The middle section of "The Forsyte Saga". The novella "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" I liked slightly more than the novel "In Chancery" so I would give it 4½ stars.

These two cover about 20 years from the end of the first book in the Saga, "The Man of Property", with the slow dying out of the older generation and (eventually) the birth of a new generation of Forsytes to both Soames and Irene (NOT together though!!).

Galsworthy clearly understood the nature of obsession as he shows with Soames feelings for Irene, even at the very end of "In Chancery"... ( )

This is the first interlude in The Forsyte Saga. Comming a few years after the events in The Man of Property, it aims to fill in some details of the period prior to the start of the next book. Old Jolyon has bought Soames' house, Robin Hill, and is living there with his son, daughter in law and the grandchildren, June, Jolly & Holly. At the time of the interlude, we have most of the family away, Jolly at school the other adults on a tour of the continent, such that this is Old Jolyon's story.
He comes across Irene in the gardens of Robin Hill one evening, and spends time with her. She has left Soames, but is still mourning Bosinney. She is making a life of her own and in this she comes more human, in a way she didn't in the first book. However, it's Old Jolyon that is the most vivid character in this interlude. I found myself warming to him, he's a grumpy patriarch but has a warm heart. He turns out to be both of his type and capable of acting against type. The action he takes with respect to his will, I suspect, will have implications for the future. It costs him so little, but will change a lot. ( )

Very enjoyable continuation of Soames and Irene's disastrous relationship. I had to gave this one a half-star lower rating than the five stars I gave to the first book, even though this book concentrates on Old Jolyon's family who were mostly the characters I liked best.

In modern times, it is shocking to read of the divorce laws and realize a married woman was regarded as "owned". And divorce was not so easy to attain.

Soames doesn't come out well here, but I still can't warm to Irene. The younger generation play a bigger part of the story with the passing of the old generation being portrayed by Queen Victoria's funeral. ( )

The middle section of "The Forsyte Saga". The novella "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" I liked slightly more than the novel "In Chancery" so I would give it 4 1/2 stars.

These two cover about 20 years from the end of the first book in the Saga, "The Man of Property", with the slow dying out of the older generation and (eventually) the birth of a new generation of Forsytes to both Soames and Irene (NOT together though!!).

Galsworthy clearly understood the nature of obsession as he shows with Soames feelings for Irene, even at the very end of "In Chancery"... ( )