@tarynrose1000 I do agree with you; in the book, Soames reveals to be a very dominating, selfish husband and its understandable Irene cant stand it; she is in jail.
@tarynrose1000 Yeah, more or less. But then, I've read the original books and Irene was a bleeding obvious Mary Sue that the author adored no matter what she did. She was a cause of much of her own misery in the books as well... but there, as in this series, she was totally absolved of any guilt because she is apparently oh so *pretty.* (And based on the author's own wife who committed adultery in her first marriage to boot!) So you can't really blame people for not liking Irene...
I still can't believe someone would pick that cold, dull fish Irene over vivacious, charming, wonderfully warm and sweet June! Seriously, Irene might be "beautiful" (in quotes for a reason, since I think her selfishness and chilly personality temper any beauty considerably) but June is just a sweet-heart! That architect was a total idiot and jerk for doing what he did to June-- as was Irene! How she's supposed to be the heroine of this story remains astonishing to me...
I know one person who would be very distressed to read some of these posts--if he were alive. John Galsworthy was in the same league as Tolstoy and Flaubert in that he wrote complex female characters, including Irene. It is really mean especially for women to criticize her because today no one has to get married to a man she finds sexually incompatible--and that is a big part of Irene's unhappiness. She may seem mean, but try to imagine having sex with a person you find repulsive every night.
@Ezrateach You are right: thats exactly what Galsworthy meant in his book; Irene is scared and sick every nignt when Soames comes close to her...but this is not shown in the film; this film does not really respect the author's intentions; Galsworthy would be very disapointed if he could see it.
There is not villain in this story. Irene is a 19th century wife, completely subjugated to her husband's will. Soames controls her every move and insists on possessing her and does not realize that this is pushing her away from him. She have no feelings for him and Soames, in his frustration, reacts by blaming her for not fulfilling her duty as a wife instead of trying to understand. Irene reacts with apathy.
The Soames/Irene marriage was doomed from the beginning. Soames is a controlling man who does not know how to handle his passions or deal with relationships at all. On the other hand, Irene allowed herself to be bullied by her stepmother into marrying a man she has no feelings for, whatsoever.
Please before you all jump to conclusions and say Irene is horrible, watch the rest of the series to see what Soames does to her. If you haven't noticed he is controlling every aspect of her life and no matter what time period it is think about how you would feel about the person who is telling you what you can and can not do.
I felt sorry for Irene at first cause Soames was so creepy but he grew on me completely throughout the season and the next :) The man who is playing him Damien Lewis?? He's a great actor!
I find Irene irritating, for heaven sake why did she get married to the man? To make both herself and him miserable? .....she always looks as though she is in mourning i couldn't put up with it.......she could atleast try to like him and stop acting as if its the end of the world whats done is done she is married so just try to make the best of it.
you know june and phil are matched well they should have married it would have been good i dont get what people are seeing in irene she is not prettier than the others and her attitude is driving me mad
Soames creeps me out. And why did Jolyian run off with that drippy governess? Not exactly stellar men, those Forsyte sons. I like old Jolyian though :)
I agree! Soames do not miss treat Irene. Yet, she does not even try to look at him with kind eyes. People in arranged marriages, who never even got a chance to meet before, eventually grow to love one another. To me, Irene is the villain in this life's scenario.
After all their year together, I would not blame Soames at all if he lost his temper with her. No one likes to be taken for a fool. He sure put up with her coldness for far to long.
it does not matter that he didn't miss treat her. She just hates him. for what ever reason some people love people who mistreat them, and some people hate people who do not mistreat them. you can not be happy sharing your life with someone you cant stand.
He put up with her coldness becuase he does love her.
she cannot put up with his attempts at affection or respond to them becuase she does not even like him, let alone love him. perhaps she thought she could one day
I think that the old man (Unkle Julian) really misses his sister (Aunt Anne). He looks so sad. I am glad that old Julian repaired his relationship with his son Julian.
I know that it seems Soames is the bad guy, but no matter how you dress it up, at the end of the day Irene is a horrible person who likes to play the "victim". To marry for money and not love, then *spoiler alert* runs off with her friend's fiancee. These actions are despicable.
Soames was too blinded by love or/and in denial to realise that Irene didn't care for him at all.
I agree but I see how someone like Irene could not love him, and ended up so miserable. becuase she wasn't brave enough to face taking employment to support herself. life back then was not kind to single women with no father. And the jobs on offer to women were with long hours and very limited.
she can't stand the man, it's not just that she does not love him, she dislikes him, and no matter how much time they spend together that will not change.
@Rowan07001484 ***Yes, I agree with both your posts. Well said, we are all saying the same thing here, however, she makes Soames out to be the villain, when in fact he was frustrated bcos his love was not returned. Yes, life was hard on women back then and even up to 25 yrs ago. The point is she did not even TRY to like him. She was cold from day one until the very end. Many marry for money, but at least they show some life, smile, laugh, joke, tease....but no, not cold hearted Irene.
'you look like a common burglar' lol
lethalda46 1 week ago
Comment removed
lethalda46 1 week ago
Damian Lewis is sooo yummy
mrscrews2011 2 months ago 2
@tarynrose1000 I do agree with you; in the book, Soames reveals to be a very dominating, selfish husband and its understandable Irene cant stand it; she is in jail.
isa69329 2 months ago in playlist the forsyte saga
@tarynrose1000 tout à fait juste!!!!
isa69329 2 months ago
Whatever you think of Soames otherwise, it was terribly nice of him to hire June's fiancé.
kragary 3 months ago
@tarynrose1000 Yeah, more or less. But then, I've read the original books and Irene was a bleeding obvious Mary Sue that the author adored no matter what she did. She was a cause of much of her own misery in the books as well... but there, as in this series, she was totally absolved of any guilt because she is apparently oh so *pretty.* (And based on the author's own wife who committed adultery in her first marriage to boot!) So you can't really blame people for not liking Irene...
mariagonerlj 4 months ago 4
I still can't believe someone would pick that cold, dull fish Irene over vivacious, charming, wonderfully warm and sweet June! Seriously, Irene might be "beautiful" (in quotes for a reason, since I think her selfishness and chilly personality temper any beauty considerably) but June is just a sweet-heart! That architect was a total idiot and jerk for doing what he did to June-- as was Irene! How she's supposed to be the heroine of this story remains astonishing to me...
mariagonerlj 4 months ago 4
I know one person who would be very distressed to read some of these posts--if he were alive. John Galsworthy was in the same league as Tolstoy and Flaubert in that he wrote complex female characters, including Irene. It is really mean especially for women to criticize her because today no one has to get married to a man she finds sexually incompatible--and that is a big part of Irene's unhappiness. She may seem mean, but try to imagine having sex with a person you find repulsive every night.
Ezrateach 6 months ago
@Ezrateach You are right: thats exactly what Galsworthy meant in his book; Irene is scared and sick every nignt when Soames comes close to her...but this is not shown in the film; this film does not really respect the author's intentions; Galsworthy would be very disapointed if he could see it.
isa69329 2 months ago in playlist the forsyte saga
Yes, she was the idiot and he the arrogant that thought could make her change her feelings
taticunha24 6 months ago
There's nothing like losing a sibling to prompt feelings of impending mortality...
suzannesadiiqa 8 months ago
There is not villain in this story. Irene is a 19th century wife, completely subjugated to her husband's will. Soames controls her every move and insists on possessing her and does not realize that this is pushing her away from him. She have no feelings for him and Soames, in his frustration, reacts by blaming her for not fulfilling her duty as a wife instead of trying to understand. Irene reacts with apathy.
hallelujaable 8 months ago in playlist The Forsyte Saga Series 1 and 2
@hallelujaable BRILLIANT!!
isa69329 2 months ago in playlist the forsyte saga
The Soames/Irene marriage was doomed from the beginning. Soames is a controlling man who does not know how to handle his passions or deal with relationships at all. On the other hand, Irene allowed herself to be bullied by her stepmother into marrying a man she has no feelings for, whatsoever.
Both had no business marrying each other.
DRush76 8 months ago
Please before you all jump to conclusions and say Irene is horrible, watch the rest of the series to see what Soames does to her. If you haven't noticed he is controlling every aspect of her life and no matter what time period it is think about how you would feel about the person who is telling you what you can and can not do.
HisSnuggleBear18 11 months ago
If someone keeps rejecting your proposals, and only accept you very conditionally, isn't that a clue that they don't really love you?
Also, unrelated: I know it isn't the real line but it sounds like the fiancee says "What about Irene, Captain Ignorance?" at 9:10
BrianRIngram 11 months ago 5
I felt sorry for Irene at first cause Soames was so creepy but he grew on me completely throughout the season and the next :) The man who is playing him Damien Lewis?? He's a great actor!
klutzylynn 1 year ago 6
I find Irene irritating, for heaven sake why did she get married to the man? To make both herself and him miserable? .....she always looks as though she is in mourning i couldn't put up with it.......she could atleast try to like him and stop acting as if its the end of the world whats done is done she is married so just try to make the best of it.
kiki17414 1 year ago 8
you know june and phil are matched well they should have married it would have been good i dont get what people are seeing in irene she is not prettier than the others and her attitude is driving me mad
anon72390 1 year ago 2
Soames creeps me out. And why did Jolyian run off with that drippy governess? Not exactly stellar men, those Forsyte sons. I like old Jolyian though :)
missbabyice 1 year ago
I agree! Soames do not miss treat Irene. Yet, she does not even try to look at him with kind eyes. People in arranged marriages, who never even got a chance to meet before, eventually grow to love one another. To me, Irene is the villain in this life's scenario.
After all their year together, I would not blame Soames at all if he lost his temper with her. No one likes to be taken for a fool. He sure put up with her coldness for far to long.
OMGaNEWBIE 1 year ago 25
@OMGaNEWBIE
it does not matter that he didn't miss treat her. She just hates him. for what ever reason some people love people who mistreat them, and some people hate people who do not mistreat them. you can not be happy sharing your life with someone you cant stand.
He put up with her coldness becuase he does love her.
she cannot put up with his attempts at affection or respond to them becuase she does not even like him, let alone love him. perhaps she thought she could one day
Rowan07001484 1 year ago
I think that the old man (Unkle Julian) really misses his sister (Aunt Anne). He looks so sad. I am glad that old Julian repaired his relationship with his son Julian.
mistykitten1 1 year ago
@mistykitten1 Yeah I'm happy about it too. I've always liked Old Jolyian.
Yunnnni 1 year ago
I know that it seems Soames is the bad guy, but no matter how you dress it up, at the end of the day Irene is a horrible person who likes to play the "victim". To marry for money and not love, then *spoiler alert* runs off with her friend's fiancee. These actions are despicable.
Soames was too blinded by love or/and in denial to realise that Irene didn't care for him at all.
jdlaw001 1 year ago 37
@jdlaw001 I absolutely agree with you. They could have had a good marriage, Soames is not a monster, and you can see that he's so in love with her.
It might not have been a grand passion, but she knew what she was getting into, she doesn't even seem to try to make it work.
oreo2725 1 year ago 4
@jdlaw001
I agree but I see how someone like Irene could not love him, and ended up so miserable. becuase she wasn't brave enough to face taking employment to support herself. life back then was not kind to single women with no father. And the jobs on offer to women were with long hours and very limited.
she can't stand the man, it's not just that she does not love him, she dislikes him, and no matter how much time they spend together that will not change.
Rowan07001484 1 year ago
@Rowan07001484 ***Yes, I agree with both your posts. Well said, we are all saying the same thing here, however, she makes Soames out to be the villain, when in fact he was frustrated bcos his love was not returned. Yes, life was hard on women back then and even up to 25 yrs ago. The point is she did not even TRY to like him. She was cold from day one until the very end. Many marry for money, but at least they show some life, smile, laugh, joke, tease....but no, not cold hearted Irene.
OMGaNEWBIE 1 year ago 7