The Forsyte Saga

Consisting of three novels and two interludes, the Forsyte saga chronicles several generations of an upper middle class British family at the beginning of the twentieth century. Full of social satire, ''The Man of Property'' commences this fictional history and introduces the first generation of Forsytes, prominently featuring Soames and his wife Irene. Keenly aware of their nouveau riche standing and highly desirous of material possessions, Soames especially demonstrates the opposing forces of duty and desire. While interrupted by World War I, Galsworthy continued his trilogy with ''Indian Summer of a Forsyte,'' ''In Chancery,'' ''Awakening,'' and finally ''To Let,'' gradually bringing up another generation of Forsytes, including the second cousins Jon and Fleur Forsyte. The changes that occur over this fictional time show how this family grows and adjusts in a developing world. This saga demonstrates some of Galsworthy's best writing, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932 for his life's work.