1925 The Forsyte Saga - John Galsworthy (William Heinemann Ltd) including Family Tree

1925 The Forsyte Saga - John Galsworthy (William Heinemann Ltd) including Family Tree. Green board some fading and mark to spine and rear. Fold out family tree complete. Some light creasing but sound book. 

Core Plot Summary

1. The Man of Property (1906)

 The Conflict: Soames Forsyte, a successful solicitor and modern "man of property," views everything—including his beautiful, distant wife Irene—as an asset to own. Irene does not love Soames and regrets their marriage.  

 The Catalyst: Soames hires a talented, bohemian architect, Philip Bosinney, to build a grand country house at Robin Hill. Bosinney is engaged to June Forsyte (daughter of Soames’s estranged cousin, "Young" Jolyon).  

 The Tragedy: Irene and Bosinney fall deeply in love. Learning of the affair and desperate to assert control, Soames forces himself on Irene. Distraught by the news of the assault, Bosinney wanders into a London fog and is killed in a street accident. Irene flees Soames, leaving the house at Robin Hill empty.  

Interlude: Indian Summer of a Forsyte (1918)

 Years after her escape, Irene forms a gentle, affectionate friendship with the elderly patriarch "Old" Jolyon Forsyte, who has bought Robin Hill. Before he dies, he leaves her a stipend to secure her financial independence.  

2. In Chancery (1920)

 Seeking an Heir: Twelve years after their separation, Soames wants an heir. He attempts to reconcile with Irene, but she refuses.

 Divorce & Remarriage: Desperate to divorce her, Soames has Irene followed. To protect her, Young Jolyon steps in. The bond between Young Jolyon and Irene deepens into true love, providing Soames the grounds for divorce.  

 The Next Generation: Young Jolyon and Irene marry and have a son, Jon. Soames marries a French woman, Annette Lamotte, who gives birth to a daughter, Fleur.  

3. To Let (1921)

 Star-Crossed Lovers: Twenty years later, Fleur and Jon meet by chance, unaware of their family's bitter history, and fall passionately in love.  

 The Secret Revealed: Fleur discovers the truth about her father’s past treatment of Irene but tries to hide it from Jon so they can stay together. When Jon eventually learns of the rape and the pain caused to his mother, he chooses family loyalty over his passion for Fleur.  

 Resolution: Jon leaves the country. Heartbroken, Fleur resigns herself to marrying Michael Mont, an aristocratic baronet. Soames is left realizing that despite all his wealth and possessiveness, the thing he loved most—Fleur’s absolute affection—is beyond his control.  

Central Themes

 Property vs. Freedom: Soames embodies the Victorian belief that financial ownership extends to human relationships. Irene represents beauty and personal freedom that refuses to be owned.  

 Social Transition: The narrative traces the evolution of British society from the rigid formality of the Victorian era to the social shifts following World War I.  

 Generational Sins: The past grievances of the parents cast a long shadow, directly ruining the romantic prospects of their children (Jon and Fleur).