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The Forsyte Saga
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The Forsyte Saga
Author(s) John Galsworthy
Genre(s) Novel
Publisher Dover
Publication date 1906-1921 (serialised)
The Forsyte Saga is a series of three novels and two interludes (intervening episodes) published between 1906 and 1921 by John Galsworthy. They chronicle the vicissitudes of the leading members of an upper-middle-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.

Separate sections of the saga, as well as the lengthy story in its entirety, have been adapted for cinema and television. The first book, The Man of Property, was adapted in 1949 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, "A Modern Comedy". In 2002, Granada Television produced two series for the ITV network called The Forsyte Saga and The Forsyte Saga: To Let. The 1967 version inspired the popular Masterpiece Theatre television program, and the two Granada series made their runs in the US as part of that program.Contents [hide]

1 Books
1.1 The Man of Property (1906)
1.2 Indian Summer of a Forsyte (1918)
1.3 In Chancery (1920)
1.4 Awakening (1920)
1.5 To Let (1921)
2 Adaptations
2.1 Silent films
2.2 1949 movie
2.3 1967 serial
2.4 Radio adaptations
2.5 Twenty-first century
2.5.1 The Forsyte Saga (2002)
2.5.2 "The Forsyte Saga: To Let" (2003, serial)
3 Main characters
3.1 The old Forsytes
3.2 The young Forsytes
3.3 Their children
3.4 Others
4 Themes
5 Sequels
6 Awards
7 References
8 External links

[edit]
Books

[edit]
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). He is jealous of her friendships and wants her to be his alone. He concocts a plan to move her to the country, to Robin Hill and a house he has had built, away from everyone she knows and cares about. She resists his grasping intentions and falls in love with the architect Philip Bosinney who has been engaged by Soames to build the house. However, Bosinney is the fiancé of her friend June Forsyte, the daughter of Soames's cousin Jolyon. There is no happy ending: Irene leaves Soames after he rapes her, and Bosinney dies under the wheels of a cab after being driven frantic by the news of Irene's rape by Soames.

[edit]
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, and by 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.

[edit]
In Chancery (1920)

The marital discord of both Soames and his sister Winifred is the subject of the second novel, the title being a reference to the Court of Chancery, which deals 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 not willing to go through a divorce himself. Instead he stalks and hounds Irene, following her abroad, and asking her to have his child, which is his father's wish. Ultimately, Soames remarries, wedding Annette, the young daughter of a French Soho restaurant owner. With his new wife, he has his only child, Fleur Forsyte.

As for Irene, she is left the sum of £15,000 after Old Jolyon's death. His son, Young Jolyon Forsyte, also Soames's cousin, takes care of Irene's finances. When she first leaves Soames, he offers his support. At the time of the death of Young Jolyon's son Jolly in the South African War, Irene has developed a strong friendship with Jolyon. Then, Soames confronts Young Jolyon and Irene at Robin Hill accusing them (falsely) of having an affair. Young Jolyon and Irene assert that they have had an affair since Soames has it in his mind already. That gives Soames the evidence he needs for divorce proceedings. That confrontation sparks an affair between Young Jolyon and Irene.

[edit]
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, his every desire indulged.

[edit]
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. Jolyon warns his son that once he dies, there will be no one to protect Irene from her ex-husband. Jon is torn between the past and his present love for Fleur. Despite her feelings for Jon, Fleur has a very suitable suitor, Michael Mont, heir to a baronetcy. Should 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.

[edit]
Adaptations
[edit]
Silent films

In the silent film era, it was filmed in 1920 and 1922.

[edit]
1949 movie

A 1949 adaptation, called That Forsyte Woman in its United States release, starred Errol Flynn as Soames, Greer Garson as Irene, Walter Pidgeon as Young Jolyon, and Robert Young as Philip Bosinney. Walter Plunkett and Arlington Valles's work were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Color.

[edit]
1967 serial
Main article: The Forsyte Saga (1967 series)

A television adaptation by the BBC of "The Forsyte Saga", and its sequel trilogy "A Modern Comedy", starred Eric Porter as Soames, Kenneth More as Young Jolyon and Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene. It was adapted for television and produced by Donald Wilson and was originally shown in twenty-six 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.[1]

[edit]
Radio adaptations

There have been various BBC radio dramatisations. The first was probably a radio production of The Man of Property serialised and broadcast circa 1944–1948 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. Serialisations of the Forsyte novels in the 1940s and '50s usually featured Grizelda Hervey as Irene and Ronald Simpson as Soames. Young Jolyons included Andrew Cruickshank, Leo Genn and Guy Rolfe. Another production of the dramatised cycle came soon after the 1967 TV series. This had Rachel Gurney as Irene, Noel Johnson as Young Jolyon and Alan Wheatley as Soames. 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.

[edit]
Twenty-first century
[edit]
The Forsyte Saga (2002)
Main article: The Forsyte Saga (2002 miniseries)

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.

[edit]
"The Forsyte Saga: To Let" (2003, serial)

Main Article: The Forsyte Saga: To Let (2003 miniseries)

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.

[edit]
Main characters
[edit]
The old Forsytes
Ann, the eldest of the family
Old Jolyon, the patriarch of the family, having made a fortune in tea
James, a solicitor, married to Emily, the most tranquil woman
Swithin, James's twin brother with aristocratic pretensions; a bachelor
Roger, "the original Forsyte"
Julia (Juley), a fluttery dowager; Mrs. Septimus Small
Hester, an old maid
Nicholas, the wealthiest in the family
Timothy, the most cautious man in England
Susan, married sister
[edit]
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, 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
[edit]
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
Jon, Young Jolyon's son from his third marriage to Irene
Fleur, Soames's daughter from his second marriage to a French Soho shopgirl Annette, Jon's lover, later marries 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
[edit]
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
[edit]
Themes

Duty versus Desire: Young Jolyon was once 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 later 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. Mortality is an important issue because it forces people to let go. Another change with generations is the diminished number of Forsyte offspring. Many of the second generation have fewer children.

[edit]
Sequels

Galsworthy's own sequel to The Forsyte Saga came in A Modern Comedy, written in the years 1924 to 1928. This comprises a 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, but 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.

In 1994, Suleika Dawson wrote a sequel to The Forsytes called 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 had 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.

Selected worksFrom The Four Winds, 1897 (as John Sinjohn)

Jocelyn, 1898 (as John Sinjohn)
Villa Rubein, 1900 (as John Sinjohn)
A Man Of Devon, 1901 (as John Sinjohn)
The Island Pharisees, 1904
The Silver Box, 1906 (his first play)
The Forsyte Saga, 1906–21, 1922
The Man Of Property, 1906
(interlude) Indian Summer of a Forsyte, 1918
In Chancery, 1920
(interlude) Awakening, 1920
To Let, 1921
The Country House, 1907
A Commentary, 1908
Fraternity, 1909
A Justification For The Censorship Of Plays, 1909
Strife, 1909
Fraternity, 1909
Joy, 1909
Justice, 1910
A Motley, 1910
The Spirit Of Punishment, 1910
Horses In Mines, 1910
The Patrician, 1911
The Little Dream, 1911
The Pigeon, 1912
The Eldest Son, 1912
Moods, Songs, And Doggerels, 1912
For Love Of Beasts, 1912
The Inn Of Tranquillity, 1912
The Dark Flower, 1913
The Fugitive, 1913
The Mob, 1914
The Freelands, 1915
The Little Man, 1915
A Bit's Love, 1915
A Sheaf, 1916
The Apple Tree, 1916
Beyond, 1917
Five Tales, 1918
Saint's Progress, 1919
Addresses In America, 1912
The Foundations, 1920
In Chancery, 1920
Awakening, 1920
The Skin Game, 1920 To Let, 1920
A Family Man, 1922
The Little Man, 1922
Loyalties, 1922
Windows, 1922
Captures, 1923
Abracadabra, 1924
The Forest, 1924
Old English, 1924
The Show, 1925
Escape, 1926
Verses New And Old, 1926
Castles In Spain, 1927
A Modern Comedy, 1924–1928, 1929
The White Monkey, 1924
(Interlude) a Silent Wooing, 1927
The Silver Spoon, 1926
(Interlude) Passers By, 1927
Swan Song, 1928
Two Forsyte Interludes, 1927
The Manaton Edition, 1923–26 (collection, 30 vols.)
Exiled, 1929
The Roof, 1929
On Forsyte 'Change, 1930
Two Essays On Conrad, 1930
Soames And The Flag, 1930
The Creation Of Character In Literature, 1931 (The Romanes Lecture for 1931).
Maid In Waiting, 1931
Forty Poems, 1932
Flowering Wilderness, 1932
Over the River, 1933
Autobiographical Letters Of Galsworthy: A Correspondence With Frank Harris, 1933
The Grove Edition, 1927–34 (collection, 27 Vols.)
Collected Poems, 1934
End Of the Chapter, 1931–1933, 1934 (posthumously)
Maid In Waiting, 1931
Flowering Wilderness, 1932
One More River, 1933 (originally the English edition was called Over the River)
Punch And Go, 1935
The Life And Letters, 1935
The Winter Garden, 1935
Forsytes, Pendyces And Others, 1935
Selected Short Stories, 1935
Glimpses And Reflections, 1937
Galsworthy's Letters To Leon Lion, 1968
Letters From John Galsworthy 1900–1932, 1970