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This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
QUOTATIONS FROM THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EDITION OF THE WORKS OF JOHN GALSWORTHY
by David Widger
CONTENTS:
The Forsyte Saga: Volume 1. The Man of Property Volume 2. Indian Summer of a Forsyte In Chancery Volume 3. Awakening To Let Other Novels: The Dark Flower The Freelands Beyond Villa Rubein and Other Stories Villa Rubein A Man of Devon A Knight Salvation of a Forsyte The Silence Saint's Progress The Island Pharisees The Country House Fraternity The Patrician The Burning Spear Five Short Tales The First and Last A Stoic The Apple Tree The Juryman Indian Summer of a Forsyte Essays and Studies: Concerning Life Inn of Tranquility Magpie over the Hill Sheep-shearing Evolution Riding in the Mist The Procession A Christian Wind in the Rocks My Distant Relative The Black Godmother Quality The Grand Jury Gone Threshing That Old-time Place Romance—three Gleams Memories Felicity Concerning Letters A Novelist's Allegory Some Platitudes Concerning Drama Meditation on Finality Wanted—Schooling On Our Dislike of Things as They Are The Windlestraw About Censorship Vague Thoughts on Art Plays: First Series: The Silver Box Joy Strife Second Series: The Eldest Son The Little Dream Justice Third Series: The Fugitive The Pigeon The Mob Fourth Series: A Bit O' Love The Foundations The Skin Game Six Short Plays: The First and The Last The Little Man Hall-marked Defeat The Sun Punch and Go
EDITOR'S NOTE
These extracts are paragraphs and short phrases which it is hoped may entice readers unfamiliar with Galsworthy to look over the books of this Nobel Prize winning author. Readers well acquainted with his works may wish to see if their favorite passages are listed in this selection. The etext editor will be glad to add your suggestions. One of the advantages of internet over paper publication is the ease of quick revision.
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The editor may be contacted at <widger@cecomet.net> for comments, questions or suggested additions to these extracts.
D.W.
WIDGER'S QUOTATIONS of JOHN GALSWORTHY
THE FORSYTE SAGA:
VOLUME 1. THE MAN OF PROPERTY /gutenberg/etext01/mnprp10.txt
PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT:
The simple truth, which underlies the whole story, that where sex attraction is utterly and definitely lacking in one partner to a union, no amount of pity, or reason, or duty, or what not, can overcome a repulsion implicit in Nature.
The tragedy of whose life is the very simple, uncontrollable tragedy of being unlovable, without quite a thick enough skin to be thoroughly unconscious of the fact. Not even Fleur loves Soames as he feels he ought to be loved. But in pitying Soames, readers incline, perhaps, to animus against Irene: After all, they think, he wasn't a bad fellow, it wasn't his fault; she ought to have forgiven him, and so on!
"Let the dead Past bury its dead" would be a better saying if the Past ever died. The persistence of the Past is one of those tragi-comic blessings which each new age denies, coming cocksure on to the stage to mouth its claim to a perfect novelty.
The figure of Irene, never, as the reader may possibly have observed, present, except through the senses of other characters, is a concretion of disturbing Beauty impinging on a possessive world.
She turned back into the drawing-room; but in a minute came out, and stood as if listening. Then she came stealing up the stairs, with a kitten in her arms. He could see her face bent over the little beast, which was purring against her neck. Why couldn't she look at him like that?
But though the impingement of Beauty and the claims of Freedom on a possessive world are the main prepossessions of the Forsyte Saga, it cannot be absolved from the charge of embalming the upper-middle class.
When a Forsyte was engaged, married, or born, the Forsytes were present; when a Forsyte died—but no Forsyte had as yet died; they did not die; death being contrary to their principles, they took precautions against it, the instinctive precautions of highly vitalized persons who resent encroachments on their property.
"It's my opinion," he said unexpectedly, "that it's just as well as it is."
The eldest by some years of all the Forsytes, she held a peculiar position amongst them. Opportunists and egotists one and all— though not, indeed, more so than their neighbours—they quailed before her incorruptible figure, and, when opportunities were too strong, what could they do but avoid her!
"I'm bad," he said, pouting—"been bad all the week; don't sleep at night. The doctor can't tell why. He's a clever fellow, or I shouldn't have him, but I get nothing out of him but bills."
There was little sentimentality about the Forsytes. In that great London, which they had conquered and become merged in, what time had they to be sentimental?
A moment passed, and young Jolyon, turning on his heel, marched out at the door. He could hardly see; his smile quavered. Never in all the fifteen years since he had first found out that life was no simple business, had he found it so singularly complicated.
As in all self-respecting families, an emporium had been established where family secrets were bartered, and family stock priced. It was known on Forsyte 'Change that Irene regretted her marriage. Her regret was disapproved of. She ought to have known her own mind; no dependable woman made these mistakes.
Out of his other property, out of all the things he had collected, his silver, his pictures, his houses, his investments, he got a secret and intimate feeling; out of her he got none.