Very good condition. Lettered in Gilt on Spine $25

This is the second novel in the second trilogy of Galsworthy's Forsythe Saga and this book serves, primarily as a set up for the final volume in the trilogy. Fleur Mont has set herself up as a stylish London hostess, holding literary and musical salons for what were known in the 1920's as the "Bright young Things." Her husband Michael, is now a member of Parliament and consumed with a theory called Fogatism that proposes to solve England's economic problems by emigration to the Dominions.

When Fleur's father, Soames Forsyth, hears one of Fleur's guests, Marjorie Farrow, call her a snob, he calls the offending party out & the result is a lawsuit over defamation of character Considering what goes on today, this all seems rather silly to the modern reader. The story is complicated when Jon Forsyth's American brother-in-law arrives at the Mont's on the tail end of his European tour & promptly falls for the offending Marjorie.

This book is primarily worth reading just to fill in the blanks for what will come later, and perhaps, just for an historical look of a time that is now long gone. ( )

Spoiled brat goes to court
is coddled, snubbed, learns nothing
oh well, free world trip! ( )

Široce koncipovaný román zachycuje život tří generací rozvětveného patricijského rodu od poklidné éry panování královny Viktorie až do 20. let 20. století. Rodina, z jejíhož středu vyrůstají podnikatelé, právníci a vážení obchodníci, vyznává konvence pohodlného měšťáckého života a jako nejvyšší životní hodnotu uznává vlastnictví peněz a z toho plynoucí moc. Každý pokus o proražení hradby konvencí a tupé měšťácké samolibosti naráží na nepochopení a nekompromisní odsouzení.

A continuation of the life of Fleur. The bulk of this seems to revolve around her being insulted, her father defending her and the way that things seem to run out of your control after you've initiated them. It's all ver gentile and upper class, even when the knives are out, they're well heeled knives. I'm not sure that the class, in general, comes out of this very well. Michael, with his efforts to be a good member of parliament (even thought he fears he is not) is probably the one who comes across as the person with whom I had the most sympathy. It's all very nice, but I'm not sure where this is going. I also miss the slightly wider cast of characters in the earlier novels. ( )