GALSWORTHY, JOHN. In chancery. *$2 (2c) Scribner
20–18929
The story is a sequel to the author’s earlier novel, “The man of property,” and relates the further fortunes of the Forsyte family. With one exception the possessive instinct is still strong in the male generation, who include their wives and progeny in their property. Soames Forsyte, after his wife, Irene, had run away with another man lives on into middle life nursing his injuries until he poignantly realizes that he is still without a son to inherit his fortune and his name. Meeting Irene again, after a separation of fifteen years, awakens the old desire to possess her, and failing of her consent, nothing in law is too sordid for him for the attainment of a divorce. Even the family tradition for respectability must go by the board as he forces his cousin Jolyon—the one Forsyte that has not run true to type—into the rôle of correspondent. At the end he marries the pretty French girl, whom he does not love, and smothers his disappointment at having a girl child, and no hope of another, in his sense of proprietorship. At least—“that thing was his.”
“When we have said that ‘In chancery’ is not a great novel, we would assure our readers that it is a fascinating, brilliant book.” K. M.
+ − Ath p810 D 10 ’20 870w Booklist 17:116 D ’20
“As a story of human persons, ‘In chancery’ should rank among his best.” H. W. Boynton
+ Bookm 52:251 N ’20 630w
“As we have already said, these Forsytes are extremely boresome, and we fear Mr Galsworthy exaggerates not only their importance and the extent of the world’s interest in them, but also the value of his own contribution to modern imaginative literature.” E. F. Edgett
− Boston Transcript p4 N 6 ’20 1100w