“'The Good Soldier' is an odd and maybe even unique book. That it is a ...” — Jane Smiley Quote

“'The Good Soldier' is an odd and maybe even unique book. That it is a masterpiece, almost a perfect novel, comes as a repeated surprise even to readers who have read it before.”

“Not every novel that wants to be a tragedy gets to be one.”

“When a novel has 200,000 words, then it is possible for the reader to experience 200,000 delights, and to turn back to the first page of the book and experience them all over again, perhaps more intensely.”

“Self-denial and self-discipline, however, will be recognized as the outstanding qualities of a good soldier.”

“I mean, Emily Harris was his wife. And she seemed to resent his leadership, but on the other hand, she felt like a good soldier, that he had to be the leader.”