Reviews

The Prisoner by Marcel Proust

nataalia_sanchez's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mcgreig's review against another edition

4.0

Thankfully, I found this much more interesting that Sodom & Gomorrah. I found that the links between the different volumes and the underlying themes of the story became clearer; I have renewed enthusiasm for completing the entire set!

blueyorkie's review against another edition

5.0

The genius of Proust reaches its peak in The Captive. The complexity of the narrator's feelings for Albertine, her jealousy, her fears, her lies, her initial wishes and the need for reconciliations are described with such depth that the reader finds himself seized in the brain tortured. Maniac is sensitive to the extreme of a loss by trying to understand himself. In parallel, we witness the terrible fall of Charlus, assassinated by the stupidity and the foolish pride of Verdurins and Morel, who nevertheless allows Proust to touch to perfection in the description of the septet Vinteuil. Where the music and life unite so profoundly in the author's endless sentence that it feels like nothing will ever end. We know, however, that Albertine will disappear and that at the very moment when leaving her became possible, her disappearance will be the hardest of trials. Nothing had settled in stone with Proust. Everything is in perpetual motion, constantly interrogating the mysterious experience of living.

jakebittle's review

This one is so much better than I remember it being

jeremidoucet's review against another edition

"L'amour, dans l'anxiété douloureuse comme dans le désir heureux, est l'exigence d'un tout. Il ne naît, il ne subsiste que si une partie reste à conquérir. On n'aime que ce qu'on ne possède pas tout entier."

omnibozo22's review against another edition

3.0

First, we finally hear the name of the narrator of all these lost memories, Marcel. Oops, I mistyped it as "Maurice" previously. We learn this through an absolute breaking of the fourth wall (which doesn't quite work in literature) when the narrator turns to the reader and proclaims that "his name is the same as the writer of this book." Odd.
Anyway, Marcel continues to be the same ole paranoid, asshole prick that he was in the previous books. He drives his latest "love," Albertine, away with his constant distrust. We don't ever hear a purely Albertine perspective on those accusations, so we'll never know. We don't need to. Marcel is just a prick. After finally getting a little tongue from her, and eventually viewing her naked, he quickly scans over her body, then fixates on her... hooked nose. Eh? Fuck you Marcel.
This audiobook version is divided into seven books, so two to go. I'll finish them, but without joy. Even keeping in mind that, for their time, they were special, is not enough to much appreciate them today. I will read another Flaubert, and a couple more Balzac (mainly because of seeing two versions of his statue in LA... one in a massive cloak and one nude... which is how he wrote, nude, standing up).

charlesc's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

4.5

À la recherche du temps perdu

danielfreeland23's review against another edition

4.75

The power this novel has over my soul is outrageous. Marcel kept me captive during the entirety of this novel. And after dragging me through the depths of despair, he ripped my heart out.

dream_mmdi's review against another edition

5.0

حسادت عشق را تشدید می‌کند، از دیدگاه یک عاشق این را می‌گویم"
چقدر با این جمله‌ی کتاب مخالفم، البته در طول کتاب با اتفاقاتی که میوفته، پوچ بودن این جمله ثابت میشه ولی خب تا مارسلِ داستان این رو بفهمه جون خواننده به لب میرسه.
نمیدونم تا حالا توی رابطه‌ی مریض بودید یا نه ، قبلا هم پرسیدم، چندتا جواب هم براش وجود داره ولی کافی نیستن. چون بنظرم بعضی شکلهای رابطه رو توضیح نمیدن.
سوال اینه : واقعا چرا چرا چرا و چی باعث میشه توی رابطه‌‌ای که با پارتنرتون درش خوشحال نیستید باقی بمونید؟
چرا وقتی وارد رابطه با کسی می شید می خوایید تغییرش بدید؟ مگه عاشق شدن در نهایت چیزی غیر از پذیرفتن یک فرد همون‌جوریه که هست؟
........
اسم کتاب به درست‌ترین شکل مناسب انتخاب شده و کل محتوای این جلد رو همین کلمه‌ی " اسیر" برامون فاش میکنه.
توی این جلد مارسل با آلبرتین هم‌خونه میشه( علی رغم تمام شک و تردید‌هاش توی جلد قبل) و با حسادت و عشق بیمارگونه‌اش اون و خودش رو رنج میده .
مثل بقیه جلدها، این کتاب هم پره از توصیفات باشکوه، جزییات ظریف و لطیف، پره از حس های واقعی و شخصیت پردازی که نظیرش رو توی رمانهای داستایفسکی فقط میشه دید. لطیف لطیف لطیف تا اعلاترین حد تصور بشر.
خوندن( شنیدن) این کتاب در مورد خود من حداقل باعث شده دقتم بیشتر بشه و بتونم به هر اتفاق اطرافم جور عمیق‌تر توجه کنم و ازش ساده نگذرم.
قسمتهایی از کتاب هست که مارسل داره صورت و بدن آلبرتین رو توصیف میکنه ، حالتهای خواب و بیداریش رو .وقتی میخنده، وقتی چشم باز میکنه، وقتی حرف میزنه، تاب موهاش، رنگ چشمهاش، حالت دست و پاهایش... با این قسمتهای کتاب خیلی گریه کردم. دلم برای عزیزانم خیلی تنگ شد. دلم سوخت که چرا وقتی بودن با دقت نگاهشون نکردم. چرا من نمیتونم ازشون همچین تصویری که مارسل از البرتین، حتی وقتی غایبه، توی ذهنش بازسازی می کنه، از خواهر و مامانم بازسازی کنم. هزار با کاش و هزار بار حسرت

sarthaksaxena's review

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0