On Forsyte 'Change

The Forsyte Chronicles #6.5

by John Galsworthy

In 1930 Galsworthy published On Forsyte 'Change which deals in the main with the older Forsytes before the events chronicled in The Man of Property. Galsworthy states in a foreword that "They have all been written since Swan Song was finished but in place they come between the Saga and the Comedy…" By way of explanation he says that "It is hard to part suddenly and finally from those with whom one has lived so long; and these footnotes do really, I think, help to fill in and round out the chronicles of the Forsyte family".

Contents:
The Buckles of Superior Dosset, 1821-1863
Sands of Time, 1821-1863
Hester's Little Tour, 1845
Timothy's Narrow Squeak, 1851
Aunt Juley's Courtship, 1855
Nicholas Rex, 1864
A Sad Affair, 1867
Revolt at Roger's, 1870
June's First Lame Duck, 1876
Dog at Timothy's, 1878
Midsummer Madness, 1880
The Hondekoeter, 1880
Cry of Peacock, 1883
Francie's Fourpenny Foreigner, 1888
Four-In-Hand Forsyte, 1890
The Sorrows of Tweetyman, 1895
The Dromios, 1900
A Forsyte Encounters the People, 1917
Soames and the Flag, 1914-1918

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, 20th Century

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1930

About the author

Literary career of English novelist and playwright John Galsworthy, who used John Sinjohn as a pseudonym, spanned the Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian eras.

In addition to his prolific literary status, Galsworthy was also a renowned social activist. He was an outspoken advocate for the women's suffrage movement, prison reform and animal rights. Galsworthy was the president of PEN, an organization that sought to promote international cooperation through literature.

John Galsworthy was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1932 "for his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga."

Reviews

[Dafne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dopo aver pubblicato i primi sei romanzi della saga, Galsworthy sentì una smisurata nostalgia per i componenti della famiglia Forsyte. Nel 1930 decise di scrivere alcuni racconti che potessero completare le storie dei componenti di questa famiglia inglese partita dal nulla, arricchitasi grazie al mattone e arrivata ad essere una delle più potenti nell'Inghilterra a cavallo tra Ottocento e Novecento.
I racconti di Casa Forsyte si compone in tutto di 19 racconti e si colloca cronologicamente tra la Saga dei Forsyte e la Commedia Moderna, cioè tra la fine del terzo volume e l'inizio del quarto.
Questo volume ci permette di conoscere personaggi rimasti un po' nell'ombra o che non hanno trovato il giusto spazio nei primi tre libri; sono racconti che si estendono in un arco di tempo molto ampio che va dall'arrivo a Londra agli inizi del 1800 del capostipite di questa grande famiglia (Superior Dosset, vedovo con 10 figli, che aveva iniziato la sua carriera da manovale muratore fino a diventare un costruttore e proprietario di immobili) fino alla fine della prima guerra mondiale.
È sempre bello rincontrare personaggi che si sono amati e ci sono entrati nel cuore; questi racconti ci permettono di conoscere più a fondo i lati nascosti e insospettabili dei numerosi personaggi secondari (figli, zii, nipoti e pronipoti) della famiglia Forsyte e arricchiscono o completano le vicende che i lettori hanno seguito nei primi tre romanzi.
Alcuni racconti sono belli e interessanti mentre altri lo sono un po' meno (secondo me questo dipende anche da chi è il protagonista del racconto, almeno per me lo è stato), però l'autore riesce anche stavolta a coinvolgere il lettore, a mostrare e ritrarre con le sue indubbie qualità narrative (che tanto me lo fanno amare) la società inglese e le sue numerose trasformazioni tra il vittorianesimo e la prima guerra mondiale.
Chi ama i Forsyte non potrà non apprezzare questi incantevoli racconti.

Ps: da leggere dopo i primi tre libri della Saga e con l'albero genealogico a portata di mano per capire chi sono i personaggi e i legami familiari che intercorrono tra loro.

«Noi non abbiamo di che vergognarci delle nostre origini, caro Jo. I Forsyte sono di buona razza campagnola, e sono sempre stati uomini schietti e ligi alla loro parola, e questo è quello che conta.»

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Di gran lunga inferiore alla trilogia, questo libro raccoglie 15 racconti incentrati su quei personaggi della grande famiglia dei Forsyte che nei volumi precedenti hanno trovato poco spazio e sono rimasti un po' ai margini, caratteri solo parzialmente compiuti. E così, nelle pagine della "Borsa dei Forsyte" hanno modo di farsi conoscere le tre sorelle maggiori, vale a dire Julie, vedova di Septimus Small, Hester e Ann e accanto a loro Swithin il fratello rimasto scapolo e scampato al matrimonio con una ragazza "leggera", Roger e la sua eccentrica figliolanza, James e le sue non sempre azzeccate originalità. Un Galsworthy minore dunque ma non per questo meno padrone del raccontare di un'epoca, quel fine ottocento vittoriano a lui tanto caro, scomparso progressivamente con l'avvento del XX secolo con le sue guerre mondiali e gli stravolgimenti sociali.

[Natalie Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just enjoying these Forsyte stories so much. I'm now ready to embark on the next volume in the series A Modern Comedy The Forsyte Chronicles vol 2.

[Hon Lady Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Well, they would never make HIM a figure of romance! And Soames grinned."

Forsytean Treasure - little Interludes again, little windows in Time, little stops whilst riding the Gossip Train between the Saga and the Comedy - this Forsyte 'Change - the exchange of information taking place at the congregation point of all branches of the Forsyte clan, Uncle Timothy's house, spearheaded by the aunts Hester, Ann, and Juley:

“ As the old Egyptians placed around their mummies the necessaries of a future existence, so I have endeavoured to lay beside the figures of Aunts Ann and Juley and Hester, of Timothy and Swithin, of Old Jolyon and James, and of their sons, that which shall guarantee them a little life here-after, a little balm in the hurried Gilead of a dissolving “Progress.” - John Galsworthy

From 'Hester's Little Tour, being Leaves from a very Early Victorian Diary found in a Lowestoft teapot':

"I feel much older than Ann and Juley. And now I shall go on day after day doing exactly what we have always done; but I shall never feel the same again, for I have been where they have not."

[Natia Morbedadze · Rating 4 out of 5]

ძალიან კარგი მოთხრობებია "ფორსაიტების ბირჟის" ამბებზე. ერთი მეორეზე უფრო სასიამოვნო საკითხავი ისტორიებია და ფავორიტის არჩევა რთულია, მაგრამ ალბათ მაინც "სომსი და ინგლისია" გამოსარჩევი. სხვაგანაც შესანიშნავად ჩანს მე-19-მე-20 საუკუნეების მიჯნაზე ინგლისური წეს-ჩვეულებების ცვლილება, თუმცა აქ განსაკუთრებით საინტერესოა სომს ფორსაიტის მაგალითზე იმაზე დაკვირვება, თუ როგორ აღიქვამდა ჩვეულებრივი მოქალაქე, რომელიც არც პირადად ყოფილა ომში და არც ვაჟი ჰყოლია იქ, პირველ მსოფლიო ომს.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly decent collection of 19 short stories involving various members of four generations of the Forsyte family. Make sure you have the Forsyte family tree available for reference when reading each story. This collection is probably best read after the 3 volumes of The Forsyte Saga and before The Modern Comedy.
The quality of the stories varied from wonderfully poignant to just meh. I found the stories of Old Jolyon's generation especially poignant as one obtained more insight into Aunts Juley, Hester and Ann and Uncles Roger, Swithin and James. The collection appropriately ends with a story about Soames' interesting perspective on WWI events. Soames is a complex, often unlikeable, but always interesting creation.
These stories did remind me that the Forsyte family contained an unusually large percentage of members who managed to avoid marriage, including the generation of Fleur and Jon. This volume closes my year with the Forsyte family, and I will remember reading the ten books as a wonderfully engaging experience.
EDIT: I haven't yet read the short story called Salvation of a Forsyte so I just ordered it to read by the end of the year.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Forsyte Change ~ John Galsworthy (1930)

On Forsyte Change is a series of short stories about many of the characters in The Forsyte Saga that we don’t really get to know in the series.

Whilst the main saga focuses primarily on the men in the family who achieved their successes, On Forsyte Change gives us the background of how that came about, and how it was the women in the family who sacrificed so much in order for their brothers to fulfil their ambitions.

We get to find out more about Aunt Ann, and what a gorgeous human she was. Her selflessness was simply beautiful and she sacrificed her life for her family. She reminded me of Maria from War and Peace. She took the role of a mum in the family and made sure everyone was looked after. It’s fair to say that Ann’s story was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking.

We also get a little bit more insight into Timothy’s life and Aunt Juley’s. We meet a young Jolyon on several occasions and find out how he’s learnt a valuable life lesson on money. Nicholas’s wife Fanny teaches her husband to not take her for granted, that she is worth much more than he realises and her independence is as important as his. And we are in for a treat because we get to find out whose June’s first duck was. She started collecting them at a young age 🦆😹

The favourite for me has been Soames and the Flag. The saga captures lots of historic moments of Britain however this short story in particular focuses on Soames’s reactions and experiences of the First World War, from the moment has started until it ended. It’s so well written that I felt that I was there with the characters. Gave me all the goosebumps. It was Galsworthy at his best, absolutely glorious!

This concluded a perfect ending to the main saga and whilst it takes you a while to adjust to the lack of details on so many characters in the first book, this answers a lot of questions that the readers have asked. As a result, this book came about because Galsworthy took his feedback best way there is, constructively! What a legend!

[Hayley (Backpacking Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first three books in the Forsyte saga, I was thrilled to follow them up with On Forsyte 'Change and finally get some much sought after context on some less-explored members of the Forsyte clan.

I loved glimpsing insights into the likes of Superior Dosset, Aunt Ann, Aunt Juley, and Aunt Hester. The women were truly celebrated in these intimate snippets which made my heart swell with pride. It was like a small window into their past lives and we as the reader are given a special access pass. It highlighted everything from their courage and rebellion, to their selfless actions and difficult decisions.

Ann's story especially broke my heart - she is characterised as a spinster in the saga when in fact, there is a history there that she has kept secret all this time. She quickly became my favourite character after that revelation #TeamAnn

I feel ready to move onto A Modern Comedy now that we've been blessed with some back stories of many characters who won't be making a reappearance in future sagas. Thank you Galsworthy for giving the people what they want 🙌

Rating breakdown
Plot/narrative - 4
Writing style/readability - 4.4
Characters - 4.5
Diverse themes - 4.4
Ending - 4
Overall - 4.3

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of lovely short stories about characters from the Forsyte Saga. Although this book was written last, it is best read in between The Forsyte Saga and A Modern Comedy. Such in-depth character building surrounded by the atmospheric descriptive writing made John Galsworthy a well deserving recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

[Sylvia J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished all of the Forsyte novels I almost cried. No more Forsytes! Then I found these short stories on the university of Adelaide’s e-pub website, now defunct. I saved them to my Kindle and read them over the course of several years. I finally finished reading all of them.

This collection covers several generations of the Forsyte family. If you have read the Forsyte Chronicles, you will have seen the family tree and been curious about the less familiar family members. These stories tell of some some of the people whose names appear there: the Tweetymans and “Dromios” and such. There are two especially poignant stories about poor misunderstood Soames.

I heartily recommend this collection!

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Galsworthy had a hard time leaving these characters, so he had decided to tie up some loose ends and round up the chronicles.



* The Buckles of Superior Dosset, 1821-1863--- Aunt Ann talks to young Jo about his grandfather Superior Dosset. She tells him about his builder grandfather who built up his reputation after almost being ruined when the workers building his houses, started making the next three with sea water instead of fresh with the mix that prevented the house from drying. Her father, young Jolyon's grandfather had rebuilt the faulty cottages and was nearly ruined but gained his reputation. Ann gives Jo his grandfather buckles hoping that he would not lose them.

*Sands of Time, 1821-1863 --- Jolyon tells his son Jo, the father of John, Jolly, June and Holly. Jo is told by older Jolyon how the grave of his mother who was not tended by the family for thirty years, was dug up for a railroad. Jo is 13 going away to Eton in the morning, his father finally tells him about the grave and how sad this was. Jo said it was a shame and similar to what they had saw at the museum and the mummies. The sending of his young son is indeed a sad occasion and he wonders how his son might change. Jolyon had not gone to a prestigious school and had to quite school early after his mother’s death.

*Hester's Little Tour, 1845--- Hester is thought to be a prim sister but her diary tells of a one night love affair with a German soldier while the family was traveling in Germany, he had wanted to marry Hester but she must come to him. She ends up hoing back to England knowing she has been a fool.

*Timothy's Narrow Squeak, 1851---Soames taking care of his uncle Timothy's things after his death find a proposal to a young lady, Hatty who had was an orphan staying with the family for a visit. Soames was surprised because he thought his uncle never thought of women or marriage. The letter was never delivered and Soames wonder what happened, and he soon found out from his aunt Ann's diary. Hatty was pert and quite opposite of Timothy, he still loved her but was reserved, the letter was never given because she started to behave scandalous by being alone in a cab with this Mr. Chessman, that was brought to her attention from another Forsythe brother. After that incident, Timothy left for a vacation to Brighton. Hatty had a pert response when she heard this from the family. Joylon said Timothy was lucky. Soames burns all rather than anyone laugh at his family.

*Aunt Juley's Courtship, 1855---A maiden Juley and Septimus Small's caring love affair.

*Nicholas -Rex, 1864----Nicholas is a great businessman who married early a banker’s daughter who had brought him wealth but befirecthe time that married woman could obtain legal money from their husband. Fanny goes away to a sea resort and asks her husbsnd for money which means a yearly settlement which he refuses until she refuses to come back home. He ends up caving because even though he achieves a lot, his wife’s presence makes his ability to do this.

*A Sad Affair, 1867---Young Jolyon goes away to school, and following his friends he thinks it swell to be a dandy, accruing debts without his father’s knowledge. His father tells of his disappointment that his son did not come to him. The debts are paid. Jo feels regret and loves his father, who goes home but not before giving wise advice.

*Revolt at Roger's, 1870---Roger is upset about the new man, Smith, who is keen on drinking but when the robbery is done after his being under the influence which the young Roger kids revolt about Smith being fired.

*June's First Lame Duck, 1870---Jolyon remarks on eight year old granddaughter, June, whose first “lame duck” is a young girl who is teased and abused but June takes her under her wing until an argument causes a split. Jolyon saw this coming from the beginning.

*Dog at Timothy's, 1878---Aunt Juley has been a widow for ten years, Septimus Small’s death, when on the way home from church, a pomperian little dog, dirty and hungry. She is weary to take it back home where she lives with her family but the unwanted dog is wanted by Aunt Juley and the help. She stands her ground and her sister Ann welcomes the pup.

*Midsummer Madness, 1880--- 24 year old Roger has an affair with his neighbor’s wife and when he returns for more, his jealousy is extreme when he saw Flora Basset laughing and making love to her husband, Rogers decides women are not worth it.

*The Hondekoeter, 1880---James buys a huge bargain Hondekoeter of birds that he is proud of but his family dislikes, Soames keeps his opinion to himself. Dartie likes it but James thinks he is edging for money. The painting is hung but crashes down that night without injury. Emily suggests that it be but in lumber room where it stayed until after James’ death. And it was bought at 25 by James and sold for 5 years later.

*Cry of Peacock, 1883----Soames dances with Irene, his thoughts and passions are noted which shows his uncontrollable desires after watching her unknown at night.

*Francie's Fourpenny Foreigner, 1888---Francie, Roger’s only daughter is 30, lives the bohemian life and has an Italian lover who plays the violin. Roger ends up paying him off for more than he wanted but pleased that lover has been ushered on a ship to NYC.

*Four win-win Forsyte, 1890---Swithin who has never liked his niece Euphemia, her squeaking and pert laughs have him disinherit her after another pert question was asked. Whereas his two nephews unheard say so worse about the old chap, squeak away without trouble.

*The Sorrows of Tweetyman, 1895---Nicholas’ daughter Marian had married an inventor who was in business with his brother Albert who made all the money and Edward never demanded more. Marian tries to rouse her husband into being upset at his wife in Albert’s hands but the scheme failed by her daughter seeing them, Marian no longer invited Albert to dinner.

*The Dromios, 1900---Susan Forstye married Hayman and soon died after him but not too soon for they had some children. Giles and Jesse very close brothers called the Dromios decided to enter the Boer war but the night before they enlisted they were fighting 5 against 2, the five fought dirty and soon the two followed in kind winning the fight. It started when a girl was insulted and the brothers help protect the abused lady.

*A Forstye Encounters the People, 1917---Eustace Forsyte known for his cleanseness during a 1917 bombing warning is shoved into an underground shelter which had the smell of humanity. He cannot leave and soon helps a family with a sick daughter carrying her home. The family kindness offers him
tea and the experience novel and not so upsetting as he would think, he rather liked the father.

*Soames and the Flag, 1914-1918---Soames notes the horror of war which he comments on the “mob mentality” of wanting the war that seemed senseless. His concerns for Fleur, the German governess who must go back to her home, but helping her as much as possible. Annette could not have her. Annette dislike for England until it entered to help France. The loss of help due to their need other places. Soames wonders about his brief joining of the mob mentality.

[Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never read this before it was a real joy to see the older characters again. Glasworthy is rather a telling writer as opposed to a show and tell one, but his characters and the stories are interesting enough that it doesn't get in the way.

For those who loved the first book more than the second and third ones, this is like stepping into the past and finding old friends.

[Nickolay Moshkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Интересный набор не связанных между собой коротких рассказов относящиеся к периоду Саги о Форсайтах, книгам 1-3. Запомнились несколько, но наиболее относящиеся к Саге два: описание как Сомс ухаживал за Ирэн и почему она вышла за него замуж, и мировозрения и переживания Сомса в период Первой Мировой войны. 3.5 звезды.

[Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories about the storied Forsytes. Fills in blanks not covered in the novels.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Even though this set of short stories were written after The Forsyte Chronicles' third volume, but it is actually better to read it just after 'The Forsyte Saga' (the first volume comprising 'A Man of Property', 'In Chancery' and 'To Let') as the main characters are those from the 1st and 2nd generation of Forsytes. If after reading the Forsyte Saga felt, as I need, that it was difficult to part with Old Jolyon, Soames and the other characters, then you should read this book. You discover more about the lives of the first generation – for example, the past of the three old-maid-aunts, or what happened to some Forsytes during WWI (an episode that is completely skipped by the novels), or know more about other branches of the family besides Old Jolyon's and James' descendants. It is not as good as the novels, it is understandable I guess, but those who have already enjoyed the Saga will definitely have fun with this one!
You can find such treasures as this wonderful quote: ' No such thing as love on a hundred and fifty a year'.

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Forsyte 'Change is a collection of stories about various members of the clan, children and grandchildren of Jolyon Forsyte ("Superior Dosset") who came with his ten children to London, immediately post death of his wife in her tenth childbirth, spanning a time from their coming to London to well into the first world war. Galsworthy wrote these pieces after the second part of the Forsyte Chronicles, that is, Modern Comedy, to connect through time lapse between the Forsyte Saga and Modern Comedy, but it really covers far more.

The lyrical beauty of countryside and awakening of various Forsytes to beauty and to individual rights along with their occasionally coming into contact with public and their trials and secret joys or escapades form part of most of this, some delightful and some poignant. The success of it all is, having finished all that Galsworthy wrote about the Forsytes one wants more.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry, funny stories. Occasionally poignant.

[Eggp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peek behind the scenes
less stoic than you'd believe
but still out of touch.