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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Proust is quite obviously a literary genius and his prose is unmatched, but this book was still rather tedious at parts, partly because it's hard for me to relate to the time period and social status of the characters, but also because the descriptions are extremely overdone at many times throughout the novel, not to mention the extremely long sentences.
I have been trying to read this book since I was in high school. Reading Alain de Botton's book How Proust Can Change Your Life was a great help. As I grow older though I realize there really isn't much to "get" about this book. It's just fun to read. Who else takes 10 pages to describe something? And those descriptions are so lush and wonderful, it's all you really need
Well, I will probably be charged with heresy, but Swann's Way did not resonate with me. I think I see what all the fuss is about in terms of rapturous description, but that's about it.
It reminded me of Trollope without the humor, the wit, or the style. Having said that, I read the Proust in translation, so wit and style, and perhaps even gallic humor may have been lost in translation. In a recent reading in translation of Colette'sCheri and The End of Cheri, however, I did perceive humor, wit, and style. So perhaps the Proust was devoid of at least some of it.
Swann put me in mind of Tom Wilcher in Joyce Cary's To Be a Pilgrim with regard to his pursuit of--shall we say--an unsuitable woman for his station in life. But Proust renders the woman in such a way that what agency she has seems a matter of whim. We don't know what she is thinking. In Trollope, we would likely know. With Joyce, the woman in question gets a whole book in Herself Surprised.
I would welcome comments from folks who got more out of the novel than I did.
It reminded me of Trollope without the humor, the wit, or the style. Having said that, I read the Proust in translation, so wit and style, and perhaps even gallic humor may have been lost in translation. In a recent reading in translation of Colette'sCheri and The End of Cheri, however, I did perceive humor, wit, and style. So perhaps the Proust was devoid of at least some of it.
Swann put me in mind of Tom Wilcher in Joyce Cary's To Be a Pilgrim with regard to his pursuit of--shall we say--an unsuitable woman for his station in life. But Proust renders the woman in such a way that what agency she has seems a matter of whim. We don't know what she is thinking. In Trollope, we would likely know. With Joyce, the woman in question gets a whole book in Herself Surprised.
I would welcome comments from folks who got more out of the novel than I did.
I’ve wanted to read this book since I first learned about in A Tale For The Time Being at age 16, and I’m so glad I did, especially at this time in my life. It contains some of the most gorgeous writing I’ve ever read, and gifted me a new appreciation for music, art, and nature- which I'll be sure to experience more slowly and romantically from now on. It also makes me hopeful that one day, unexpectedly, I can experience a full remembrance of my childhood through a simple sensation, like a madeleine dipped in tea. What’s more, Swann’s Way made me hopeful that, through my imagination, I can bear witness to memories that don’t belong to me. It’s strange to read this now, when I’m in Austria in my mother’s childhood home, where I constantly look for “portraits of the past” and cling to them as my own. Who knows, perhaps as I dip a slice of Austrian pastry into a cup of tea, a flood of my own and others’ memories will come flooding in…
challenging
emotional
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A man thinks his life and thoughts are interesting. They are not.
Proust seems to struggle to focus on an idea and frequently takes tangents that are so boring I literally fell asleep. I’m not sure why this book is considered to be great, other than that academics often like to pretend poorly written, unfocused pieces that would receive a F in any class are wondrous pieces of art. The people who like this book are probably those who understand what is written the least.
Proust seems to struggle to focus on an idea and frequently takes tangents that are so boring I literally fell asleep. I’m not sure why this book is considered to be great, other than that academics often like to pretend poorly written, unfocused pieces that would receive a F in any class are wondrous pieces of art. The people who like this book are probably those who understand what is written the least.
იმ დაკარგული დროის ძიებაში, როდესაც ჯერ კიდევ მჯეროდა, ფრანგულს ისე კარგად ვისწავლიდი, პრუსტს ორიგინალში წავიკითხავდი, ფრანგულის მაშინდელი ცოდნაც დავიწყებას მიეცა და პრუსტიც ქართულად უთარგმნიათ.
Spoilers alert:
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ქვიარ ჩანართები ფრიად მოულოდნელი და გულს მომფენავი აღმოჩნდა ჩემთვის.
Spoilers alert:
*
*
*
ქვიარ ჩანართები ფრიად მოულოდნელი და გულს მომფენავი აღმოჩნდა ჩემთვის.
Volume I of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past contains the first three books of the work. This is the Moncrief translation and the only one I have read so I cannot compare it to more recent English editions.
Swann's Way - its overture in particular - is a stunningly beautiful masterwork. The descriptions of Combray and an idyllic childhood are the literary equivalent of an impressionist painting. Memory and its importance, as well as the contrast between the idea of a person and the actual person is particularly relatable; I've found myself in many situations where reality and preconception differ. And of course, the madeleines. This is the most famous book of Proust's heptalogy, and deservedly so. Though the prose is at times dizzying, the narrative remains fluid.
Within a Budding Grove chronicles infatuation against the backdrop of a seaside resort, and expands upon the idea that impressions and reality rarely converge. For any fan of Monet, the narrator's encounters with Elstir - modeled on the impressionist master - are particularly enjoyable.
The Guermantes Way could stand a good editor. This is Proust at his most self-indulgent. A turgid slog through observations of the French upper class during La Belle Époque. The Dreyfuss Affair plays a major part in this book, though if you are unfamiliar with it you'll want to read up as absolutely no background is given. From a historical sense, Proust perfectly depicts the effect of the Dreyfuss Affair on French society as well as prevailing attitudes of antisemitism. However if this third book were halved it would still have as much plot. Not to be missed however is the passage immediately following the death of the narrator's grandmother. Possibly the finest writing on the subject ever composed in any language.
This is a literary tour de force. Keep a dictionary handy and don't expect to get through this quickly, but do be prepared for the reward that is entering Proust's world.
One suggestion - it is easy to miss things amid the paragraphs that go on for pages at a time (and sentences that go on for full paragraphs). Use this guide which not only breaks up the work into digestable segments (what pass for chapters in the text go on for several hundred pages), but does an excellent job of summarizing the main plot points and thematic ideas.
http://proustproject.blogspot.com/p/day-by-day-summary.html
Swann's Way - its overture in particular - is a stunningly beautiful masterwork. The descriptions of Combray and an idyllic childhood are the literary equivalent of an impressionist painting. Memory and its importance, as well as the contrast between the idea of a person and the actual person is particularly relatable; I've found myself in many situations where reality and preconception differ. And of course, the madeleines. This is the most famous book of Proust's heptalogy, and deservedly so. Though the prose is at times dizzying, the narrative remains fluid.
Within a Budding Grove chronicles infatuation against the backdrop of a seaside resort, and expands upon the idea that impressions and reality rarely converge. For any fan of Monet, the narrator's encounters with Elstir - modeled on the impressionist master - are particularly enjoyable.
The Guermantes Way could stand a good editor. This is Proust at his most self-indulgent. A turgid slog through observations of the French upper class during La Belle Époque. The Dreyfuss Affair plays a major part in this book, though if you are unfamiliar with it you'll want to read up as absolutely no background is given. From a historical sense, Proust perfectly depicts the effect of the Dreyfuss Affair on French society as well as prevailing attitudes of antisemitism. However if this third book were halved it would still have as much plot. Not to be missed however is the passage immediately following the death of the narrator's grandmother. Possibly the finest writing on the subject ever composed in any language.
This is a literary tour de force. Keep a dictionary handy and don't expect to get through this quickly, but do be prepared for the reward that is entering Proust's world.
One suggestion - it is easy to miss things amid the paragraphs that go on for pages at a time (and sentences that go on for full paragraphs). Use this guide which not only breaks up the work into digestable segments (what pass for chapters in the text go on for several hundred pages), but does an excellent job of summarizing the main plot points and thematic ideas.
http://proustproject.blogspot.com/p/day-by-day-summary.html