Summary of The Man of Property”
“The Man of Property” – the first novel in John Galsworthy’s “Forsyte Saga” – portrays the passions and conflicts of the wealthy Forsyte family in late Victorian England. At the centre stands Soames Forsyte, a prosperous solicitor whose life revolves around possession and status. For Soames, ownership extends beyond property and art to control over his wife, Irene. Jealous of her friendships and independence, he commissions a new house to be built at Robin Hill in the hope of removing her from the allure of London society. Instead, Irene falls in love with the architect, Philip Bosinney – who also happens to be engaged to June, Soames’s niece – setting in motion a tangle of jealousy, betrayal and marital strife.
Reasons to read The Man of Property
“The Man of Property” is the opening volume of the trilogy later published collectively as “The Forsyte Saga”. It is followed by “In Chancery” and “To Let”, along with two interludes: “Indian Summer of a Forsyte” and “Awakening”. The saga, inspired in part by John Galsworthy’s own family, won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932. These novels have since been adapted many times for film and television.
Setting: Kingston upon Thames, London (England, UK)
“The Forsyte Saga” is set in London and its surrounding districts. The fictional Robin Hill lies just beyond the city and is widely believed to have been inspired by Kingston Hill, near Kingston upon Thames, close to Galsworthy’s birthplace (Galsworthy House, now a nursing home).
Original title: The Man of Property
Year of publication: 1906
Nr of pages: 310
