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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A surprising banger.
What a roller-coaster ride this book was. Not of thrills and spills, exactly, but I've rarely known a book which has such long passages of completely uninteresting waffle, only to just grab me back in again when I considered placing it back on the shelf. Metaphorical shelf, that is, as I read it on the kindle, and can't get hold of the rest of the work for free anywhere. Which is slightly annoying.
Anyway, Swann's long-drawn out relationship crisis with Odette is actually surprisingly gripping, and shows a proper understanding of human nature and obsession. The rest of it is peaks and troughs of vaguely interesting prose. But I'm still tempted to delve further.
Anyway, Swann's long-drawn out relationship crisis with Odette is actually surprisingly gripping, and shows a proper understanding of human nature and obsession. The rest of it is peaks and troughs of vaguely interesting prose. But I'm still tempted to delve further.
Woolf is right, what is there left to write (or read!) after Proust? Should’ve been sent to space so aliens will think better of us.
Quelle lecture ! Inutile de tenter de faire une “revue” de la littérature de Proust. Je dirais simplement que je comprends enfin ce que représente la recherche (ou du moins le debut) ayant longtemps pensé qu’il s’agissait de littérature d’un entresoi bourgeois, je me rends compte que Proust est un fin disséqueur de l’âme humaine : les relations familiales, la vie à la campagne, les relations sociales, la nostalgie du temps qui passe et le souvenir (Combray) mais aussi les mondanités, tomber amoureux, la jalousie, le mensonge (un amour de Swann), tout cela écrit avec une netteté dans laquelle chacun se reconnaît, et avec un humour très subtil.
J’ai hâte de lire la suite !
Fin de la Madeleine de Proust: “Mais, quand d'un passé ancien rien ne subsiste, après la mort des êtres, après la destruction des choses, seules, plus frêles mais plus vivaces, plus immatérielles, plus persistantes, plus fidèles, l'odeur et la saveur restent encore longtemps, comme des âmes, à se rappeler, à attendre, à espérer, sur la ruine de tout le reste, à porter sans fléchir, sur leur gouttelette presque impalpable, l'édifice immense du souvenir.”
J’ai hâte de lire la suite !
Fin de la Madeleine de Proust: “Mais, quand d'un passé ancien rien ne subsiste, après la mort des êtres, après la destruction des choses, seules, plus frêles mais plus vivaces, plus immatérielles, plus persistantes, plus fidèles, l'odeur et la saveur restent encore longtemps, comme des âmes, à se rappeler, à attendre, à espérer, sur la ruine de tout le reste, à porter sans fléchir, sur leur gouttelette presque impalpable, l'édifice immense du souvenir.”
As I mentioned in one of my previous comments - I think this is one of the most beautiful, meaningful books ever written (and I mean the whole 7 volumes, not only this one). Requires certain meditative state of mind (for me - knitting induced :-) ) to truly appreciate the beauty.
I've been listening to the audiobook, recorded in Polish by Michal Breintelwald, translated by Tadeusz Boy-Zelenski.
I've been listening to the audiobook, recorded in Polish by Michal Breintelwald, translated by Tadeusz Boy-Zelenski.
dnf - 18%; this book singlehandedly defeated our entire book club
Virtudes: la pluma de Proust, prolija en descripciones que acaban por envolver al lector. El amor, dando a veces la cara más absurda pero tan común como los guijarros del camino.
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought he needed an editor in this edition, too.