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aga89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alexisreading23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
FMF considered The Good Soldier to be his masterpiece, although readers have long put forth the argument that Parades End should hold that title. Having read the former first, I can see how its short length and tighter (and tidier) plot help it make the impact that it does. However, while Parades End is certainly a quiet and unhurried tome of a book, its minute character studies created characters of a colour and vivacity that The Good Soldier can hardly hold a candle to. It’s astoundingly British in its portrait of reticence and repression, honour, duty, feeling.
The length of the novel as a combined quartet is intimidating to say the least, and the length did mean my attention abated at certain points, particularly in the introductory quarter and the third. I found the second quarter much more lively, and the description of warfare very engaging.
Coming to the final quarter of the novel, I felt slightly weary at the prospect of another few hundred pages when it seemed like fifty should suffice. I ate my words because these final few hundred tied together the entire novel for me.
The respective deep dives into the thoughts and feelings of the intriguing Christopher and the malicious Sylvia which dominated the earlier parts of the novel (which I enjoyed immensely), were replaced by lesser characters. I found these passages so wonderfully fascinating and expressive of an age and way of being. Mark and Christopher’s devotion to each other despite their final impasse felt like a sort of healing, a lifting of the curse of the Groby tree!
Reading the final few chapters, I had the sense that the novel was trying to put across a kind of profundity that it didn’t have a name for, that could only be felt and expressed in these minute encounters, Mark Jr and his resemblance to his father, the reappearance of Sylvia and her moments of compassion, Maria Leonie’s steadfast and peculiar ways, of course Mark and Christopher, the barely tolerated younger brother, the rescued sea birds…
The novel did not verbalise its profundity in such explicit terms, but I felt it all the same. Christopher Tierjens is surely one of the most intriguing and tangible protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
The length of the novel as a combined quartet is intimidating to say the least, and the length did mean my attention abated at certain points, particularly in the introductory quarter and the third. I found the second quarter much more lively, and the description of warfare very engaging.
Coming to the final quarter of the novel, I felt slightly weary at the prospect of another few hundred pages when it seemed like fifty should suffice. I ate my words because these final few hundred tied together the entire novel for me.
The respective deep dives into the thoughts and feelings of the intriguing Christopher and the malicious Sylvia which dominated the earlier parts of the novel (which I enjoyed immensely), were replaced by lesser characters. I found these passages so wonderfully fascinating and expressive of an age and way of being. Mark and Christopher’s devotion to each other despite their final impasse felt like a sort of healing, a lifting of the curse of the Groby tree!
Reading the final few chapters, I had the sense that the novel was trying to put across a kind of profundity that it didn’t have a name for, that could only be felt and expressed in these minute encounters, Mark Jr and his resemblance to his father, the reappearance of Sylvia and her moments of compassion, Maria Leonie’s steadfast and peculiar ways, of course Mark and Christopher, the barely tolerated younger brother, the rescued sea birds…
The novel did not verbalise its profundity in such explicit terms, but I felt it all the same. Christopher Tierjens is surely one of the most intriguing and tangible protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
crystalmbookshelf83's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wshier's review against another edition
3.0
The best short description I could give is: the English War and Peace. Societal change in the context of the Great War and super long.
gracefallsthroughtherabbithole's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lgiegerich's review against another edition
4.0
Finally finished! Difficult read, as most modernist novels are. Greatest descriptions of the trenches/WWI i've read in fiction. On the whole, so so british in its repression and honor and duty, especially on the part of Tietjens. Valentine is sort of blah, not my favorite. But Sylvia ia pretty fantastic to hate. All in all, glad i read the whole tetralogy.
chapman's review against another edition
3.0
After watching and enjoying the TV adaptation of this book I wanted to read the original. Madox Ford was not an author I had heard of before. I enjoyed the book and as always, there is more insight into the characters perspectives and it's an interesting comparison to see things from the book not included on screen and how that makes little changes to things.
The insights into the incompetence and ignorance of so many people in authority, their unwillingness to listen to anything that might contradict their preconceived ideas with facts and reality. The tragedy that results from it, on both a large and small scale.
The fight for women's suffrage playing along in parallel and the constant demands and expectations of women in their rigidly defined roles and the struggle to break free. I have to say I did not enjoy the significant age difference between the two main characters being love interests and I liked the TV version, which reduces this a great deal. I find it a little hard sometimes to find the attraction credible aside from him being sympathetic to the suffrage cause, unlike most of the men portrayed, but the dramas of social scandals happening between the conflict is quite fun.
An enjoyable read over all.
The insights into the incompetence and ignorance of so many people in authority, their unwillingness to listen to anything that might contradict their preconceived ideas with facts and reality. The tragedy that results from it, on both a large and small scale.
The fight for women's suffrage playing along in parallel and the constant demands and expectations of women in their rigidly defined roles and the struggle to break free. I have to say I did not enjoy the significant age difference between the two main characters being love interests and I liked the TV version, which reduces this a great deal. I find it a little hard sometimes to find the attraction credible aside from him being sympathetic to the suffrage cause, unlike most of the men portrayed, but the dramas of social scandals happening between the conflict is quite fun.
An enjoyable read over all.