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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Proust wrote, apparently, by a process of grafting parenthetical phrases together in such a manner that the final result is something resembling a massive oak tree, a sprawling, beautiful, leafy mess of commas, subordinate clauses, and insightful observations. It is impressive, but if you aren't the type to follow each branch to its grammatical and semantic conclusion, this might not be the tree to build your house in. I liked it, but it will be a while before I pick up the next volume in the series.
To start with, I really enjoyed this. The prose plunges right into the centre of whatever is being described and wallows in it, luxuriating in every detail.
This got tedious, though, particularly in the second part where nothing much happened, apart from repetitive, similar incidents and a lot of self-indulgent romantic suffering. The extended, multi-claused - repeatedly parenthetical until difficult to follow - adjective and figure-of-speech laden sentences, were an interesting - full of details and hints as they were - novelty in the earlier chapters, full, as they were, of rich, complex vocabulary, but I soon tired of losing the connection between object and subject and verb, the distinction between main and sub-clauses, and of being lost within the twisting vines of the the meandering, unrelated, internal tangents. In other words, most of the sentences are a bit like that one I just wrote, which got tired and tiring by the time I'd waded to the middle of the book.
This way of writing would have made a pleasant short story, I definitely won't be able to cope with another six volumes.
This got tedious, though, particularly in the second part where nothing much happened, apart from repetitive, similar incidents and a lot of self-indulgent romantic suffering. The extended, multi-claused - repeatedly parenthetical until difficult to follow - adjective and figure-of-speech laden sentences, were an interesting - full of details and hints as they were - novelty in the earlier chapters, full, as they were, of rich, complex vocabulary, but I soon tired of losing the connection between object and subject and verb, the distinction between main and sub-clauses, and of being lost within the twisting vines of the the meandering, unrelated, internal tangents. In other words, most of the sentences are a bit like that one I just wrote, which got tired and tiring by the time I'd waded to the middle of the book.
This way of writing would have made a pleasant short story, I definitely won't be able to cope with another six volumes.
'Had u ook maar uw hart vergeten, ik zou het u niet laten terughalen.'
Op zoek naar de verloren tijd. Het is niet zo vreemd dat vele kunstenaars, muzikanten en dichters geïnspireerd raakten door dit meesterwerk. Dit boek is een verrijking voor een mensenleven.
Op zoek naar de verloren tijd. Het is niet zo vreemd dat vele kunstenaars, muzikanten en dichters geïnspireerd raakten door dit meesterwerk. Dit boek is een verrijking voor een mensenleven.
The places we have known do not belong solely to the world of space in which we situate them for our greater convenience. They were only a thin slice among contiguous impressions that formed our life at that time; the memory of a certain image is only regret for a certain moment; and houses, roads, avenues are as fleeting, alas, as the years.
challenging
reflective
relaxing
sad
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:
No
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book was suggested by colleagues that we would all read this together. i got derailed by many things but ended up finally finishing. it never would have read it on my own. im glad i did, although i don't think this book is as good as the hype (although i don't intend to read the rest of the series to find out). i enjoyed the first part of the book when the narrator was a young boy. The famous madeleine scene was not as amazing as i thought, but that early part of the book was anyway very beautiful and flowing and rhythmic, it felt like riding a train with the countryside gently slipping by.
the next part of the book about Combray was more tedious and hard to get through. the next part, about Swann and Odette was amusing and interesting. Though, again, toward the end of that section it also got very tedious. The last part of the story came back to the narrator and offered some interesting insights, and then certainly left things open to make a patient reader curious to go on to the next series. I think i will move on to something else however.
the next part of the book about Combray was more tedious and hard to get through. the next part, about Swann and Odette was amusing and interesting. Though, again, toward the end of that section it also got very tedious. The last part of the story came back to the narrator and offered some interesting insights, and then certainly left things open to make a patient reader curious to go on to the next series. I think i will move on to something else however.
lighthearted
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:
No
I don’t have much good to say about Swann’s Way. I understand the looking back at one’s past and the senses and emotions that evokes but geez this was a drag.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes