The Forsyte Saga, first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle the vicissitudes of the leading members of a large upper-middle-class English family that is similar to Galsworthy's.[1] Only a few generations removed from their farmer ancestors, its members are keenly aware of their status as "new money". The main character, the solicitor and connoisseur Soames Forsyte, sees himself as a "man of property" by virtue of his ability to accumulate material possessions, but that does not succeed in bringing him pleasure.
Following The Forsyte Saga, Galsworthy wrote two more trilogies and several more interludes based around the titular family. The resulting series is collectively titled The Forsyte Chronicles.
Books
The Man of Property (1906)
In this first novel of the Forsyte Saga, after introducing us to the impressive array of Forsytes headed by the formidable Aunt Ann, Galsworthy moves into the main action of the saga by detailing Soames Forsyte's desire to own things, including his beautiful wife, Irene Forsyte (née Heron). The character of Irene is based upon Galsworthy's wife Ada Galsworthy.[3] Forsyte is jealous of her friendships and wants her to be his alone. He concocts a plan to move her to a house he is having built at Robin Hill, away from everyone she knows and cares for. She resists his grasping intentions, and falls in love with the architect Philip Bosinney, who has been engaged by Soames to build the house. Bosinney returns her love, although he is the fiancé of her young friend June Forsyte, the daughter of Soames's estranged cousin "Young" Jolyon. There is no happy ending: Irene leaves Soames after he asserts what he perceives to be his ultimate right on his property by raping her, and Bosinney dies under the wheels of a bus after being driven frantic by the news of the rape.
"Indian Summer of a Forsyte" (1918)
In a short interlude after The Man of Property Galsworthy delves into the newfound friendship between Irene and Old Jolyon Forsyte (June's grandfather, now the owner of the house Soames had built). This attachment gives Old Jolyon pleasure, but exhausts his strength. He leaves Irene money in his will, with Young Jolyon, his son, as trustee. In the end Old Jolyon dies under an ancient oak tree in the garden of the Robin Hill house.
The marital discord of both Soames and his sister Winifred is the subject of the second novel (the title refers to the Court of Chancery, which dealt with domestic issues). They take steps to divorce their spouses, Irene and Montague Dartie respectively. However, while Soames tells his sister to brave the consequences of going to court, he is unwilling to go through a divorce. Instead he stalks and hounds Irene, follows her abroad, and asks her to have his child, which was his father's wish.
Irene inherits £15,000 after Old Jolyon's death. His son, Young Jolyon Forsyte, also Soames's cousin, manages Irene's finances. When she first leaves Soames, Young Jolyon offers his support. By the time his son Jolly dies in the South African War, Irene has developed a strong friendship with Jolyon. Then Soames confronts young Jolyon and Irene at Robin Hill, falsely accusing them of having an affair. Young Jolyon and Irene assert that they have had an affair because Soames has it in his mind already. This statement gives Soames the evidence he needs for divorce proceedings. That confrontation sparks an eventual consummation between young Jolyon and Irene, leading to their marriage once the divorce is final and the birth of a son Jolyon "Jon" Forsyte. Soames marries Annette, the young daughter of a French Soho restaurant owner. With his new wife, he has his only child, a daughter named Fleur Forsyte.
"Awakening" (1920)
The subject of the second interlude is the naive and exuberant lifestyle of eight-year-old Jon Forsyte. He loves and is loved by his parents. He has an idyllic youth, and his every desire indulged.
To Let (1921)
This novel concludes the Forsyte Saga. Second cousins Fleur and Jon Forsyte meet and fall in love, ignorant of their parents' past troubles, indiscretions and misdeeds. Once Soames, Jolyon, and Irene discover their romance, they forbid their children to see each other again. Irene and Jolyon also fear that Fleur is too much like her father, and once she has Jon in her grasp, will want to possess him entirely. Despite her feelings for Jon, Fleur has a very suitable suitor, Michael Mont, heir to a baronetcy, who has fallen in love with her. If they marry, Fleur would elevate the status of her family from nouveau riche to the aristocratic upper class. The title derives from Soames' reflections as he breaks up the house in which his Uncle Timothy, recently deceased in 1920 at age 101 and the last of the older generation of Forsytes, had lived a recluse, hoarding his life like property.
Knowing he is soon to die from a weak heart, Jolyon writes a letter to Jon, detailing the events of Irene's marriage to Soames, including her love affair with Philip Bosinney and Soames's rape of her and warns him that Irene would be alone if he were to marry Fleur. But while Jon reads the letter, Jolyon suddenly dies of a heart attack, and Jon is left torn between the past and his present love for Fleur. He ultimately rejects Fleur, breaking his own heart as well as hers, and leaves for Canada. Fleur marries Michael Mont, though she knows she doesn't love him. With her marriage, Soames is separated from the only person whom he has truly loved. Irene also leaves for Canada, selling the house at Robin Hill. Soames and Irene briefly exchange glances at a distance and a kind of peace is made between them, but Soames is left contemplating all that he never really had but tried to possess.
Adaptations
Twentieth century
Silent films
In the silent film era, the book was filmed in 1920 and 1922.
A television adaptation by the BBC of The Forsyte Saga, and its sequel trilogy A Modern Comedy, starred Eric Porter as Soames, Joseph O'Conor as Old Jolyon, Susan Hampshire as Fleur, Kenneth More as Young Jolyon and Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene. It was produced by Donald Wilson and was shown in 26 episodes on Saturday evenings between 7 January and 1 July 1967 on BBC2. It was the repeat on Sunday evenings on BBC1 starting on 8 September 1968 that secured the programme's success, with 18 million tuning in for the final episode in 1969. It was shown in the United States on public television and broadcast all over the world, and became the first British television programme to be sold to the Soviet Union.[4]
Radio adaptations
There have been various BBC radio dramatisations. The first was probably a radio production of The Man of Property in 11 weekly parts commencing 9 December 1945 on the BBC Home Service. The music used as the opening and closing theme came from Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations, specifically the Nimrod variation. This adaptation starred Leo Genn as Jo, Grizelda Hervey as Irene and Ronald Simpson as Soames. It was adapted by Muriel Levy and produced by Val Gielgud and Felix Felton. Young Jolyons in later adaptations included Andrew Cruickshank, Leo Genn and Guy Rolfe. Another production of the dramatised cycle, which had Rachel Gurney as Irene, Noel Johnson as Young Jolyon and Alan Wheatley as Soames, came soon after the 1967 television series. The version broadcast in 1990 comprised a 75-minute opening episode followed by 22 hour-long episodes, entitled The Forsyte Chronicles. It was the most expensive radio drama serial ever broadcast, due to its length and its big-name cast, which included Dirk Bogarde, Diana Quick, Michael Williams and Alan Howard. This radio series was rerun on BBC 7 radio in 2004, and has been released commercially.
In January 2016, BBC Radio 4 began broadcasting a new radio adaptation by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan under the title The Forsytes, scheduled to continue until late 2017. The cast was led by Joseph Millson as Soames, Jessica Raine as Fleur, Juliet Aubrey as Irene, Harry Haddon Paton as Bosinney and Ewan Bailey as Young Jolyon. It was directed by Marion Nancarrow and Gemma Jenkins.[5]
In 2002, the first two books and the first interlude were adapted by Granada Television for the ITV network, although, like the 1967 production, the miniseries took many liberties with Galsworthy's original work. Additional funding for this production was provided by American PBS station WGBH, the BBC version having been a success on PBS in the early 1970s.
Immediately following the success of the 2002 adaptation, a second series was released in 2003. It portrays the saga's last book To Let. Much of the cast resumed their roles, but most of the first generation of Forsytes had died in the previous series. The principal characters played by Damian Lewis, Gina McKee, Rupert Graves, and Amanda Root return. It has also been released on DVD.
Main characters
The old Forsytes
Ann, the eldest of the family
Old Jolyon, the eldest brother, made a fortune in tea
James, a solicitor, married to Emily, a most tranquil woman
Swithin, James's twin brother with aristocratic pretensions, a bachelor
Roger, "the original Forsyte"
Julia (Juley), Mrs. Septimus Small, a fluttery dowager
Hester, an old maid
Nicholas, the wealthiest in the family
Timothy, the most cautious man in England
Susan, the married sister
The young Forsytes
Young Jolyon, Old Jolyon's artistic and free-thinking son, married three times
Soames, James and Emily's son, an intense, unimaginative and possessive solicitor and connoisseur, married to the unhappy Irene, who later marries Young Jolyon
Winifred, Soames's sister, one of the three daughters of James and Emily, married to the foppish and lethargic Montague Dartie
George, Roger's son, a dyed-in-the-wool mocker
Francie, George's sister and Roger's daughter, emancipated from God
Their children
June, Young Jolyon's defiant daughter from his first marriage; engaged to an architect, Philip Bosinney, who becomes Irene's lover
Jolly, Young Jolyon's son from his second marriage; dies of enteric fever during the Boer War
Holly, Young Jolyon's daughter from his second marriage, to June's governess
Jon, Young Jolyon's son from his third marriage, to Irene, Soames's first wife
Fleur, Soames's daughter from his second marriage, to a French Soho shop girl Annette; Jon's lover; later marries the heir of a baronet, Michael Mont
Val, Winifred and Montague's son; fights in the Boer War; marries his cousin Holly
Imogen, Winifred and Montague's daughter
Others
Parfitt, Old Jolyon's butler
Smither, Aunts Ann, Juley and Hester's housekeeper
Warmson, James and Emily's butler
Bilson, Soames's housemaid
Prosper Profond, Winifred's admirer and Annette's lover
Themes
Duty versus Desire: Young Jolyon was the favourite of the family until he left his wife for his daughter's governess. He eschews his status in society and in the Forsyte clan to follow his heart. Soames, though it seems he is the polar opposite of Jolyon, has those same inclinations toward doing what he desires. For example, instead of finding a wife who is rich, he marries Irene and then Annette, who have neither money nor status. When he takes Irene to a play about a married woman and her lover, he ironically sympathizes with the lover and not the husband. However, most of his decisions are on the side of duty.
Generations and Change: The many generations of the Forsyte clan remind everyone of what has come to pass over the years. However, as the old ranks begin to die, people are able to change. For example, after a few generations, the fact that they are nouveau riche does not matter as much. This is also the case with Soames and Irene's marital problems. Once they grow old and their children can overcome their parents' past, Soames can finally let go of the past. Another change with generations is the diminished number of Forsyte offspring. Many of the second generation have fewer children.
Sequels
Works within the Forsyte Chronicles
Galsworthy's sequel to The Forsyte Saga was A Modern Comedy, a further trilogy written in the years 1924 to 1928. This comprises the novel The White Monkey; an interlude, A Silent Wooing; a second novel, The Silver Spoon; a second interlude, Passers By; and a third novel, Swan Song. The principal characters are Soames and Fleur, and the second saga ends with the death of Soames in 1926. This is also the point reached at the end of the 1967 television series.
The White Monkey (1924)
Fleur Forsyte has settled into married life with Michael Mont, following her aborted romance with Jon Forsyte. Unbeknownst to Michael, his best friend Wilfred Desert has also fallen in love with Fleur. Fleur seems to treat Wilfred’s affection as an amusement in her otherwise dull life.
Michael works for a publishing firm and catches one of his employees, Bickett, stealing books and is forced to fire him. Feeling bad for a man who was trying to help his sick wife, Michael helps Bickett’s wife Victorine gain a job posing as a nude model for various artists. Victorine eventually gains enough money for the two of them to move to Australia.
Soames Forsyte, Fleur’s father, is on the board for a company with extensive capital invested overseas. A young man comes to him and advises that he has overheard that the Chairman of the Board, Mr Emerson, has been taking commissions to invest in failing stock, losing a considerable amount of the shareholders’ money in the process. Soames and Lawrence Mont, Michael’s father, attempt to bring this to the attention of the Board but are too late to stop Mr Emerson escaping prosecution. They both resign in protest.
Soames also visits his cousin George shortly before his death and secures a Chinese painting, the titular ‘White Monkey’. He gives the painting to Fleur and Michael.
Eventually, Wilfred tires of Fleur tormenting him and leaves to go to the East. A depressed Fleur turns to Michael and falls pregnant and eventually gives birth to a son, Christopher (or Kit).
A Silent Wooing (Interlude 1927)
In America, Jon goes on a picnic with his friend Francis Wilmot and meets his sister Anne. Anne and Jon go to explore an Indian mound and become lost, returning hours later. Jon then visits Francis and Anne at home and falls in love with her. They eventually marry.
The Silver Spoon (1926)
The book focuses mainly on Michael Mont’s political career, and Fleur’s social activities. Jon Forsyte’s brother-in-law, Francis Wilmot, arrives in London, staying with Fleur and Michael. He attends one of Fleur’s evening parties, and is smitten with Marjorie Ferrar, grand-daughter of the Marquess of Shropshire, and a lively member of a ‘fast set’.
Soames overhears her talking disparagingly about Fleur, and strong words are exchanged. Fleur writes some injudicious letters about the incident, and Marjorie is persuaded to launch a libel action. Soames, Sir Lawrence Mont and Lord Shropshire attempt to mediate, but in vain, and neither party will back down.
Michael chucks publishing, and launches his political career. His maiden speech promotes a scheme known as ‘Foggartism’, which advocates a policy of child migration to the Dominions. He also attempts to assist a group of ‘down-and-outs’, but the project only partly succeeds. He has a run-in with Marjorie’s fiancée, Sir Alexander McGown, a fiery Scottish MP.
The libel case comes to court. As a result of legal manoevering by Soames, Marjorie’s views on modern morality, including the reading of ‘advanced literature’, are aired in public. She defends her opinions bravely, but is persuaded to quietly settle out of court, without an apology from Fleur.
Now deeply in debt, and refusing to disclose her various love affairs to McGown, he breaks their engagement. Lord Shropshire offers to pay her debts, on her word as a lady to pay cash for her needs in future.
Marjorie is now the toast of her set, and Fleur is humiliated. She asks Michael to take her ‘around the world’. She and Soames decide to go together, with Michael joining them later, when Parliament rises.
Passers-By (Interlude 1927)
Soames is in the final days of his holiday with Fleur and Michael in Washington when he becomes aware that Jon, Anne and Irene Forsyte are in town and staying at the same hotel. He works to ensure Fleur remains unaware of their existence, though he cannot stop himself from spying on Irene playing the piano. They return to England with only Soames aware of the near encounter.
Swan Song (1928)
The General Strike is called. Many Forsytes enrol as special constables. Michael Mont’s sympathies are with the strikers, but he can do nothing to help. Fleur takes over the running of a canteen for the volunteers who will keep the trains running. Holly joins her, as well as Anne, Jon’s wife. Jon volunteers to stoke an engine; he eats at the canteen, but he and Fleur do not meet.
Anne and Jon decide to stay in England, and buy a farm in Sussex..
Disillusioned with Foggartism, Michael is drawn into a scheme promoted by his uncle, Rev. Hilary Charwell, to buy and convert the worst of the London slums. He and his father help to set up the Fund, and recruit rich and influential men to invest in the scheme. Soames is co-opted as legal advisor.
Michael visits June Forsyte, who tells him the story of Fleur and Jon’s affair, and something of the tangled family history, which he hadn’t previously known.
Val Dartie is visited by an old college pal, Stainforth, now fallen on hard times, who claims to know something about an employee at Val’s racehorse stables, and offers to sell him the information. He later forges Val’s name on a cheque.
Fleur sets up a rest home in the country for working girls, but it’s really an excuse to be close to Jon. She schemes to arrange ‘accidental’ meetings. Jon and Fleur have one last fling, but when Anne becomes pregnant, he breaks it off. Fleur is devastated.
A fire breaks out in Soames’ house, almost certainly started accidentally by Fleur. Most of the pictures are saved, but a heavy painting falls and hits Soames as he tries to rescue Fleur. He is badly injured, and dies a few days later.
Later works
Galsworthy wrote one further trilogy, End of the Chapter, comprising Maid in Waiting, Flowering Wilderness, and Over the River (also known as One More River), chiefly dealing with Michael Mont's young cousin, Dinny Cherrell.
The three trilogies have been republished under the collective title of The Forsyte Chronicles.
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 writes 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, 1821–63
Sands of Time, 1821–63
Hester's Little Tour, 1845
Tiimothy'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
In 1994 Suleika Dawson published a sequel to The Forsytes titled The Forsytes: The Saga Continues in which Soames's daughter, Fleur, Lady Mont, is the main character. She has been a dutiful wife and mother, and has long forgotten her love for Jon Forsyte, but when tragedy brings Jon back to England Fleur is determined to recapture the past and the love of her life.[6]
A framed letter from Galsworthy stood next to his wife's bed until her death. It read "I super-dedicate in its entirety The Forsyte Saga whose first word was written on Campden Hill, London of a May morning in 1903 and whose last word was written at Hampstead on 15 August 1920. Of all my work I have most enjoyed the making of this chronicle, and on the whole set more store by it than anything else I have written up to now. This is why I super-dedicate the whole of it to one without whose instigation, sympathy, interest and criticism, my obscure inner necessity might never have pushed through the mufflement of circumstance and made me a writer – such as I am." (1921)[7]
