The Good Soldier is a strange book, and I’m not surprised toto see that 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die suggests that opinion is divided about it. First published in 1915, and now reissued as one of the Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century, it’s a very early example of modernism, in which a foolish, rich American discovers that his wife, Florence, has been having a long-term affair with his friend, Edward Ashburnham. Dowell is hopelessly ignorant about life in general and very naive about his wife and friend in particular, and the story is constructed to show his dawning awareness of events. As he finds out more about what’s going on, he keeps having to revise his opinion about Florence, Ashburnham and his rather strange wife, Leonora, with the result that the reader becomes as confused and befuddled as he is. <br/><br/>For more see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/the-good-soldier-by-ford-madox-ford/

It took me four months (reading other things as well, but still a mightly long time to be reading a book) and I don't think I've done it justice, but for what it's worth, here's my review http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/don-quixote-by-miguel-de-cervantes/

http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/making-sense-of-moby-dick-by-herman-melville/