The Forsyte Saga: Complete Three Volumes

by John Galsworthy

The Forsyte Saga, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by Nobel Prize-winning John Galsworthy. Chronicles the lives of three generations of the Forsyte family. Vicissitudes of leading members of upper class British family. Only a few generations removed from their farmer ancestors, the family members are keenly aware of their status as "new money". The main character, Soames Forsyte, sees himself as a "man of property" by virtue of his ability to accumulate material possessions—but this does not succeed in bringing him pleasure. Adapted by Hollywood as That Forsyte Woman, starring Errol Flynn, Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon and Robert Young. The BBC produced a popular 26-part serial in 1967, that also dramatised a subsequent trilogy concerning the Forsytes. Inspired Masterpiece Theatre tv program, and the two Granada series. In 2003, The Forsyte Saga was listed on the BBC's The Big Read poll of the UK's "best-loved novel".

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Literature

555 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2014

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

[Sam Rennick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a book you're going to polish off over a weekend. No. This is an old-fashioned, literary novel of singular ambition. Its author has devoted a great deal of time to it. So must his reader. I hope I am not making it sound as if reading "The Forsyte Saga" is a chore. Nothing of the sort. But it's a big book, with a large cast, and it will keep you occupied. The main character is Soames Forsyte. Soames has wealth, position, indeed, everything a man could want, except the one thing he wants, his wife's love. Her name is Irene. In one passage, as he tries yet again to win back her affection, she tells him, "God made me as I am, wicked if you like - but not so wicked that I'll give myself again to a man I hate." Soames has his faults, but he doesn't deserve this. Now, there is a lot else going on, but this, I think, is the heart of the story. It doesn't need saying there are countless books about unhappiness in marriage, yet I don't know that anybody has captured it better than Galsworthy does here. Five stars.

[Nor'dzin Pamo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1967 BBC production of The Forsyte Saga left a keen impression on me as a twelve year old, and I have long wanted to read the novels. I picked up this three-volume edition of The Forsyte Saga in a charity shop and was somewhat daunted by the size of the book, and the smallness and paleness of the print. On a Kindle it was a much more manageable affair and I have completed it in a month. Classic novels can seem rather slow and long-winded to a modern reader, but this saga is engaging and moves at a good pace. The author is a master of the art of writing and the characters and scenes are vividly created. The scenes which depict the dying moments of several of the primary characters are particularly exquisitely drawn and moved me to tears.
The main character is Soames Forsyte. He is not a nice man, but also not a bad man. He is honest, straightforward, and dignified, but the product of his age and upbringing. Rising beyond their humble beginnings to wealthy middle-class landowners had been the driving force in the lives of Soames’s father, James, and James’ brothers. Of his generation of the Forsytes, Soames is the one who maintains faith in the principle of the importance of the ownership of property. This is the measure of his worth and value - and his yardstick for assessing the value of others. Unfortunately this sense of ownership extends beyond the realm of objects into that of people and beauty. He regards his wives as his possessions and demands his rights of ownership - particularly of his first wife, Irene. She is the only great love of his life - as far as he is capable of love. He see ownership of Irene as his means of finding happiness and fulfilment. Her composed beauty, reserve and natural dignity create for Soames a valuable asset to be shown off. He assumes Irene’s happiness and fulfilment must be complete through his generosity and the material security he provides, and he is totally at a loss to understand her needs in terms of beauty, love, and spiritual fulfilment. In similar vein, although Soames is an art collector of taste and insight, he lacks the capacity to be moved by the beauty of his collection and of the world around him beyond an assessment of it material value. Eventually Soames re-marries and has a daughter, Fleur. She inherits his wish to ‘have’ and expects to always win what she desires. She is the product of Soames’ doting devotion and indulgence.
The Saga’s other main character thread is the life of Soames’s cousin, Jolyon. He could be seen as the character who encompasses the wholesome qualities lacking in Soames. Jolyon is kind-hearted, tolerant, easy-going, able to love openly and deeply, and is moved by the beauty of nature. He paints watercolours, trying to express the beauty he perceives, whilst recognising that his talent is mediocre rather than genius. He also falls in love with Irene, and eventually they marry and have a son, Jon. The relationship between Fleur and Jon echoes the patterns of their fathers.
The Forsyte Saga is a wonderful work of fiction and offers an interesting insight into the late Victorian period up to post WWI. The two main themes of the Saga are ownership of property, and wholesomeness - and how these two factors can, or cannot, be reconciled. It explores appreciation and sensitivity to the beauty of nature, art and love as the quality of wholesomeness, and how that might be balanced with the desire to prosper in the material sphere.

[Christy Lené · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I wish to have read years ago. What an extraordinarily captivating story! Beautifully written and performed, it may be in my top 5 or 10 favorites. This was an incredibly indelible story I could not put down. With lyrical prose both memorable and quotable, it was a bit sad for this moving saga to come to an end.

- "The possessive instinct never stands still." This phrase captures the essence of the Forsyte family's core trait, their possessiveness, in a simple yet profound way.

- "Summer—summer—summer! The soundless footsteps on the grass!" This line evokes the serene, almost ethereal quality of summer, emphasizing the quiet, natural progression of time.

- "To every man his little cross, till he dies; and then he is at peace." A reflection on the burdens of life, suggesting a poetic resignation to human struggles.

- "The beauty of trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the garden, steal into the very fibre of those who live near nature." This sentence paints a vivid picture of how nature can deeply influence and comfort the human spirit.

- "Love has no age, no limit; and no death." Perhaps one of the most romantic and enduring lines from the saga, encapsulating the timeless and boundless nature of love.

Those phrases you replay in your mind, appreciating the simplicity and impact of words so beautifully written.

This was my first time reading or knowing of John Galsworthy’s writing. If he has written anything else so well, I look forward to possibly enjoying his other works.

[Linda Devendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved "The Forsyte Saga: Complete Three Volumes," although I did not read it in the Kindle Edition. It's a wonderful, bulging, multigenerational story of the Forsyte family. John Galsworthy's great multivolume novel stands the tests of time in stellar fashion. It's a sprawling book that you immerse yourself in. After I read the novel, I watched the miniseries on DVD and found that true to the novel--when I reread the novel, I could vividly see the characters/actors in the miniseries. It's a wonderful, wonderful novel, and I strongly recommend reading the whole without interruption by other books.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Forsyte Saga was Downton Abbey before there was a Downton Abbey. There was so much to this book as it takes readers through several generations and family branches. It is not a quick read -- not just because it is almost 800 pages, but because Galsworthy paints a very descriptive picture of each location and venue in the book. He details facial expressions and interactions so that the reader can close his or her eyes and envision the scene before them. There are videos of the book but with Galsworthy's writing you can create your own film of the book.

[Alexsandra Kokoeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! That was an amazing journey with several generations of Forsyth family. It gave me every possible feelings. Joy, grief, annoyance, philosophical thoughts.
Out of all the characters I most loved old and young Jolyons, Irene, Swithin, Michael and his dad.

Soames as a main character wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but when he died, not gonna lie, I dropped some tears. That was a strong scene.
In general I’m so happy I’ve read this story. It was definitely worth it!

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankly not as horrifically dated as I feared. Soames as a portrait of a certain type of toxic masculinity feels horrifically contemporary. And Irene, like Anna Karenina, feels like a heroine before her time.

[Sarah Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A period drama must-read.

[Margaret]

DNF. Excellent writing, 4.5*... Not sure if I like the story, 2*. I may come back and visit this.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great picture of the well to do in times from 1880’s to 1920’s in London.
Many historical connections like the boer-war and the roaring 20’s.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine writing.