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The Man of Property

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The Man of Property

By: John Galsworthy
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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Summary

John Galsworthy’s epic Forsyte Saga follows the fortunes of the venerable Forsyte family, a moneyed clan whose passions are ever at war with its values. Galsworthy won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932 “for his distinguished art of narration, which takes its highest form in the Forsyte Saga.”

The Man of Property, the first novel in the trilogy, introduces us to Soames Forsyte, a solicitor and prominent figure in his family. Accustomed to getting whatever he wants, he sets his sights with absolute determination on the beautiful Irene, in spite of her pennilessness and her indifference to him. Irene, a lover of art and beauty, eventually accepts his marriage proposal over a life of degraded poverty, but she swears to Soames that she will never be his property. When all his money fails to make up for the absence of love and Irene falls for a young architect, Soames resolves to force the obedience he could not buy.

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Drama & Plays European Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Fiction Witty
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Critic reviews

“A social satire of epic proportions and one that does not suffer by comparison with Thackeray’s Vanity Fair…the whole comedy of manners, convincing both in its fidelity to life and as a work of art.”
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I selected this version of the man of property because of the positive reviews it has received. The book is a wonderful exploration of late 19th century mores. The narrator however is truly terrible. The way he draws out the vowel sounds for every word he says is entirely unnecessary, off putting and intensely irritating. The voices he gives the characters are absurd. The men all sound like they have respiratory and adenoidal problems and the women sound like monty python characters.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Great book, dreadful narration

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David Case's clear, at times languid but never lazy reading is a great introduction to the Forsyte Saga and suits the stately pace of the book perfectly. I loved the book, too (and An Indian Summer of a Forsyte, which is also included) - the pace is obviously slower than modern novels, but Galsworthy's vivid prose ensures that the reader is never bored.

Highly recommended - I'm about to download the second book, read by the same person.

Beautifully read

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One of the greatest pieces of narrative prose in the whole lexicon of English literature. Galsworthy took the English novel to a new level and produced a classic for all generations. It should be compulsory reading for all students of English.
And it is beautifully rendered by David Case with his classical pronunciation and gentle touch of irony. He does proper honour to a great work and his voice will live on timelessly despite his death.

A great English classic beautifully presented

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