Book Review: "Parade's End" by Ford Madox Ford (Pt. 2)

Rating: 4/5 - Not as great as the opening volume, but definitely not worth less than a 4 overall...

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Volume 2, No More Parades goes deeper into the psychological state that war inflicts upon the characters, especially our main character. Tietjens struggles to move nearly 3,000 troops from Rouen to the front, obstructed by strange orders, corrupt supply officers, a French railway strike, and harassment from British Garrison Police targeting Canadian volunteers. Of course, Ford's presentation of war here is that difficulty will always be horrific when people's lives are on the line and yes, people's lives are definitely on the line. As amid administrative chaos and German shelling, a Welsh soldier bleeds to death in Tietjens’ arms. Tietjens has tons of guilt over previously denying him leave to confront his wife’s infidelity. This is reflective of his own position - he too has a wife who has been unfaithful but he cannot confront her because he too has been unfaithful. He didn't know this man's position and he was needlessly harsh to him, denying him one last possibility to make amends or break it off with her. He broods the anger towards his own marriage.

Colonel Levin arrives, ostensibly on official business, but reveals that Sylvia has followed Tietjens to France and waits outside, disrupting both his emotional composure and urgent military responsibilities. One thing I found weird about our main character is that this makes him review his marriage almost like a military checklist. Either this is because his marriage is just as emotionally traumatising or because he is now emotionless towards it and thus, treats it like his job or his duty rather than a want to be in love with Sylvia. Despite exhaustion, illness, and McKechnie’s rambling confidences, Tietjens efficiently beds down his Canadian draft while confronting police interference and resisting cruel horse “hardening” overseen by incompetent superiors. Again, we have the disdain at his own marriage put up against the war he is fighting. Both seem to be important to him but both of them are going horribly. He might have incompetent superiors, but Sylvia is holding down because she wants to assert power over Tietjens again.

Tietjens remains emotionally detached from Sylvia, having transferred his loyalty to Valentine, while continuing to solve others’ crises with remarkable administrative genius admired even by General Campion. Sylvia worsens Tietjens’ position by accusing him of socialism and religious eccentricity, provoking threats of court-martial, and by flirting recklessly with senior officers, inspiring scandal and suspicion. Sylvia is constantly revealing her true colours - she is a person who isn't worth sympathy and yet, is someone who has little purpose other than being the main character's wife in the story. So we do have to have a little bit of sympathy for her now that her husband has abandoned her for Valentine.

In a nocturnal confrontation, Tietjens forcibly ejects Perowne and General O’Hara from Sylvia’s bedroom, defending propriety while becoming tangled in further accusations engineered by Sylvia’s manipulations. General Campion suspends O’Hara and disciplines Perowne, releasing Tietjens from arrest; nevertheless, Tietjens calmly dispatches his draft to the front, demonstrating steadfast competence under personal humiliation. I have to say that I really do feel for our protagonist, all he is trying to do is his duty and one thing after another continues to get in the way. At this point, I simply wanted his wife to leave so that we could have a smooth story. She seems to burst through the narrative and, like a toddler, kicks everything around so that our protagonist needs to keep cleaning it up.

Reviewing events in daylight, Campion concludes Tietjens cannot remain safely in staff roles due to scandal, false accusations of espionage, and political complications surrounding his reputation. Refusing a court-martial that would expose Sylvia publicly, Tietjens accepts reassignment to the trenches, effectively a promotion to probable death, preserving his code of honour at immense personal cost. And with it, Tietjens' public identity has died. Social collapse is inevitable. Moral collapse has happened. We are left no better about Tietjens' position.

Ford's writing is incredible and I have to say that there is a simplicity to his passages considering love and paranoia. The social scandal caused by the wife is actually horrifying but I do have to say, I cannot wait to read the next part and see if Tietjens manages to repair his reputation. He desperately wants to do his duty because we can see his determination. He does have his flaws, so he isn't completely blameless, but then again he is not as horrifying as she is. He is a character who feels almost too human at times. It is an incredible book.