HAPPY BIRTHDAY – John Galsworthy , born 14 August 1867
“He might wish and wish and never get it – the beauty and the loving in the world.”
John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy was an extremely successful playwright in his day, with plays such as The Silver Box and Strike, but today he is remembered only for his The Forsyte Saga series of novels. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature for this trilogy of books. Galsworthy had an affair with Ada, his cousin’s wife, and later married her – much of this relationship went into the depiction of Irene Forsyte.
I first encountered The Forsyte Saga as a TV series, in the old BBC adaptation with Ngaire Dawn Porter, Eric Porter and Kenneth More. I was riveted for night after night as I watched it on video, and I have watched it twice since with equal pleasure. Now we can also enjoy the more modern adaptation by Granada TV, with Rupert Graves, Damian Lewis and Gina McKee.
However, the novels are definitely worth revisiting. The portrayal of Soames is really masterly – I think Galsworthy’s great achievement.
John Galsworthy died on 31 January 1933, aged 65.
Have you enjoyed The Forsyte Saga, or any of John Galsworthy’s other work? Tell me in the comment area below.
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
Strife and Other Plays by John Galsworthy
The Silver Box by John Galsworthy
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