The Forsyte Saga

By: John Galsworthy

Narrated by: Fred Williams

Length: 42 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

The three novels that make up The Forsyte Saga chronicle the ebbing social power of the commercial upper-middle class Forsyte family through three generations, beginning in Victorian London during the 1880s and ending in the early 1920s. Galsworthy's masterly narrative examines not only their fortunes but also the wider developments within society, particularly the changing position of women.

The Forsyte Saga is a sequence of novels comprising The Man of Property (1906), In Chancery (1920), and To Let (1921) with two interludes, "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" (1918) and "Awakening", published together in 1922.

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 100.

In these novels, John Galsworthy documented a departed way of life, that of the affluent middle class that ruled England before the 1914 war. The class is criticized on account of its possessiveness, but there is also nostalgia because Galsworthy, as a man born into the class, could also appreciate its virtues.

(P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Excellently read. Highly entertaining

Mr. Williams is one of the most skilled and talented narrators I have ever come across. I spent many delightful hours commuting to and from Paris listening to this wonderful, masterfully written book. I too, often stuck to the right lane to add a few more minutes to my commute. I can highly recommend this audiobook.

Knowing the difference finally!

I now know the difference between a good book and a GREAT one. I have just finished the Forsyte Saga, and my eyes were opened wide. Just prior to that I read a couple of Kate Morton novels which I enjoyed, but let me tell you, sweetie, they just don't stand up in comparison to John Galsworthy's epic masterpiece.

I have owned this book for some time and don't always listen immediately after purchasing them for one reason or another. I give it a try, and then put it down if it's problematic. In this case, I think it was the narrator, Fred Williams. He reads so slowly, however precisely, and I couldn't handle the plodding pace. So, with the new Audible app I sped it up to 1.25% listening speed, And very shortly thereafter I was immersed in 19th century England up to my eyeballs.

What a great story! What compelling characters! I could not get enough of this book. It's over now, and I am sad because I want to know what has happened to everyone. I ran the gamut of emotions listening to this book. When it wasn't possible for me to listen, I was still engrossed. I thought about my own father who was born in 1905 and tried to compare his lifestyle growing up during the Forsyte's timeline. The manners, the morals, the injustices--all so different for my father's generation and for mine. There is simply no comparison to today, a hundred plus years later.

This is a story about a family. Upper middle class, proper and all that, divided so deeply about one way of life (the popular view) and another way (a burgeoning ideal of how life could be) which is rather alien to the establishment. John Galsworthy was born into this upper middle class environment, and gives great detail about how people thought and acted as they did.

Anyway the split in the family grows larger and larger, and then one day, two or three generations down the line, things happen which eventually start the decline of the old view and there it ends, leaving you to guess what happens next.

Such a long, long book, but every single sentence is a keeper. You know what? I eventually put the speed back to 1.00 because I didn't want it to quit. I guess I got used to Fred Williams' narration (or he got better over the course of the book) because I didn't mind at all.

This is a GREAT book, whether you read it, listen to it, or watch it dramatized, and I now know the difference! I actually watched the Netflix version while reading it, and checked out the Gutenberg Project online version of it, looked up the history of the Boer War, and checked out Queen Victoria's funeral. I imagine you will, too, but nothing compares with the book! You have to read this book!

changing role of women in society

Another classic I did not appreciate when younger. I particularly enjoyed experiencing the changing role of women written in real time over a period of 20 or 30 years. The historical events such as the Boer war and death of Queen Victoria and their impact on society was appealing as well.

John Galsworthy and Anthony Trollope are two of my all time favorite authors.

i absolutely loved this book!

this book/saga is extremely well written, without being stuffy or overly descriptive, and if you appreciate dry british humor you will regret that the book had to end. and .... at 42 hours of listening, it's an audible bargain!

Helpful Followup

I watched the tv series. This helped me understand the authors true intentions. Acquisition vs beauty and love are explored in depth.

So well presented….

It was so professionally presented by Fred Williams.
I really enjoyed the presentation and the story going from generation to generation.

Forsyte Saga Brilliance

I read this brilliant book fifteen years ago and loved it then. I loved it again just now, listening to Fred Williams reading it. It’s hard to imagine a better narration of The Forsyte Saga. Fred Williams’ rendition fits the book and the era perfectly.

Indeed a Sweeping Saga

What did you love best about The Forsyte Saga?

The story of the family line, morals of the time, insightful & full of intrigue.

Who was your favorite character and why?

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It did take me awhile to get used to the reader's voice, very dry, almost monotone. But once I got into the story I was able to keep engrossed. I think a more animated reader would really make this story even more enjoyable.

Property and beauty

I am a fan of Victorian novels, particularly Anthony Trollope. galsworthy is fascinated by this time period with all of the contrasts within. This book was a bit overread as are many audible recordings, but the writing is good enough to overcome the overripe reading.
Galsworthy characters are drawn well and I think anyone fond of a tale well told would love this book.
It is long and worth the hours of reading time. The characters and story are memorable.

beautifully read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it's a fascinating, well-constructed and beautifully written story. And Galsworthy won the Nobel Prize for it in 1932.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Soames - so well drawn, so believable, so unfulfilled, so sad.

Have you listened to any of Fred Williams’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard Fred Williams before, but I was amazed to read the negative comments about his reading. If you don't like the sample, don't buy it, but I find his voice very easy-on-the-ear, and his pace is perfect for the pace of the story and of life in that era.

Any additional comments?

I love everything about it, including Fred Williams' narration.