent, fascinating life and career, explores his place in posterity, recounts his many loves and frequent feuds, and explains why he too was such an unreliable narrator of his own life story. The introduction also includes a critical commentary on The Good Soldier itself. It explains its influence as a work of pioneering modernism, investigates the many narrative tricks, conceits and deceits employed by Ford and makes the case for why this book should be recognised as one of the greatest stories ever told.
