Hunt Books

They say you never really get over the important exes in your life. But Soames Forsyte takes that to weird, creepy levels.

In fact, his obsession with his estranged wife Irene is the one aspect of "In Chancery," the second novel in the Forsyte Saga, that remains unchanged. The brilliant John Galsworthy changes just about everything else for the noveau riche Forsytes, as the older generations pass away and younger ones take their place -- and he also crams it with plenty of scandal, love and obsession.

It's been twelve years since Irene left Soames. When Dartie runs off to Buenos Aires with a dancer, Soames advises his cousin Winifred to divorce her wayward husband.

Soames has a similar problem: he desperately wants a son, and has a new wife lined up, but is still technically married to Irene. Though he hasn't been faithful himself, he's determined to ferret out imagined love affairs of hers as grounds for divorce. So he sends his cousin Young Jolyon over to Irene -- but it isn't long before his possessive passion toward Irene is rekindled.

And to make things more complicated, a mutual attraction has sprung up between Jolyon and Irene, infuriating Soames further. But Jolyon has caused scandal before for love, and he's willing to do it again, shocking the entire Forsyte clan with his new romance -- and what comes from it. And as Soames chases the life he feels he's been cheated of, his time with Annette isn't going to be the way he wanted...

John Galsworthy once stated that the Forsytes never change. But twelve years in a rapidly-shifting era is a long time, and there's been a lot of changes since "A Man of Property." Younger Forsytes are replacing the dying elders, and the stuffy, male, money-centric focus of the big respectable clan is starting to fade away. Just about the only thing that hasn't changed is Soames, and his obsession with Irene.

Galsworthy's dignified, detailed prose is still very much here. He hadn't lost his knack for delicate, simple descriptions of beauty and suppressed emotion, and he can conjure exquisite images with only a few words (June is described as having "red-gold hair and her viking-coloured eyes, and that touch of the Berserker in her spirit"). It's like having the words painted with vivid colors.

Though the plot deals with scandalous sexual affairs, stalking, family infighting, divorce and other fun topics, Galsworthy never resorts to soppy, sordid melodrama to get the point across. But he also relaxed his style in "In Chancery" -- one entire chapter is from the jumbled, fragmented point of view of Soames' dying father, showing that Galsworthy definitely wasn't restricted to just one style.

Soames remains a fairly repellent creature in this book. His narrow vision of the world and his hypocrisies (it's okay for him to have lovers, but not Irene) keep him from ever realizing what drove his wife away. His obsession with what he considers "his" takes him to stalkerish heights -- and that obsession is more about wanting to "own" her, and being driven nuts because he can't have her.

Irene remains a complete mystery -- all that can be learned of her is through others' eyes. But the more likable Forsytes have grown and changed -- passionate June, the worm romantic Young Jolyon, the strong-willed Winifred and her wastrel husband, and Winifred's tormented teenage son Val. Poor Val ends up being the most three-dimensional character of all, since he's left ashamed and angry of his dad.

"In Chancery" shows that while some things change, a few never do -- including Soames' unhealthy obsession with his ex-wife. Dramatic, beautiful and striking.

The first two books of John Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga were concerned primarily with Soames Forsyte, and his obsession with the woman he married but could never own.

And that obsession carries over into the lives of their children, almost twenty years later. The first trilogy of Galsworthy's Forsyte books ends with "To Let," an intricate and painful look at a first love tainted by the loathing and obsession of their parents -- and of the noveau riche Forsytes, who have finally had to bend to the passing of time, but haven't let go of their old grudges.

Soames and his spirited daughter Fleur are at a modern art exhibition when they accidentally brush by Irene and her loving son Jon. Despite their parents' attempts to keep them from meeting -- and learning of their sordid, shameful past -- Fleur and Jon are intriguing by one another, and start ferreting out clues about the other's identity.

The two meet again at the house of mutual relative Val Dartie, and strike up a romance -- soon Soames is furious, and Irene and the dying Jolyon are dismayed at the thought of Jon discovering their past with Soames. An aristocratic suitor for Fleur, mysterious letters and a secret love affair all bloom to the surface, as Fleur and Jon discover that love isn't always enough to overcome the bitterness of the past...

With "To Let," John Galsworthy propelled the Forsytes into an entirely new, post-World War I era, when women had gained their rights, cynicism has replaced any romanticism, and a rapidly changing culture has left the stodgier members of the family (aka Soames) half-living in the last century. Only one member of the eldest generation is left, and the "young" Forsytes are now middle-aged or elderly.

But despite dragging the Forsytes forward into the Jazz Age, with its flappers and modern art, Galsworthy's writing maintains the stately, lush flavor of the late 19th-century. And though he tosses in a few references to this artist or that war, especially in the beginning when Soames is touring June's "lame duck" gallery, the Forsyte family remains apart in a little timeless bubble.

And Galsworthy's writing has not lost its vividness. He paints this dramatic little story with colorful words and vibrant dialogue ("... over the lush grass fell the thick shade from those fruit trees planted by her father five-and-twenty years ago"). He can even spin a description of a person -- such as the still-vibrant June -- that gives a quick flash of their personality.

But at heart, "To Let" is a sort of a realist's version of "Romeo and Juliet," if Juliet's dad and Romeo's mom were exes. All the affairs, nastiness, former marriages and old grudges come to the surface all at once, and begin to rot away the young lovers' involvement. At a certain point, you know things aren't going to turn out well and someone is destined to be hurt -- all because the older Forsytes can't let go of the past.

Galsworthy also does an excellent job giving Fleur and Jon their own personalities. Fleur is passionate, cynical and free-spirited, while Jon is more quiet and introspective, and full of love for his parents. But time has not softened Soames -- he still treats his female relatives as property, and can't cope when one of them defies him. You'd think after two wives who have affairs because he "kills something in them," he would figure out that the problem isn't all them.

"To Let" rounds off a story of obsession and bitterness, by taking the elder generation's problems down to their children. A painful, passionate little story -- and the Forsyte Saga is not over yet.

Dr. Gowdy (the Author) is a brilliant physicist - but don't let that scare you. He shows you physics in an easy, straight-forward, non-condescending way. I have had him as a professor, and I also own this book. This book is worth buying and hanging onto for reference in other physics classes. If you want a book the truly breaks it down, gives you the no-nonsense way of looking at physics, then trust me - you want this book!

The big, colorful pictures on every page are packed with tiny details that will keep the interest of all ages. The stories are very exciting and endearing, and will keep the interest of children 5 years old and up (even boys!). It takes about 15-20 minutes to read through it slowly with the kids.

I highly recommend this, and any other Sven Nordquist book to read wth your children.

This is a fine book on multicultural California. It employs sophisticated analysis and a strong historiogrpahical background. A fine book.

Jan Hargrave explains the complex world of body-language reading. Would it not be great if we could all look at the way a person moves and tell if he/she is attracted to us? Think of the last time you met someone you really liked. Now think of how nerve-racking it was to ask this person out because you were not able to read his/her mind. With Jan Hargrave's book, you will be able to read his/her mind by simply looking at their body language. I personally had a blast reading this book and would recommend it to everyone!

The title of the book is totally accurate. What we find in it is a brief, but also objective and straightforward, history of important issues that shaped the French Revolution and the contemporary political institution building processes. The book distributes important speeches, proposed bills and other documents in different sections, each of which dealing with specific problems (slavery, equality of citizens' rights, the status of the jews etc). It is a very useful book for those who are not scholars in the area but are looking for some reliable source. I highly recommend it.

The Book is very interesting. It helps the freshman at FIU get a better understanding of the place and get familiar with their surroundings.

Engaging written and beautifully illustrated by Sandra Jordan, Frog Hunt is an superbly presented picture book about young children's search for a frog. When at last they find their golden-eyed quarry, they catch him and release him, and watch him swim away. Frog Hunt is enthusiastically recommended for young readers as an especially gentle story featuring lovely, full-color illustrations of the wetlands and its humbler creatures.

The compilation of all the Art Educators and Artists in this book shows what great thought, work, and research was done in the writing of this book by the authors.
All the views of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender issues brought forth in this book are very personal and thought provoking, to make this a very interesting and informative book.
There is so few reading materials available to the public on this subject matter, and as a result many people today are not very well informed concening issues raised in this book.
In my opinion, I feel reading this book will shed new light on the artists views who speak out.