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The Forsyte Saga Audiobook
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(4.00) - 6,686 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Forsyte Saga chronicles the ebbing social power of the upper-middle-class Forsyte family through three generations, beginning in Victorian London during the 1880s and ending in the early 1920s. The saga begins with Soames Forsyte, a successful solicitor who buys land at Robin Hill on which to build a house for his wife, Irene, and future family. Eventually, the Forsyte family begins to disintegrate when Timothy Forsyte, the last of the old generation, dies at the age of one hundred.
In the three novels (The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let) and two interludes ("Awakening" and "Indian Summer of a Forsyte") that comprise the saga, Galsworthy documented a departed way of life, that of the affluent middle class that ruled England before the 1914 war. Galsworthy's masterly narrative examines not only their fortunes but also the wider developments within society, particularly the changing position of women.
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"This is the story of three generations of the upper middle class Forsyte family of England. Galsworthy makes them irresistible because they are so flawed yet so noble and lovable at the same time. I could not get enough of this story and these characters. The mess they make of their lives while at the same time making loads of money makes an irresistible story. Some of the characters in this book are my favorites of all time."
— Connie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A social satire of epic proportions…[A] comedy of manners, convincing both in its fidelity to life and as a work of art.”
— New York Times -
“The characters themselves are recognizable and compelling, and Galsworthy still hits his targets—materialism, selfishness, insensitivity, possessiveness—with force and accuracy.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“Richly satirical.”
— Post-Gazette.com -
“[Galsworthy] possesses two essential gifts: storytelling and the creation of character. He also displays the acuteness and tenacity of imagination not only to create an immensely detailed and consistent social world but to record its inner transmutation over a period of time.”
— Geoffrey Harvey, senior lecturer, Reading University
Awards
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An Entertainment Weekly Pick for 12 Books to Ease Your Downton Abbey Withdrawl
The Forsyte Saga Listener Reviews
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" I really don't know what rating to give it. I just remembered it. A part of the curriculum in English at Loomis though we only had to read the first part. I'm not sure I even got through that. Tough reading for a teenage American boy interested in Playboy and sports. Old Jolyon... Young Jolyon etc. and on and on. Made into a classic Masterpiece Theater series starring Eric Porter(I think). Date read is a guess. "
— Chris, 2/14/2014 -
" The book is super thick I still do not understand how I could finish the book quickly. There's only one reason. It is good! "
— Ayu, 2/6/2014 -
" Fantastic family saga, great characters;i became totally absorbed in the story & felt bereft when it was finished.Definitely goes into my all time favourite books "
— Willowgreen, 2/5/2014 -
" As the World Turns set in turn-of-the-(last)-century Britain. Delicious. "
— Martha, 2/5/2014 -
" This book is only for those who really really like period pieces. It's really long and some parts are boring. You might just want to watch the BBC series instead. I have been slowly reading it for a while now and am determind to get through it. "
— Crystal, 1/25/2014 -
" It took all my willpower to finish this one. All of the characters are loathsome (except for Old Jolyon, I will grudgingly concede) and I just couldn't bring myself to care about what happened to them. "
— Beth, 1/24/2014 -
" Oh my gosh. I was totally involved with that saga. I couldn't wait for the evening so I could read. I read it years ago and it still feels like I left a family behind. "
— Veronica, 1/15/2014 -
" Book 1 and the interlude were awful, Book 2 was amazing, and Book 3 was pretty good. "
— Lex, 1/15/2014 -
" could not believe how excellent this rejected book from Aschmann's reading list finally was when I read it last year. Could not put it down. Read the entire trilogy. "
— katen, 12/26/2013 -
" This is one that I've picked up and put down so many times over the past few months. It's moving rather slowly and I'm having a hard time sticking with it. "
— Lara, 12/10/2013 -
" Not as good as watching Downton Abbey. "
— Joel, 12/2/2013
About John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy (1867–1933), English novelist and playwright, went to Oxford to study law but turned to literature after he met Joseph Conrad on a voyage. The Man of Property (1906), the first of the Forsyte Chronicles, established his reputation. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.
About Fred Williams
Fred Williams, a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, works in theater, film, television, and radio in England, Ireland, and America. Besides narrating audiobooks, he is a performer in living-history reenactments, an archer, and a poet.