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5.0 out of 5 stars
No man's property, Mar 25 2008
Once upon a time, not so long ago, wives were practically considered the property of their husbands.
But this antiquated idea is only one that John Galsworthy quietly slashed apart in the first book of the Forsyte Saga, "the Man of Property." With his intricate plot and lush old-style writing, Galsworthy introduces us to a snobby upper-middle-class family who begins to disintegrate in the changing times.
The vast Forsyte family has come together to celebrate June Forsyte's engagement to a young bohemian architect, Philip Bosinney -- except for June's father, who eloped with the governess and is now shunned by his family.
Among the guests are the stuffy, domineering Soames Forsyte and his quiet, unhappy wife Irene -- though she conditionally agreed to marry him, she doesn't love him. But Soames regards Irene as his most valuable piece of property, so he decides to get her away from London. At the same time, the patriarch Jolyon starts to kick off family disapproval, and goes to see his estranged son.
Soames contracts Bosinney to design a country house, hoping that his work will appeal to Irene's "artistic" sensibilities. And it does -- too much. An attraction starts to flower between Bosinney and Irene, leading to a furtive affair and the promise of yet more scandal. And Soames' determination to "own" Irene leads to tragedy...
Written in 1906, "The Man of Property" was written in a time before the world of England's upper crust changed forever -- sort of an English "Age of Innocence." And while Galsworthy's first Forsyte book can be sees as the portrait of a disintegrating marriage, it can also be seen as the portrait of the Forsytes overall -- stuffy, gilded, and extremely eager to forget the working class roots a few generations back.
Galsworthy paints this time in a flurry of lush, dignified prose , filled with slightly mocking notes about the Forsyte family, and tiny gestures and expressions that convey more than actual dialogue could ("Huddled in her grey fur against the sofa cushions, she had a strange resemblance to a captive owl"). Yet there are touching moments too, like Old Jolyon paying a visit to his estranged son and his lower-class second wife, and the grandchildren he has never met. The awkwardness, love and pain in these scenes is truly astounding.
As for the main characters of this drama, the little love rectangle is handled delicately. No soap opera dramatics -- just a married woman in love with her best pal's fiance, and who is raped by her angry husband. Galsworthy was a staunch advocate of women's rights, so you can guess how he treats this contemptible act.
Ironically, the "man of property" is the one whose head we get into the most, and Galsworthy allows Soames' own narrow thoughts to speak for him. Irene is all vague seductive elusiveness, as she is to Soames, but there are a robust supporting cast, including the spirited June, the kindly aging Old Jolyon, the fussy aunts, and the artistic rebel Young Jolyon.
"The Man of Property" causes his own marriage's downfall, in the beautifully crafted tale of a family that never changes, in a time when change was about to strike. Definitely a must-read.
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