The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

This is an edition of Ford's modernist masterpiece, a novel that was an inspiration for many later, distinguished writers, including Graham Greene. Set before the First World War, it tells the tale of two wealthy and sophisticated couples, one English, one American, as they travel, socialise, and take the waters in the spa towns of Europe. They are 'playing the game' in style. That game has begun to unravel, however. With compelling attention to the tragic (and comic) results, the American narrator - a model of the 'unreliable' kind - reveals his growing awareness of the sexual intrigues and emotional betrayals that lie behind its facade. The introduction (6000 words) and notes cover such issues as critical reception, biographical and historical context, and form and style, also explaining Ford's many references - to Conrad's writing, for example, and the Bible in particular