The Man of Property: The Forsyte Saga (Wordsworth Classics)

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The Man of Property: The Forsyte Saga (The Forsyte Saga #1)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 879 ratings · 53 reviews

The most prized item in Soames Forsyte's collection of beautiful things is his wife, the enigmatic Irene. But when she falls in love with Bosinney, a penniless architect who utterly rejects the Forsyte values, their affair touches off a series of events which can only end in disgrace and disaster.

John Galsworthy tackles his theme of the demise of the upper-middle classes w...more

Paperback, 364 pages

Published January 1st 2001 by Wordsworth Editions Ltd (first published 1906)

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Feb 18, 2008 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2008

February is one of the best months for reading. I don’t care about the Superbowl; the Oscars are a snoozefest, so there’s plenty of time to hit the books. Every year I try to revisit one of the longer “classics” during February. This year’s choice is Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte Saga”.

Galsworthy wrote a total of nine novels about the Forsyte family, collectively referred to as “The Forsyte Chronicles”. The entire series is normally grouped into three trilogies: “The Forsyte Saga”, “A Modern Comedy...more
February is one of the best months for reading. I don’t care about the Superbowl; the Oscars are a snoozefest, so there’s plenty of time to hit the books. Every year I try to revisit one of the longer “classics” during February. This year’s choice is Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte Saga”.

Galsworthy wrote a total of nine novels about the Forsyte family, collectively referred to as “The Forsyte Chronicles”. The entire series is normally grouped into three trilogies: “The Forsyte Saga”, “A Modern Comedy”, and “End of the Chapter”. I’ll be happy to make it through the first trilogy: “The Man of Property”, “In Chancery”, and “To Let”, though my boxed set does contain novels 4-6 as well, in case I should get ambitious. I don’t know if anyone ever makes it through the entire set of nine novels – it doesn’t help that the action in books 4 and 5 drags considerably.

Like most readers of my generation, I first discovered the Forsytes courtesy of the BBC’s 26-part serialization of the first six novels, first broadcast in the late 1960’s as “The Forsyte Saga” (there is a slight discrepancy between the BBC’s nomenclature and that of Galsworthy). Here is a link:
http://www.ceejbot.com/EricPorter/For...

A newer production of the saga aired on several PBS stations two or three seasons ago, but in my heart nobody will replace the originals. There can be no Irene other than Nyree Dawn Porter (the recent production’s Irene wasn’t even a blonde, for crying out loud); Margaret Tyzack *is* Winifred; Fleur can only be played by Susan Hampshire, and only Eric Porter is capable of embodying the ‘now you love him, now you hate him’, tortured “man of property”, Soames Forsyte.

About 100 pages into the first book, it’s amazing how vividly it all comes back to me. The piano piece that Irene plays when Soames first meets her? Chopin’s waltz in C# minor. Seeing the Forsyte Saga was what gave me the perseverance to learn to play this particular waltz properly myself, much to the amazement of my piano teacher.

So I surrender myself to the pleasure of re-acquainting myself with all of these characters, rediscovering their quirks and foibles, as Book 1 moves towards its shocking climax – that unforgettable rape scene where Soames, the man of property, exercises his conjugal rights over an unwilling Irene, thereby setting the stage for the story which unfolds down the generations.

(less)

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Mar 09, 2013 Steve Lindahl rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Man of Property is the first book in The Forsyte Saga, a trilogy by John Galsworthy. Galsworthy won the Nobel prize in literature for his body of work with this trilogy sited as the best example of his “distinguished art of narration.” His author page states that in addition to his work as an author, Galsworthy was also a “social activist. He was an outspoken advocate for the women's suffrage movement, prison reform and animal rights.”

There is an agenda in Galsworthy's writing, which I admir...more The Man of Property is the first book in The Forsyte Saga, a trilogy by John Galsworthy. Galsworthy won the Nobel prize in literature for his body of work with this trilogy sited as the best example of his “distinguished art of narration.” His author page states that in addition to his work as an author, Galsworthy was also a “social activist. He was an outspoken advocate for the women's suffrage movement, prison reform and animal rights.”

There is an agenda in Galsworthy's writing, which I admire, but which often felt as if I was being hit over the head with nineteenth century political correctness. He is constantly defining what a Forsyte is rather than allowing his readers to make up their own minds. For example:

Old Jolyon was too much of a Forsyte to praise anything freely; especially anything for which he had a genuine admiration.

The blurb for The Man of Property starts out as follows:

The most prized item in Soames Forsyte's collection of beautiful things is his wife, the enigmatic Irene. But when she falls in love with Bosinney, a penniless architect who utterly rejects the Forsyte values, their affair touches off a series of events which can only end in disgrace and disaster.

In most of the discussions I read about this novel, there is a concentration on Soames' love of possessions. But I found the second sentence in this blurb to be more interesting. Irene, Soames' wife was bored. I can't say I blame her. A life spent accumulating possessions is about as boring a life as anyone can choose. It is her boredom that leads to the affair.

Irene falls in love with Bosinney, apparently because his values are so different from Soames' values. But it is hard to sympathize with her choice. Bosinney is designing a house for Irene and Soames and during that process he is constantly shaking his head at Soames and acting as if the man has no sense of style whatsoever. There's a difference between confidence and arrogance and Bosinney has more of the latter. And then there's June. June's another member of the Forsyte family. She's engaged to Bosinney and she's Irene's best friend. She's treated horribly, betrayed on two sides and without even the courtesy of talking to her about the situation. And this is after June has worked hard to help Bosinney succeed in his chosen profession. It seems as if Galsworthy sees June's desire for Bosinney to achieve success as a act of self interest somehow.

The Man of Property isn't my favorite of the nineteenth century literature I've read, but it is worth reading. It's complex enough to be interesting and it's fun to read what others thing of the work.

Steve Lindahl - author of Motherless Soul(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

As an English child of the sixties there were a number of sides to choose: Beatles or Stones? Mods or Rockers? Irene or Soames? Everyone in our street had a view. Feminists backed Irene, traditionalists (bigots) were for Soames. Men backed Soames, women, Irene. Men who had watched the BBc were for Irene because Nyree Dawn Porter reached heights of grace and beauty that slowed the blood, then quickened it. I was only 10 and didn't really know what they were talking about. I've just read the book...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-mainstream

THE MAN OF PROPERTY. (1918). John Galsworthy. ****.
Galsworthy wrote this first installment of what was to become known as “The Forsyte Chronicles,” and it became an immediate success. He didn’t write the second novel, “In Chancery,” for another fourteen years. When he was finally completed, the Chronicles ran to six (or maybe nine – depending on how many you want to include) novels. He was ultimately awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for this series. It is the saga of, surprise, the Forsyt...more

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Dec 16, 2008 C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, own-or-access

You know how sometimes you know something, but you have difficulty putting it into words? The concepts exist in your mind somewhere beneath the level where they can be easily told and explained. Well, somehow John Galsworthy insinuated himself into my head and implanted this picture of upper middle-class London that was never there previously. I'd never really thought about the demise of this group of people before, and yet they exist fully-formed in my mind. This, this is the triumph of show no...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, fiction

So years ago I watched the 2002 BBC production of the Forsyte Saga. Not only was it awesome...but I got to see Damian Lewis in all of his tight lipped glory. Obviously I needed to read the source material.

John Galsworthy is an excellent writer (thus explaining his Nobel prize in literature), who I had never heard of before the series (available on netflix!). He tackles some rather important and controversial issues (for his time) about the rights of women within a marriage.

The main character, So...more

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Jul 04, 2009 Linda J rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first read this series about 30 years ago. I haunted all the used-book stores until I collected all the books in the series. On a whim I decided to listen to the audiobook version and I'm glad I did. It starts a little slowly but draws one in.

The time is the late 1800's in London. The Forsyte family, headed by Old Jolyan, is "new money" and very protective of their place in middle-class society. Central characters in this first book are Soames Forsyte and his wife Irene. Irene detests Soames a...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Olga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Вот и произошло мое знакомнство с семьей Форсайов. Ух, какие они все мало приятные персонажи, оказывается! Но и к ним привыкаешь, и начинаешь потихоньку сочувствовать то тут, то там.
Главным персонажем этой части стал Сомс. Он - собственник, и он же один из главных несчастных здесь. Несмотря на все его поступки, создается впечатление, что Ирэн он все-таки любит по-настоящему, насколько это вообще в силах Собственника.
Ирэн же была моим любимым персонажем. Утонченность, вкус, грация, женственность...more Вот и произошло мое знакомнство с семьей Форсайов. Ух, какие они все мало приятные персонажи, оказывается! Но и к ним привыкаешь, и начинаешь потихоньку сочувствовать то тут, то там.
Главным персонажем этой части стал Сомс. Он - собственник, и он же один из главных несчастных здесь. Несмотря на все его поступки, создается впечатление, что Ирэн он все-таки любит по-настоящему, насколько это вообще в силах Собственника.
Ирэн же была моим любимым персонажем. Утонченность, вкус, грация, женственность и обаяние... для меня даже сила характеру Джун померкла по сравнению с образом Ирэн здесь.
Итак, книга начинается с помолвки Джун и Филипа. Вся семья в сборе, и мы первый раз с ними знакомимся. Очень жаль, что не было рассказно отношений между Филипом и Джун перед помолвкой, сложно понять какие чувства были между ними на тот момент. А дальше Филип, архитектор без денег и имени, получает проект постройки дома для дяди Джун. И тут-то все и начинается. Не буду спойлерить, но должна сказать, что несмотря на отсутствие всепоглощающей любовной линии, как и отсутствие больших событий в книге вообще, никак не сказались на ее интересности - стоило раззнакомиться со всеми героями, как к ним уже относишься, почти как собственным родстенникам.(less)

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Apr 11, 2012 Katya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Отличное произведение. Первые утраты, завязка той драмы, которая перевернет жизни многих людей на многие годы вперед. А началось все так радостно - с большого семейного сбора в честь помолвки молоденькой красавицы Джун. Великолепный язык, который погружает тебя в происходящие события. Красочность, сочность описаний, изысканные обороты. Один за другим проходят дни. Дни семьи, принадлежащей к богатой буржуазии. Предрассудки и требования общества. Викторианские представления о приличиях, семейной ж...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Hazel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, all-time-favourites

I've just reread this for the third/fourth time, and loved it unreservedly again. The Nobel Prize winners often seem inaccesible to me, but not so Galsworthy. I am again enthralled, pulled in to this very real story of real people with very human failings and foibles. I feel for poor Soames, the villain of the piece, who is emotionally crippled, recognising and desiring beauty, but only as a possession, and thus bound to destroy his own happiness and that of others around him. I would love Old J...more I've just reread this for the third/fourth time, and loved it unreservedly again. The Nobel Prize winners often seem inaccesible to me, but not so Galsworthy. I am again enthralled, pulled in to this very real story of real people with very human failings and foibles. I feel for poor Soames, the villain of the piece, who is emotionally crippled, recognising and desiring beauty, but only as a possession, and thus bound to destroy his own happiness and that of others around him. I would love Old Jolyon as a grandfather. I wish Irene had more courage. And despite the Forsytes being a very particular class of people in a particular country at a particular time in history, I recognise them.

My favourite pieces of writing are in the closing interlude, Indian Summer of a Forsyte

The stable clock struck four; in half an hour she would be here. He would have just one tiny nap, because he had had so little sleep of late; and then he would be fresh for her, fresh for youth and beauty, coming towards him across the sunlit lawn - lady in grey! And settling back in his chair he closed his eyes. Some thistledown came on what little air there was, and pitched on his moustache more white than itself. He did not know; but his breathing stirred it, caught there. A ray of sunlight struck through and lodged on his boot. A bumble-bee alighted and stolled on the crown of his Panama hat, and the head swayed forward and rested on his breast. Summer - summer! So went the hum.

The stable clock struck the quarter past. The dog Balthasar stretched and looked up at his master. The thistledown no longer moved. The dog placed his chin over the sunlit foot. It did not stir. The dog withdrew his chin quickly, rose, and leaped on old Jolyon's lap, looked in his face, whined; then, leaping down, sat on his haunches, gazing up. And suddenly he uttered a long, long howl.

But the thistledown was still as death, and the face of his old master.

Summer - summer- summer! The soundless footsteps on the grass!

(less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Victoria Evangelina Belyavskaya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Victoria Evangelina by: my Mom

Shelves: fiction, in-russian

~HUMANS~
The Forsyte Saga, Book One

To me, this is a story of Human Feelings that connect all of us. The Forsyte are a tree with many branches sitting in a park of the threes just like theirs: the Owners of Lands and Houses and Wives and the Society in general; but they all are connected to the EARTH from which all feeds and all grows. Thus the feelings, uniting all of us, are not unreachable for them: beauty and pity, love and compassion, companionship and understanding... The desire to POSSES: w...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting critique of Victorian/Edwardian sensibilities.

This volume is written in 3 parts. The first introduces us to the elder Forsyte siblings. The second goes into depth of James son Soames and his wife Irene, and Jolyon - his estranged son, young Jolyon or Jo, and Jo's daughter June and her fiance Phillip Bosinney, the architect who builds a house for Soames and becomes involved with his wife.

I couldn't quite get into the rhythm, but it picked up near the end. Lots of family intrigue, an...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Forsyte Saga is a fascinating portrayal of a family representing the Victorian middle class, who view everything in terms of money and investment. Epitomizing the Forsyte clan, Soames Forsyte, the man of property, is successful in controlling of all his "property", except the bit that matters the most to him--his wife, Irene. Having only read the first volume of the first trilogy about the Forsytes, I can see why it isn't more widely known. The Man of Property is spare on plot, and not much...more

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Jan 21, 2013 K.M. Weiland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ultimately, I was disappointed in this first volume of the notorious Forstye Saga. It offers quite a few interesting facets, probably the best of which is the skillful use of a distant narrative (the family's perspective) through which to highlight the intimate events of Soames's and Irene's failing marriage. It also presents an incisive look at the mindset of the turn-of-the-century wealthy English. But, at the end of the day, my biggest beef with the book is simply that I failed to like it thr...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Kristina Kuehnel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was intrigued enough to read the next in the series. However, this book was not life-changing and it stressed me out some. I found the interlude "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" to be a well-written, emotive, experiential perspective of aging.

This interlude had me thinking about what I read afterward far more than "The Man of Property". Also, Galsworthy wrote Irene's character after a woman he loved in real life, so I expected her to be desirable and well, spectacular. I mean, this woman he was c...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Afsana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

enjoyed the story for the most part and have the second volume all set up to listen to.

It makes you think about old traditions and expectations and how things have changed. Also the class differences

There were at times I felt a bit too much decription regarding certain things and events but it didn't detract much from the story and sometimes even helped get a better picture.

The nosiness of society and the continuous interferwence in your lives by the extended family reminds me of how it is i...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars

This first book in the Forsyte Saga reminds me of the Sinclair Lewis books which attack the bourgeoise, a theme so popular at the beginning of the last century when socialism seemed attractive to many.
The plot, or lack of it, here is excrusciatingly boring to the modern reader, but the high quality of the prose and the characteriztion combine for me to give the book a 3 star rating, meaning well worth reading.
This contrasts with Lewis' novels which have no saving graces at all and are definite...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember my parents watching the PBS series in the 60's prior to everyone being captivated by Upstairs/Downstairs. Very well written book about the late Edwardian upper middle class in England--the subtleties of class (the Forsytes were wealthy through real estate and industrial companies but were sub those of hereditary wealth or even broke members of the traditional upper classes) The prejudices and family dynamics are characterized very well in a terrific novel. I am looking forward to read...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Courtney H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was about halfway through this book, I was leaning toward finding it dull. It seemed a bit like a wannabe Middlemarch, and I wondered if I would be able to get through the whole saga. Then suddenly I had finished the book and realized not only that it was something else, almost entirely; and also that somewhere along the lines, I started to like it. My interest was solidified with the short story that bridged the first novel in the trilogy,The Man of Property, with the second book, In Cha...more When I was about halfway through this book, I was leaning toward finding it dull. It seemed a bit like a wannabe Middlemarch, and I wondered if I would be able to get through the whole saga. Then suddenly I had finished the book and realized not only that it was something else, almost entirely; and also that somewhere along the lines, I started to like it. My interest was solidified with the short story that bridged the first novel in the trilogy,　The Man of Property, with the second book, In Chancery, but certainly I finally found myself getting into the book toward its second half.

The first half is too primly written, and the characters jumble together without enough distinguishing characteristics for me to have made out the individuals out of the hubbub of the family. It begins with three generations of a family: the elderly Forsytes, forced to face the fact that their generation, while blessed with longevity, was not immortal; the young-to-middle-aged Forsytes, still in their prime but perhaps older than they were willing to admit; and the youngest generation, teetering around adulthood and marriage. The first half of the book hits you over the head with the idea of property, such that the title of the book seems to be a heavy anvil. But eventually it evens out, and property asserts a more comfortable position in the story. Having been told it drives the story, it actually begins to drive the story through its control over central characters, most obviously Soames, whose bitter obsession with a wife, Irene, whom he sought to own, and who was his most prized possession in a life full of prized possessions, wreaked havoc on his marriage and on the whole extended Forsyte family.

In the second half of the book, things fall into place: Irene’s love affair with her cousin-in-law’s fiancé, also the architect building the house Soames commissioned as a symbol of his status and as a place where he could remove Irene from the city and possess her more fully; the elderly Jolyon’s attempts to reclaim a son whom he had abandoned after the younger Jolyon left his wife for another woman; the deaths that cut down the numbers of the elderly generation and changed the dynamics of power in the family. It was anchored in its times, driven by the culture of the day: an obsession with status and property, battles between rigidly defined moral standards and the niches carved, however small, by people bucking against the convention that strangled them.

Irene’s story, and her love affair with Bosinney, anchors the novel. In a book that began somewhat blandly, I was surprised at how deeply Galsworthy was able to mine her character, to lay bare the tragedy of her marriage and affair. He is brutal about the ugliness of the class- and status-based culture, taken to extremes by Soames. Soames is fascinating; he catalyzes the plot with his truly terrible acts. But while he becomes cruel, he is not a villain. There are moments where he is sympathetic; particularly in the beginning, I felt sorry for him. He was a product of his family, his class, and his generation; the need to possess, and to define oneself by what one possesses, was carried to the extreme with him, and then carried still further. The result was brutal. He was written this way not to excuse Soames, but to indict the social caste that made Soames and left Irene vulnerable to him.

The whole saga is surprisingly feminist, much more than I might have guessed; and Irene is not the only example of it. June—somewhat in this book but also in others—is surprisingly powerful, a woman who submitted to social expectations but then, when circumstances changed, forged a different, untraditional life for herself. The same can be said for many of the Forsyte women in the saga, from the second generation onward. Irene, June, Holly, even Fleur, are thinkers and individuals; they have not escaped their era or their class, they are imperfect, they can be petty and obsessed with image and status as the man can, but in the end they are individuals who do more than serve as a plot device.

Though I don't know if I would vault it to the top of a must-read list, the saga is certainly worth a read. Each book gets better in the hindsight of the next, by the way; the trilogy is best read together, because the whole is richer than the sum of its parts. (less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Teresa Esteban rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-challenge, 19th-century, brit-lit

Well, I liked it. It's the story of a family and what changes come when Old Jolyon Forsyte's granddaughter, June, is engaged to Philip Bosinney. It's told only through the eyes through the eyes of members of the Forsyte family (the thoughts of characters like Irene, a Forsyte only by name, or even Bosinney himself) remain a mistery to the reader.
There the author portrays a very specific type of human being,'a Forsyte' says Young Jolyon, implying that it can be applied to other people, or (in mo...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Asa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 02, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story of the Forsyte family -- a typical, upper middle class British family of the late 19th century.

Galsworthy is a master of English prose. These Forsyte novels (there are nine total) won him the Nobel.

The characters and the story are rich and engaging. There is delightful comedy and deep feeling. At the conclusion of the novel I exclaimed aloud; it was that good.

And, pathetic as it is, I would like to die as old Jolyon Forsyte dies.

***

I own a volume of the first three novels and will re...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

The author's superb writing maintains a fairly high level of drama in a book in which, really, not terribly much happens, and when it does it's like watching a slow-motion train wreck. I found myself really wanting the characters not to be as stupid as I knew they were going to be, because for all their faults they were rendered humanely and likeably. Galsworthy really shone in observing and describing the little things that evoke the whole.

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Oct 08, 2012 Luciabo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romanzo

Quanto orgoglio, invidia, meschinità e solitudine nei personaggi di questo grande romanzo! La cupezza dei loro pensieri, la protervia dei loro atteggiamenti è mitigata soltanto dalla sapiente ironia dell'autore che dà misura dell'esistenza di una sotterranea e ben nascosta fragilità in tutti i componenti della famiglia, ad esclusione del giovane Jolon, che ha fatto le sue scelte trasgressive indifferente al giudizio del clan.

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Jan 15, 2012 Mellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

A well-crafted book--each chapter seems like a short story. None of the characters are very likeable, even the nice ones are more to be pitied than liked. The themes seem to revolve around upward mobility, modern life, aging, and the misery of it all. I read the first 3 chapters and the last but didn't find myself wanting to spend more time with these people.

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Apr 10, 2011 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 5-star-books

A Man of Property is the first novel of the Forsyte Saga trilogy. The second is In Chancery and the third is To Let. The Forsyte Saga is the first of 3 trilogies in the Forsyte Chronicles. The second trilogy comprises The White Monkey, The Silver Spoon and Swan Song. The final trilogy includes Maid in Waiting, Flowering Wilderness and Over the River.

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Apr 24, 2013 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I saw one of the adaptations on BBC and didn't much care for it at first, but started to really get into it about halfway through and while googling the actors found out it was based on this series (sort of loosely, as it turns out). Despite the archaic punctuation breaking the story up in a choppy way, this is very entertaining and engrossing.

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Apr 02, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't know why, maybe I wasn't in the right mood, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I should have. Great story, dramatic family... but I just couldn't dig my teeth into the way I usually do. I will probably give the next in the series a chance... in a while. Or I may just watch the BBC version.

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May 19, 2011 Marmar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am in love with Soames Forsyte. In all honesty, I believe he's misunderstood. In all honesty, he reminds me of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Soames is very concerned with appearances, society and having means to support himself. He loves deeply and strongly almost to the point of suffocating those he cares for. But, I beleive he means well.

His wife married him as she was practially forced into it by her mother for means of financial stability. Certainly though the norm for the times, it...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Deanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classicliterature

My feelings about Soames and Irene are mixed, I began this book feeling sympathy for Soames. Gradually I've found myself switching allegiance to Irene, wonder how I'll feel at the end of the third book.

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About John Galsworthy

John Galsworthy was an English novelist and playwright whose literary career 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 intern...more

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Quotes from The Man of Property: T...

“His natural taciturnity was in his favour; nothing could be more calculated to give people, especially people with property (Soames had no other clients), the impression that he was a safe man. And he was safe. [...] How could he fall, when his soul abhorred circumstances which render a fall possible - a man cannot fall off the floor!” — 2 people liked it

“Men are in fact, quite unable to control their own inventions; they at best develop adaptability to the new conditions those inventions create.” — 0 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/748318.The_Man_of_Property?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1177989007l/748318.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/748318.The_Man_of_Property?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Man of Property: The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy[/url]

The Man of Property: The Forsyte Saga (The Forsyte Saga #1)

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