A rich tapestry
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It's easy to be put off by the sheer weight of the Forsyte tomes (there are three volumes in all, the first of which stretches to over 900 pages), but it should be noted that each volume contains three separate stories.
Each of these stories focuses on two or three members of the Forsyte family and has as its backdrop a particular period in time, the social and cultural aspects of which are an integral part of Galsworthy's narrative. For instance, in the first volume, Soames Forsyte's marriage to Irene Heron is set against the prevalent attitudes of late nineteenth and early twentieth century society towards marriage, divorce, property rights, and the emancipation of women. All this makes for a rich tapestry of plot, character, and sociological history.The one and only criticism I have is that Galsworthy is often overly sentimental in terms of both style and plot, sometimes bordering on the mawkish.
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Fabulous family saga again, as good as Vols 1 and 2
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Soames and Jolyon are long dead, Irene is out of the picture, Fleur and Michael are just bit parts, but Volume Three still stands up in comparison with the earlier parts of the saga. It may be even better.
A pattern has admittedly emerged by this stage. In each book, the relationships come together and fall apart, as the narrative of a court case with a moral dimension keeps things moving, but Galsworthy's marvellous sense of poise carries it all through without a hindrance.
These are not particularly happy marriages. Hearts broken do not get mended, and unstable minds do not become stable. Indeed, Galsworthy has quite a harsh picture of how the world works. But then, it is compellingly real.
And utterly modern. There aren't veiled references to Claire's marriage to a sadist. It is right out in the open. The focus on the individual's rights against societal convention and the way unhappiness ensues is beautifully drawn out, and you wonder if this was the chord that hit home with the audience that watched it all in the Sixties.
I will be interested to see if the 2002 adaptation causes the same sensation. Or has the world moved past all this?
I don't think so. If the actors are any good, the drama surely can't fail. These are wonderful characters: Dinny, Dornford, Uncle Adrian and Uncle Hilary. For what it is worth, I think Claire is one of the sexiest characters in literature. But that is by the by.
Brilliant stuff, to be enjoyed again and again.
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ONE OF THE FORGOTTEN GREATS
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Upon the release of ML's 100 greatest English-lanuage novels of this century, it was to my great sadness to find "The Forsyte Saga" missing from the list. It seemed to confirm what I'd feared for the last several years: even critics have left this spectacular collection behind. Perhaps it is the fact that of the book's length that frightens off so many readers: at 800+ pages it doesn't exactly make for easy beach reading. Keep in mind, however, that the book is comprised not only of three separate novels but also of connecting interludes. If you want to read truly great literature of such a standard that earned John Galsworthy a Nobel Prize for Literature, you need look no further than "The Forsyte Saga."
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One of the best books I've ever read
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This is a must-read! Galsworthy's writing is outstanding. Also read the sequel to the Saga -- "A Modern Comedy."
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The only thing better than the story is the writing.
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Galsworthy gives his readers a view into the transition between the Victorian culture and the Modern through characters who seem to come alive under his masterful writing. Three generations of Forsythe tenacity keep things lively as they watch their world change. I recommend this book for people interested in Victorian/Modern culture and the historical novel. I thouroughly enjoyed this book.
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