The English Country House in English Literature (3/5)

Founded in 1994, THE COURSE offers art history lectures, opera and literature courses, guided museum visits and London walks.

In this 5 part series, Jeremy Musson, will explore the way in which the English country house has been portrayed in English literature. By studying various authors, the architecture and household roles of the country house underline characterization, scene and mood and how this in turn shaped our view of the country house in English visual culture. The authors’ personal experiences will be examined and considered for the value of the country house in terms of plot. Used as a vehicle for gathering a group of characters together under one roof for a defined space of time, the country house has long provided a convenient setting in which, as Blake Morrison has commented, tensions can develop, love affairs begin and catastrophes unfold.

HENRY JAMES AND JOHN GALSWORTHY                               

In the third lecture, we look at American writer Henry James travelled throughout Europe and later settled in London. He was an admirer of the life and culture of the English country house and his novels provide some of the most memorable late C19th literary evocations. These include Bly (The Turn of the Screw) and in contrast, the manor house based on Philip Webb’s 1880s house Clouds in The Spoils of Poynton. John Galsworthy wrote about the life, routine and influence of the traditional English country house in The Country House. The first book of The Forsyte Saga, Man of Property, features Robin Hill, the new arts and crafts country home built for Soames Forsyte as a gilded prison for his beautiful wife.