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tashtown 's review for:
The Good Soldier
by Ford Madox Ford, Max Saunders
So I think the way this book is presented is rather misleading. I donno about you but when I see the words 'unreliable narrator' obviously I think that the narrator is actually two people and also a murderer. While that is a debatable interpretation of this book (people have actually made analyses on this and I find them very amusing), our narrator John Dowell is much more realistic, and through that, much more devastating.
(Also fun fact: this novel isn't about war even though it was published in 1915)
John Dowell is an unreliable narrator in that John, being a member of our story and 'narrative' is not able to attain on omniscient and objective point of view. This is made even more interesting through the fact that he is constantly claiming to be showing and telling other people's points of view. Dowell is grappling with adulterous revelations concerning his wife and best friend. He is constantly changing his mind about what conceptions of 'good' are supposed to be, and even if morality can be applied to our lives. He is struggling and failing to come to conclusions about whether there are definitive answers about what one is supposed to do with their life. It is in this way that he is unreliable, because just like us, Dowell doesn't have all the answers or all the facts regarding the events in this book.
Despite some of the rather harsh descriptions of the characters in this book, I have the greatest sympathy towards all of them (except for Dowell who is dead to me after he beat his servant). I will even admit I got a little emotional towards the end. While Dowell is retrospectively attempting to make sense of his life, our other remaining characters are actively trying to chase meaning, purpose and authenticity in their lives. It is also probably crucial to note that all this goes down just prior to World War One and there are lots of rules and stingy notions of propriety that our characters are forced to adhere to. In a time where the facade that one presents to the public is of the utmost importance, all the characters are isolated from each other and indeed even themselves. The characters cannot admit to each or themselves what they really desire. Most of the profound actions and words spring from the characters' subconsciouses. And yet, even if discussions of sex and love had not been taboo would that have prevented this tale ending in tragedy? Part of what makes this book so devastating is that there are no absolutes. It breaks my heart that these characters are condemned for each attempting to seek happiness in their own way. (Even though Ford doesn't really seem to be condemning the characters, but rather society as a whole, it still breaks by heart.)
I also really liked that to highlight the impressionistic aspects of this book, which in turn mimics life, Ford used a non chronological narrative structure to perfection. The progression of this novel wasn't conveyed as a movement in time, but rather displayed by the ever changing thoughts and convictions of our characters.
I am just so overwhelmed by this book and, not to be that guy that everyone hates for comparing books to each other, this really reminded me of a lot of the themes of The Great Gatsby. The whole unreliable narrator and the tragic condemnation of the inauthentic.
My only issue with this book is that sometimes, (specifically after one character's death) the novel seemed to drag a bit because to me there was a space left by this character that Ford quickly tried to cram someone else into, which I found less interesting because they did not have a lot of prior establishment.
There are so many more things I could talk about but I will sum up by saying that I really liked this book.
(Also fun fact: this novel isn't about war even though it was published in 1915)
John Dowell is an unreliable narrator in that John, being a member of our story and 'narrative' is not able to attain on omniscient and objective point of view. This is made even more interesting through the fact that he is constantly claiming to be showing and telling other people's points of view. Dowell is grappling with adulterous revelations concerning his wife and best friend. He is constantly changing his mind about what conceptions of 'good' are supposed to be, and even if morality can be applied to our lives. He is struggling and failing to come to conclusions about whether there are definitive answers about what one is supposed to do with their life. It is in this way that he is unreliable, because just like us, Dowell doesn't have all the answers or all the facts regarding the events in this book.
Despite some of the rather harsh descriptions of the characters in this book, I have the greatest sympathy towards all of them (except for Dowell who is dead to me after he beat his servant). I will even admit I got a little emotional towards the end. While Dowell is retrospectively attempting to make sense of his life, our other remaining characters are actively trying to chase meaning, purpose and authenticity in their lives. It is also probably crucial to note that all this goes down just prior to World War One and there are lots of rules and stingy notions of propriety that our characters are forced to adhere to. In a time where the facade that one presents to the public is of the utmost importance, all the characters are isolated from each other and indeed even themselves. The characters cannot admit to each or themselves what they really desire. Most of the profound actions and words spring from the characters' subconsciouses. And yet, even if discussions of sex and love had not been taboo would that have prevented this tale ending in tragedy? Part of what makes this book so devastating is that there are no absolutes. It breaks my heart that these characters are condemned for each attempting to seek happiness in their own way. (Even though Ford doesn't really seem to be condemning the characters, but rather society as a whole, it still breaks by heart.)
I also really liked that to highlight the impressionistic aspects of this book, which in turn mimics life, Ford used a non chronological narrative structure to perfection. The progression of this novel wasn't conveyed as a movement in time, but rather displayed by the ever changing thoughts and convictions of our characters.
I am just so overwhelmed by this book and, not to be that guy that everyone hates for comparing books to each other, this really reminded me of a lot of the themes of The Great Gatsby. The whole unreliable narrator and the tragic condemnation of the inauthentic.
My only issue with this book is that sometimes, (specifically after one character's death) the novel seemed to drag a bit because to me there was a space left by this character that Ford quickly tried to cram someone else into, which I found less interesting because they did not have a lot of prior establishment.
There are so many more things I could talk about but I will sum up by saying that I really liked this book.