While ‘The Soul of London: A Survey of a Modern City’ is not a work of fiction, it is much more than a guidebook.
In these pages, Ford almost anthropomorphises England’s capital city, imbuing it with personality and character. He traces its growth and expansion, often drawing parallels between what he learns about London and what he learns about himself.
Fascinating in topographical, historical, and even psychological terms, this is a fascinating book that strives to identify what makes London London.
‘The Soul of London: A Survey of a Modern City’ is the ideal read for fans of ´Great Expectations´ by Charles Dickens.
Born in Wimbledon, Joseph Leopold Ford Hermann Madox Hueffer (1873 – 1939) was a prolific poet, novelist, and literary critic, who would become better known by his pen-name, Ford Madox Ford.
In his early twenties, Ford moved to Winchelsea with his childhood sweetheart, Elsie Martindale. Here, he befriended a number of authors including HG Wells and Henry James.
However, it was Joseph Conrad with whom he decided to collaborate, writing a pirate novel titled ‘Romance’. After a nervous breakdown, Ford went to recover in Germany, which laid the foundations for ‘The Good Soldier´.
On returning to England, he founded ‘The English Review’ magazine.