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kimdeitzler's review against another edition
4.0
I've read this over and over. I have a soft spot for Soames.
lindseysparks's review against another edition
3.0
This sounded like something I should have loved but the characters just weren't developed enough. I liked it in the end but it sure took its time getting interesting.
readingoverbreathing's review against another edition
4.0
"What atoms men were, and what a lot of them! And what would become of them all?"
I love a good multigenerational family saga, and The Forsyte Saga was no different. It wasn't as quite as involved as perhaps I thought it'd be; there was really only one consistent storyline, complex and enduring, but singular all the same, which I was not expecting from the length and weight of this book. But I eventually found I enjoyed that, and truly appreciated Galsworthy's capacity for human understanding as well as the weight the past can carry throughout our whole lives.
This was well-written, and, to me, well-paced, despite its immense length. I was, however, disappointed by the fact that I never truly got attached to any of the characters; in fact, I really found I disliked almost all of them, especially Irene and the eye-rolling charm she seemed to exert upon every man she met, even her own son; in my opinion, no one is truly ever that enrapturing. Yet I could also appreciate how Galsworthy drew each character in such depth, making each member so incredibly and distinctly complex, particularly Soames. Even though I, by and large, didn't care for them, their realness still made their story intriguing, and really carried me through the book.
I know there are two other massive volumes to this series, and I very much want to delve into them and see where else Galsworthy takes this family, as it seems the new twentieth century could either bode very well or very poorly for them, and either way, I want to know how it all eventually shakes out. I'd also like to sit down and watch the miniseries, as the cashier at the bookshop highly recommended it when I purchased this, and the story here certainly has the potential to play out well onscreen. Either way, I don't intend to leave the Forsytes here, and I really am dying to know what happens to them next.
rissaleighs's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't come into this book with any expectations and was pleasantly surprised.
True, the first part is extremely off-putting and asks a lot of the reader. . .You're just plunged into the midst of this enormous family trying to figure out who everyone is all at once, and the author seems to be standing on the sidelines looking down his nose at them.
It got a lot better, though, especially after Galsworthy's narrative voice kind of evaporated and left the story to its characters.
I think this book will be relevant for as long as the world keeps spinning. It follows Soames as the world he grew up in changes and his ideas become outdated and everything seems to go to pieces, and that goes to show how all along the line people have felt the same way about the passing of time.
True, the first part is extremely off-putting and asks a lot of the reader. . .You're just plunged into the midst of this enormous family trying to figure out who everyone is all at once, and the author seems to be standing on the sidelines looking down his nose at them.
It got a lot better, though, especially after Galsworthy's narrative voice kind of evaporated and left the story to its characters.
I think this book will be relevant for as long as the world keeps spinning. It follows Soames as the world he grew up in changes and his ideas become outdated and everything seems to go to pieces, and that goes to show how all along the line people have felt the same way about the passing of time.
sarah_dietrich's review against another edition
4.0
Three books in one volume, 800 pages total of family saga. Published from 1906-1921, and set from the 1880's to 1920's. Great fun, captivating. Has some of the most entertaining parlour scenes I've read yet. A nice mix of traditional, progressive and transgressive characters gives interesting contrast. Sometimes overly sentimental, and the third book didn't grab me like the first two, but otherwise I loved it.
bookishwendy's review against another edition
4.0
An omnibus of three books set in 1886, 1900 and 1920 respectively, The Forsyte Saga chronicles the rise and fall of a man, a marriage, the greater Forsyte family, and Victorianism in general. The story seemed a slow burner at first, but got its claws into me at about the point where Soames Forsyte commits a certain unforgivable act against his lawful wife. The rest of the story follows the many ripples that expand out from this incident across the decades and generations. I found the third book, what with the drawn-out romance between forth-generation Forsytes, the slowest, yet I admit I may have gotten a little choked up at the end. It's nice to know the saga doesn't stop here and I can read on to find out what comes of the forth (and fifth) generations in the 20's and 30's.
nefreth's review against another edition
4.0
4,5 stelle per me per una media dei treni volumi ( che ho letto in tempi diversi). Splendido affresco di tre generazioni in una Londra che parte dalla piena età vittoriana al primo decennio del 900. Splendidi personaggi.
ebony_renaissance's review against another edition
5.0
Whew, this saga was so good and so intriguing.
Glad I committed to reading the classics this year. Loved it.
Glad I committed to reading the classics this year. Loved it.
jola_g's review against another edition
5.0
THE FORSYTES REVISITED
OR
SIPPING CHICKEN SOUP AND SMELLING WARM STRAWBERRIES
Rereading the book which you once loved, might be risky. On the one hand, you may repeat a delightful experience. On the other hand, the colours of butterflies, that you felt in your stomach years ago, might have faded away.
I was aware of this jeopardy when I decided to reread ‘The Forsyte Saga‘ by John Galsworthy. Because of the pandemic, I was yearning for something already tested, something which will let me forget about reality. The thing I needed was a total immersion into a fictional word.
I read ‘The Forsyte Saga‘ for the first time many years ago, when I was 15 to be exact. It was a revelation. I remember my best friend Ania asked me for a book recommendation and without hesitation, I advised her to read the book by Galsworthy which I had just finished. Unfortunately, this recommendation turned out to be a complete failure: Ania hated the book. She found it annoyingly boring. Beware of that if I ever start persuading you to read anything.
OR
SIPPING CHICKEN SOUP AND SMELLING WARM STRAWBERRIES
Rereading the book which you once loved, might be risky. On the one hand, you may repeat a delightful experience. On the other hand, the colours of butterflies, that you felt in your stomach years ago, might have faded away.
I was aware of this jeopardy when I decided to reread ‘The Forsyte Saga‘ by John Galsworthy. Because of the pandemic, I was yearning for something already tested, something which will let me forget about reality. The thing I needed was a total immersion into a fictional word.
I read ‘The Forsyte Saga‘ for the first time many years ago, when I was 15 to be exact. It was a revelation. I remember my best friend Ania asked me for a book recommendation and without hesitation, I advised her to read the book by Galsworthy which I had just finished. Unfortunately, this recommendation turned out to be a complete failure: Ania hated the book. She found it annoyingly boring. Beware of that if I ever start persuading you to read anything.