The Good Soldier
What is The Good Soldier about?
The Good Soldier (1915) is narrated by John Dowell, who recounts the intertwined lives of two couples — the Dowells and the Ashburnhams — over nine years of apparent friendship. Beneath the surface of Edwardian respectability lies a devastating story of adultery, madness, and suicide. One of the supreme achievements of modernist fiction.
Main themes in The Good Soldier
Unreliable narrator
The theme of unreliable narrator weaves through The Good Soldier, adding depth to its narrative.
Adultery
The theme of adultery weaves through The Good Soldier, adding depth to its narrative.
Edwardian society
The presence of edwardian society in The Good Soldier connects readers to its enduring relevance.
Madness
The Good Soldier thoughtfully explores madness through its central conflicts.
Why The Good Soldier is still relevant today
Frequently cited as the finest example of unreliable narration in English literature. A masterpiece of modernist technique and devastating emotional power.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Good Soldier about?
Two couples' nine-year friendship hides adultery, madness, and suicide — told by literature's most famous unreliable narrator.
Where can I read it?
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