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dsundy's review against another edition
5.0
‘Gradually, the lifeless sky took fire. I who until then had never awakened without a smile at the humblest things, the bowl of coffee, the sound of the rain, the roar of the wind, felt that the day which in a moment was about to dawn, and all the days to come, would no longer bring me the hope of an unknown happiness, but only the prolongation of my agony. I still clung to life; but I knew that I had nothing now but bitterness to expect from it.’
bgatsch's review against another edition
4.0
Again, here I am another 1000 or so pages deep and it doesn't feel complete, so I can't really give a fair rating at this time. I will simply say that if you're ever planning on reading this multi-volume tome of a work, you're going to feel each one of it's 3,300 some odd pages. It is not a book that you just zoom through. It's an effort, one that I'm not sure is going to pay off, though I remain hopeful.
fourfootedbeasts's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aceface's review against another edition
challenging
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
hans_castorp's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
attytheresa's review against another edition
5.0
With this I am about 2/3rds of the way through my bucketlist read of A Remembrance of Things Past! I can see the end in the distance.
Book 3 Guermantes Way and Book 4 Sodom & Gomorrah represent the young narrator's entrée into the various segments of Belle Époque society, from the upper aristocracy just short of royalty down through the lower aristocracy, upper middle class, country vs. city, and of course salon culture. We also see his sexual maturity played out over a varied landscape including brothels and the demi-mondaine. We also see marriage enter his thoughts.
Frankly, the narrator is not necessarily likeable. In fact he is often a dick, extremely inconsiderate, spoiled, selfish. You wonder just why he is given entrée, even sought out by all these various members of society. This is where reading all those Regency romances pays off: the narrator is very wealthy, of good family, well-mannered, erudite, educated, eligible, single, good looking. Of course he is in demand!
Aside from the narrator, you get to know many others: the Duke and Duchesse de Guermantes, the Verdurins who have risen in the world since we first met them in Vol. I, the aging roué Baron de Charlus who has a taste for young male 'rough trade', and the lovely unknowable Albertine which is so very important to the narrator.
There are many joys in reading Proust. His social satire is masterful, colorful, lively. His portraiture is a series of jewels. He writes with great beauty and wit (the seduction of two aging homosexuals that alternates with descriptions of a rare orchid being fertilized by a bee - must be read to be believed). He also writes with great emotion (the death of the narrator's grandmother and his later grieving in Balbec when memories of her overwhelm him).
Proust can also be a beautiful slog. Especially when he goes off on his philosophical, etymological, historical, etc. discourses. But so worth it.
Book 3 Guermantes Way and Book 4 Sodom & Gomorrah represent the young narrator's entrée into the various segments of Belle Époque society, from the upper aristocracy just short of royalty down through the lower aristocracy, upper middle class, country vs. city, and of course salon culture. We also see his sexual maturity played out over a varied landscape including brothels and the demi-mondaine. We also see marriage enter his thoughts.
Frankly, the narrator is not necessarily likeable. In fact he is often a dick, extremely inconsiderate, spoiled, selfish. You wonder just why he is given entrée, even sought out by all these various members of society. This is where reading all those Regency romances pays off: the narrator is very wealthy, of good family, well-mannered, erudite, educated, eligible, single, good looking. Of course he is in demand!
Aside from the narrator, you get to know many others: the Duke and Duchesse de Guermantes, the Verdurins who have risen in the world since we first met them in Vol. I, the aging roué Baron de Charlus who has a taste for young male 'rough trade', and the lovely unknowable Albertine which is so very important to the narrator.
There are many joys in reading Proust. His social satire is masterful, colorful, lively. His portraiture is a series of jewels. He writes with great beauty and wit (the seduction of two aging homosexuals that alternates with descriptions of a rare orchid being fertilized by a bee - must be read to be believed). He also writes with great emotion (the death of the narrator's grandmother and his later grieving in Balbec when memories of her overwhelm him).
Proust can also be a beautiful slog. Especially when he goes off on his philosophical, etymological, historical, etc. discourses. But so worth it.
abby's review against another edition
4.0
This volume is kinda about Marcel discovering that other people have thoughts and feelings, that society life is hella shallow and full of hypocrisy, and that he himself is both annoying and not well-liked.
I mean, I guess everyone should have that revelation at least once in their life.
This was also the first instance in the series where I felt like some of Proust's observations were redundant, but we're what - like 150o pages in? that's pretty impressive.
Also, Marcel learns to navigate revolving doors. What a bright boy.
I mean, I guess everyone should have that revelation at least once in their life.
This was also the first instance in the series where I felt like some of Proust's observations were redundant, but we're what - like 150o pages in? that's pretty impressive.
Also, Marcel learns to navigate revolving doors. What a bright boy.
lieslindi's review against another edition
2013 was the year of A Dance to the Music of Time, and I thought 2014 might be the one for In Search of Lost Time. But it's dull. I'm in the third volume (I listened to the first two before 2013) and I still haven't connected with any one or any theme or setting. Could it be that except for The Little Prince, French literature doesn't stir me? Mme. Bovary was okay; everyone in Les Miserables except Jean Valjean (and the priest) was hohum; I had no patience with The Red and the Black; and contemporary French fiction either loses everything in translation or I have no taste or it's tedious. Maybe if the prompt to his memory had been chocolate biscuits instead of boring madeleines I would have connected more. But it's dull.
athenalindia's review against another edition
3.0
So, I'm almost halfway through Remembrance of Time Past. I am nothing if not stubborn - I'll read the other four books just so I can say that I have. There's pride on the line, and sheer pigheadedness. Honestly, though, it's a little wearing, and I need a break before book #4.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
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