Book dossier

The white monkey

by John Galsworthy

The epic story of the Forsyte family continues into the 1920s with the focus on Fleur and her husband Michael Mont. Fleur, who is marrying Michael because she can't have her cousin Jon Forsyte, struggles with a marriage that is empty of love and a sense of purpose. Soames is caught in a banking scandal that throws him once more in the public eye. What is sadly missing from this story is anything about Jolyon Forsyte side of the family. Jon is briefly mentioned in passing as now living in the United States, but the focus is really on Fleur and her father. What I found interesting is that in the past volumes of the Forsyte Saga, these 2 were villains of the story for me. I found them despicable and really disliked the way they manipulated people. Although their personalities remain the same, they become much more complex and redeeming qualities arise in both of the them. I actually found myself cheering Soames in one part. A good story, but I miss Jon and Irene. I think they appear in later stories, so I'll read on.