The Forsyte Saga

[Choisya]

When I was sixteen (aeons ago) I had to read Volume I : Man of Property of The Forsyte Saga for my EngLit Matriculation examination. I became so engrossed in this family saga that I also borrowed Volumes II and III from the local library and thereby spent long hours reading Galsworthy when I should have been concentrating on other subjects.  Fortunately, after much nagging by my teachers and my mother, I passed all six subjects with distinction. Last week I noticed that it was loaded onto my Ectaco ebook reader and in an idle moment I started to read it. Yet again I became engrossed and I am now well into the second volume.

It occurs to me that these are novels which readers here would enjoy, although the full saga would have to be read over a period longer than a month.  John Galsworthy published these novels between 1906 and 1921 but they delve into four generations of a wealthy English family dating back to the 1800s and forward into the 1920s. Tthey are a marvellous study of those times, full of descriptions of the changing clothes, furnishings, language and manners, with deep psychological insights into family relationships.  At its heart the Saga is also a tragic love story of Soames Forsyte, 'a man of property', whose passionate attachment to his beautiful, enigmatic wife Irene is not reciprocated...  Those interested in the social history of the Victorians and Edwardians would, I am sure, find the depth of detail in these novels very rewarding.  Would anyone like to embark on a reading between, say, January and March of next year and would Connie moderate?

Some of you may have seen the splendid 1967 BBC TV production of the Saga, which is well worth viewing, if you can afford to buy it - or perhaps hire.   It is also available as a Ebook for your Nook Ereader.        

[legallynik]

great!  I'm going to check it out!  can dl to my blackberry for now, waiting for the nook!!

[basson_mommy12]

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Choisya wrote:

When I was sixteen (aeons ago) I had to read Volume I : Man of Property of The Forsyte Saga for my EngLit Matriculation examination. I became so engrossed in this family saga that I also borrowed Volumes II and III from the local library and thereby spent long hours reading Galsworthy when I should have been concentrating on other subjects.  Fortunately, after much nagging by my teachers and my mother, I passed all six subjects with distinction. Last week I noticed that it was loaded onto my Ectaco ebook reader and in an idle moment I started to read it. Yet again I became engrossed and I am now well into the second volume.

It occurs to me that these are novels which readers here would enjoy, although the full saga would have to be read over a period longer than a month.  John Galsworthy published these novels between 1906 and 1921 but they delve into four generations of a wealthy English family dating back to the 1800s and forward into the 1920s. Tthey are a marvellous study of those times, full of descriptions of the changing clothes, furnishings, language and manners, with deep psychological insights into family relationships.  At its heart the Saga is also a tragic love story of Soames Forsyte, 'a man of property', whose passionate attachment to his beautiful, enigmatic wife Irene is not reciprocated...  Those interested in the social history of the Victorians and Edwardians would, I am sure, find the depth of detail in these novels very rewarding.  Would anyone like to embark on a reading between, say, January and March of next year and would Connie moderate?

Some of you may have seen the splendid 1967 BBC TV production of the Saga, which is well worth viewing, if you can afford to buy it - or perhaps hire.   It is also available as a Ebook for your Nook Ereader.        

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Choisya:

Sounds like a good choice for the Epics board, no?  I love books like this, but with life like it is now, I get kinda panicky thinking I'm going to be married to a biggun' like this for so long.  Maybe I'll check out the BBC production in the meantime.

[dulcinea3]

I saw the more recent miniseries, starring Damian Lewis and Gina McKee, which I enjoyed very much.

I might be interested in reading it, but maybe a little more out in the future; I am starting to get burnt out from trying to read too many books at a quick pace.  I am not sure I understand the 'volumes' involved.  A quick look at the editions available seem to have separately-named books, rather than numbered volumes.  I see some have The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let together in one volume, but then I also see other individual books named things like The Silver Spoon, and Swan Song

[MissElinorDash…]

I'd be game Choisya, thanks!

[Choisya]

You can get an idea of the structure of the Saga here Dulcie. 

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dulcinea3 wrote:

I saw the more recent miniseries, starring Damian Lewis and Gina McKee, which I enjoyed very much.

I might be interested in reading it, but maybe a little more out in the future; I am starting to get burnt out from trying to read too many books at a quick pace.  I am not sure I understand the 'volumes' involved.  A quick look at the editions available seem to have separately-named books, rather than numbered volumes.  I see some have The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let together in one volume, but then I also see other individual books named things like The Silver Spoon, and Swan Song

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[Choisya]

I'm not sure it qualifies as an Epic.  I thought that reading it over three months (or longer) might enable folks to read other books alongside it?   We could dip in and out of it.   

Here is something about Galsworthy and the novel, which to some extent mirrors his own life. 

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basson_mommy12 wrote:

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Choisya wrote:

When I was sixteen (aeons ago) I had to read Volume I : Man of Property of The Forsyte Saga for my EngLit Matriculation examination. I became so engrossed in this family saga that I also borrowed Volumes II and III from the local library and thereby spent long hours reading Galsworthy when I should have been concentrating on other subjects.  Fortunately, after much nagging by my teachers and my mother, I passed all six subjects with distinction. Last week I noticed that it was loaded onto my Ectaco ebook reader and in an idle moment I started to read it. Yet again I became engrossed and I am now well into the second volume.

It occurs to me that these are novels which readers here would enjoy, although the full saga would have to be read over a period longer than a month.  John Galsworthy published these novels between 1906 and 1921 but they delve into four generations of a wealthy English family dating back to the 1800s and forward into the 1920s. Tthey are a marvellous study of those times, full of descriptions of the changing clothes, furnishings, language and manners, with deep psychological insights into family relationships.  At its heart the Saga is also a tragic love story of Soames Forsyte, 'a man of property', whose passionate attachment to his beautiful, enigmatic wife Irene is not reciprocated...  Those interested in the social history of the Victorians and Edwardians would, I am sure, find the depth of detail in these novels very rewarding.  Would anyone like to embark on a reading between, say, January and March of next year and would Connie moderate?

Some of you may have seen the splendid 1967 BBC TV production of the Saga, which is well worth viewing, if you can afford to buy it - or perhaps hire.   It is also available as a Ebook for your Nook Ereader.        

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Choisya:

Sounds like a good choice for the Epics board, no?  I love books like this, but with life like it is now, I get kinda panicky thinking I'm going to be married to a biggun' like this for so long.  Maybe I'll check out the BBC production in the meantime.

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