My Misconceptions about Proust

[@davidhuston292]

KZbin has become a source for personal reactions to literature. They vary wildly in quality, but some are quite charming. I enjoy them because they are so personal--and not academic at all. Here is a lovely example of a young woman who conveys very movingly why her feelings about Proust were so inaccurate and what her actual experiences of reading "Swann's Way." the first volume of "In Search of Lost Time," were really like. If you share some of her misconceptions, you might be persuaded to follow her example and take a chance on Proust. One of the deepest pleasures and experiences of my life. Proust can transform the way you think and feel about your own experience of life. I don't know of any other writer who does anything like this.

[@Fiction_Beast]

I agree, it is one of the best, if not the best, novels ever written by a homo sapien. If you have time, take a look at my summary and take on the novel. Would love to hear what you think.

[@reginalemoine5809]

I get a special vicarious thrill when people discover Marcel Proust. Your observation that the work is life-changing is so true to my own experience of reading Proust. I am planning a reread soon; I've already read Swann's Way twice and the rest of the books once. I will tell you that when you get to The Prisoner and The Fugitive, you might struggle a bit. I won't say why, but please push through to the last volume. Once you reach the end, you will fully realize what a towering achievement the work, as a whole, really is. Just typing that out gives me goosebumps (literally). Virginia Woolf on Proust: "Proust so titillates my own desire for expression that I can hardly set out the sentence. Oh if I could write like that! I cry. And at the moment such is the astonishing vibration and saturation and intensification that he procures-there’s something sexual in it-that I feel I can write like that, and seize my pen and then I can’t write like that. Scarcely anyone so stimulates the nerves of language in me: it becomes an obsession. But I must return to Swann. My great adventure is really Proust. Well-what remains to be written after that? I’m only in the first volume, and there are, I suppose, faults to be found, but I am in a state of amazement; as if a miracle were being done before my eyes. How, at last, has someone solidified what has always escaped-and made it too into this beautiful and perfectly enduring substance? One has to put the book down and gasp. The pleasure becomes physical-like sun and wine and grapes and perfect serenity and intense vitality combined."

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thank you for the advice to keep powering through to the end-- I will keep that in mind! I'm so glad to hear that you found it to be such a valuable experience in the end. It must be wonderful to reread! And thanks for sharing that V. Woolf quote. I love how she articulated the magic of experiencing Proust! :)

[@quoileternite]

In France, some people call Virginia Woolf "The English Proust" ... le Proust anglais.

[@quoileternite]

What you are saying about La Prisonnière et Albertine disparue is very strange to me : I read La Recherche twice and both times I stopped at the end of Sodome et Gomorrhe, skipped the two following volumes straight to Le Temps retrouvé. I recently heard that the last three volumes were not written by (maybe, not composed by) Proust, and I feel it shows.

[@tonytynan1955]

Brilliant stuff. I'm just at page 132 of Swann's Way. Your enthusiasm is so refreshing. I'm really looking forward to all 6 or 7 volumes. I love your non academic approach. Its really funny in the description of the old aunt living in isolation in her room. Also the young narrators joy in reading is so infectious. I hope you continue to do further videos on Proust. You are just a breath of fresh air

[@michaelm7823]

Madeleines and tea! Love it. Every page IS gold! I agree. I really like your third point. I wish I found this when I was in my twenties because of the way it helps look at life.Great vlog. Look forward to your future posts on Proust!

[@seelawizemare415]

do you have the book

[@Nyledam89]

Ok, now I definitely want to start reading the series later this year! Your enthusiasm is just infectious. :)

[@Fiction_Beast]

i enjoyed your take on Proust. I think most people have some vague idea what In Search of Lost time is about. I had the same misconceptions. I spent 6 months reading the novel also made a video summarising and sharing my views on the novel. if you have time, please take a look. Happy reading!!

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thanks for letting me know about your video. It really is such a journey reading this novel and I love to hear about it affects people! :)

[@Fiction_Beast]

@@bigalbooksforever i think reading proust's novel is the best book that lets you read and discover yourself.

[@andrewlim6326]

You deserve more views. You're so personable and delightful and I love your presentation style. I had the same misconceptions about Proust and so what you said resonated deeply with me - and like you, I picked up the first volume, devoured 10 pages of it and I knew I had to order the rest of the books which are on the way to me now! Thanks for this video. Stay safe.

[@intellectualreads5696]

OMG this video gave me feelings! You just took me back to the time I was devouring him. He can bring out love from a rock heart.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Haha it is an emotional time for sure! :')

[@lindamiller2648]

LOL He gives moments of pure joy. Heavenly to share the love with others.

[@pasavant]

Mad about Proust. When I finished it the first time and realized what I had been reading, I immediately reread it. Many people have had the same experience. The final revelation is overwhelming.

[@benulrand9137]

I literally completed swann’s way in 3 days, I was so enthralled. I can’t wait to read the rest.

[@bigalbooksforever]

I'm so glad to hear you had an enjoyable experience! I loved burning through it as well (esp. the Swann in Love section!)

[@benulrand9137]

bigalbooks I personally preferred Combray over Swann in Love actually. There was something about the effects the world had on a child that really struck me. Though I think Swann in Love had probably some of the most poignant and beautiful passages.

[@1siddynickhead]

Thanks for this! I needed it and your energy is infectious!

[@e.kevinsteinhauser2421]

Remembrance Of Things Past is the way I recall Proust, and yes I enjoyed his intricate funny descriptive pros.

[@mikeydread62]

In Search if Lost Time is not a series. In effect, it is one novel, published in seven volumes. It’s only the modern perspective that would invite ISOLT to be called a series and sorry, pedant’s corner, but that’s a false start to thinking about this great novel. However I totally agree that reading this novel (I’ve just finished v4), is the best way to overcome our prejudices about. What struck me about Swann’s Way is how intimately grounded in the domestic world the story is. As a reading experience I found that I had to surrender to the tempo of the sentence...he literally guides you into his world. As readers we just have to trust the narrator, and later, as we get to know him, we can make our judgments about who he is and some of the decisions he makes. But Swann’s Way lays the foundation for his and for our understanding of the world of Marcel Proust. I had made numerous false starts over many years but somehow something clicked for me and I read past the usual 20 page barrier...and away we went. And, lucky you, you have many decades to read, re-read, reflect and reflect again (very Proustian!), on this novel.

[@mikeomalley8570]

Little miss sunshine was great and so was your presentation. I now want to read Proust.

[@amusicment4829]

Great video, thank you. Love your commentary on the beauty of Proust!

[@tortoisedreams6369]

Same. Had read so many catty comments about Proust that I thought he'd be boring & thought after living some more life I'd be better prepared to appreciate it (reinforced by recent bad experience trying to read The Magic Mountain). Thanks for laying those fears to rest. I have two of the volumes but due to fascist U.S. copyright laws only the first 5 volumes are easily available in that series here. Since it'll take awhile to read those 5, maybe the rest will be published here by then. Excellent & valuable video!

[@bigalbooksforever]

Right? There is such a weird hype cloud surrounding Proust! I was wondering why these editions only went to Vol. 5-- that's a shame! I ended up switching to different editions since I found a complete set on sale, but I'm still glad I started off with the Lydia Davis version!

[@marichristian1072]

Mann's "The Magic Mountain" was the one novel I couldn't finish . I felt as If I were locked up in the TB Sanatorium and would never get out. I loved Mann's" Dr Faustus" but I think some musical background is necessary to fully engage.

[@Fuliginosus]

I've read it all three times in the past twenty years. My biggest misconception about Proust was that he was a cold, aloof intellectual--rather than a warm, kind, humorous person. A day has hardly gone by when I haven't thought of his book.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Three times is amazing! I'm sure the experience only improves upon rereading!!!

[@TerryStewart32]

@@bigalbooksforever it’s a big achievement for anyone to read that book twice as ploughing though the prose and syntax is difficult especially trying to understand the long analytical sentences. I doubt as much people has read the book word for word as they claim they have because it’s strenuous and mind torturing

[@emmacazabonne]

So glad you tried! I highly encourage you to read the whole thing. There are some super slow passages, but so many gems. That's what I really like in him (I'm actually French and am lucky to be able to read it in the original language): sometimes you have loooong passages (like the long dinner scene in book 3), but then suddenly at the turn of a page, you have this beautiful gem and gorgeous description. And the last book is very beautiful, lots of things also on books and the art of writing.

[@bigalbooksforever]

For sure, those beautiful descriptions make everything seem worth it! Thanks for the advice to keep pushing through until the end-- the final volume sounds wonderful. One of my favourite passages from Swann's Way was the narrator discovering the power of writing. And wow, to read it in the original must be incredible! My French is way too rusty at the moment, but I hope to one day try it in French to experience how it sounds :)

[@carlosstafford8306]

Love your insights and enthusiasm on this big adventure. I’m just beginning the trip, and like this first 20 pages. Hmm, stopping time, conquering time, bigs ideas delivered beguilingly

[@brendagomez5072]

Your enthusiasm is so contagious!! I was putting off reading this because I didn’t want to start a stuffy book right now, but I’m so excited to jump in now! Just subscribed to hear more of your thoughts on different books.(:

[@lsu1222]

Are we going to have a bookshelf tour this year? 😍

[@bigalbooksforever]

I would have to figure out how to film one first... but maybe! :)

[@lsu1222]

@@bigalbooksforever Yayy 🤗

[@estebanmejia3473]

Please please do it! I'd love to see all your book collection

[@tumblyhomecarolinep7121]

I am reading Swanns Way now and I 100% agree with you. Isn’t it BRILLIANT

[@SKroeze]

I enjoyed this video very much. Your enthusiasm is endearing. And yes, Proust is great and often very funny.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thanks!! I'm on Vol. 3 now, and yes he is continuing to charm me with his observations! :)

[@SKroeze]

@@bigalbooksforever I hope you are able and willing to make a video about every volume of the novel. Please do! Your opinions make sense and give fresh insights.

[@bigalbooksforever]

@@SKroeze Thank you! I'll keep the suggestion in mind! :)

[@bobnolin9155]

What a wonderful review. So positive! I'm going to give it a try.

[@bjwnashe5589]

Great video. Your account of your experience reading Proust is both genuine and brilliant. I commend you.

[@nickpick610]

Wow, your expressions got me smiling and I really want to read it now. You’re so cute

[@birdsandwords9775]

All right, you have convinced me to try Proust. I actually have been putting him off for 30 years or so. Haha. I remember when I was in my 20s and a friend in her 40s told me I could not appreciate One Hundred Years of Solitude because I had not lived enough life. She was wrong, I loved it, though I am sure she and I both brought different things to our reading of it and got different things out of it. I am planning to reread it this year. I don't do a ton of rereading, but when I do, I do see things differently and that's one of the things I have enjoyed about reading as I get older.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Awesome! :D I love One Hundred Years of Solitude as well-- I agree that you can connect with that book deeply at whatever age! Since the novel contains so many different generations, I wonder if upon rereading you might find yourself connecting with different members of the family? I hope you enjoy your reread :}

[@BookishTexan]

I really enjoyed "Swan's Way" but found the next volume "Within A Budding Grove" to be less enjoyable. I havent gone on beyond that. So I still have five volumes left. Not to be a downer. I might just have tried to read too much Proust at once. But, "Swan's Way" was an amazing revelation and I am so glad that I read it. I will pick the series up again at some point.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Ooh, good to know! I'm really not sure how to go about tackling this thing! Slow and steady seems like a good way to go

[@jackdomanski6758]

The book only gets better, especially from Sodom and Gomorrah on.

[@katrinakatzenbach1639]

Very curious about this "20th Century" reading project. Obviously it's well in the past, but if you have a video on that...or make, one, I'm intrigued.

[@ianwild66]

I agree with your thoughts about Proust. I was put off him for much the same reasons, but I was hooked immediately from the first page. His writing is amazing. The only issue is that no one I know has read him and so there's no one to share all the beauty with.

[@WeirdBookBookClub]

What a cool and creative way to sum up your Proust reading experience, Alex! I have to admit, I shared many of those misconceptions until watching this video--thank you for shining the light of truth into my ignorance.

[@bigalbooksforever]

That is nice to hear-- glad that I wasn't all alone in thinking these things! :)

[@dashlamb9318]

Thank you for your thoughts on Proust. You "got it!" Or it "got" you! It changes the life of those that read it. Those that talk about it as if they've read it or understand it, can never "get it." Impossible. I have read all of this work. It is everything you say it is and more. It was life changing for me ( I read it about 10 yrs. ago). Unfortunately, it is a book people like to talk about more than read. But until one READS it, they cannot GET it. My volumes are all in Modern Library and I have multiple copies. My 1928 Swan's Way is translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff - considered to be one of the best of the 20th century (but that is of little matter). I only want to validate your thoughts here. Farewell.

[@lyddie465]

yay i'm so glad u like proust! i am reading him for my queer history project (inspired by your project!) and it's so long, and i was dreading it. but now i am EXCITED. my dad was a big proust fan and always encouraged me to read it. i have a copy of an abridged audiobook, but unabridged seems like the way to go. i love that you had such an emotional response to his prose! i am excited now. thank you for sharing.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Ooh yes your announcement vid is in my watch later playlist, so I'll have to check it out soon! But yes, Proust is a 20th c rockstar! I've heard good things about this on audio (apparently the long sentences go down smoothly), but I'd go with unabridged if you can. Maybe I'll change my mind by the end haha, but right now I wouldn't want to miss a thing! 😊

[@lyddie465]

@@bigalbooksforever oh thats so sweet of you!

[@Anna-wh1zn]

Love your enthusiasm and loved the way your approached this video with your misconceptions because I had the same thoughts about these books. I am moving Proust up my TBR from "someday" to "someday soon". I also got a big kick out of your explanation of your physical reaction to the book. When I am totally loving a book, I get a clutching feeling in my chest. Almost like I want to cry, but without the sadness. My husband thinks this is totally strange. LOL!

[@bigalbooksforever]

Haha, glad to hear you know what I'm talking about with the reading sensations-- so weird, but kinda cool! I hope these misconceptions end up being false for you as well when you give Proust a try! :}

[@Amysdustybookshelf]

I recently finished the final volume. Enjoy your reading journey with this one!

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it! I think I need to go back and rewatch some of your videos as I start catching up on the series! :)

[@unclespeedy]

I'm on page 42 and fully engaged at this point. Looking forward to getting to 100+!

[@Over-Boy42]

I think the best approach is to just take it as it goes. Some people place too much of a literary analysis weight on themselves when reading Proust. In art, thinking is important, but feeling is more important.

[@antidepressant11]

Your patience was rewarded. I don't always get to the 100 page mark.

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Never been interested in reading this, but now you've got me curious!

[@bigalbooksforever]

That's good to hear! :)

[@stevenbattles]

Really enjoyed this video, I’ve been infected with your enthusiasm for Proust!

[@bigalbooksforever]

Glad to hear it! I had to share my thoughts about this one-- it's just too good! :)

[@Sarahac8]

Your channel is a new favorite of mine!

[@jessicafoster8738]

Cool video. So am guessing you like the translation by Lydia Davis? All the nice editions of that first book are by her but I think that she only did the first one and the rest are translated by others in many Penguin editions. I read her translation of Madame Bovary and I feel like my experience was worse because of it... although so many people like it and say it's closest to the French. But I also read that she doesn't actually like the book (Bovary), so I'm not sure how that plays out on the text also. I'll try that again in the Moncrieff translation as it's supposed to be translated with more of a flourish in the English. In terms of Swann's Way, I think I'm going to order the Modern Library Classics editions also translated by Moncrieff and Kilmartin as they seem well-regarded. I never much bothered with specific translations before except after Bovary, which I really felt I ought to have loved, totally a book I would. Also, have figured a blend of my own 'Proust tea' by blending majority earl grey with scattered with some lime blossom (also called Linden tea) and rose leaves. It is DIVINE.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Your tea blend sounds amazing!! I will have to look into where to find Linden tea... need to try that! As for the translation, I really did love the Davis translation. I enjoyed her version of Madame Bovary as well though (I was reading it in both French and in English and thought her translation was really accurate), but that's interesting to hear she didn't care for the novel! I agree with you though-- I liked the book, but wish I could have connected with it on a deeper level. As for Proust, I bought the Modern Library Classics versions for the rest of the series since I could find a boxset version on sale for a decent price. I'm curious to see how the translation style changes as I continue forward! :)

[@marichristian1072]

I loved Lydia Davis translation of "Madam Bovary". I felt she truly inhabited the text. She seems to uncover Flaubert's mordant wit better than other translators.

[@gdellaporta]

I am 65 years old from Rome, Italy. I decided yesterday to start the Research by Proust. I’m goin to listen through an audiobook in the English language. Do you have any suggestion about the best Research audiobook in English. Your vlog is meraviglioso. Giorgio Della Porta

[@gommine]

Finally a female KZbinr talks about Proust... I'm literally trawling YT for videos on The Search, and most are done by men. I wonder why? I'm sure the readership is split equally between men and women but it seems to me that most female booktubers focus on more contemporary/general fiction works. Thank you for readdressing the balance!

[@sabahfatema]

You moving enthusiastically with your tea mug after remarking about your light couch has me worried..

[@bigalbooksforever]

Definitely the most high-risk video I've ever filmed!

[@Anna-wh1zn]

Ha-ha, I was nervous too. I kept thinking - put the tea down.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Perfect timing! I’m only about...5 pages into the first book lol but this was an exciting discussion to push me to read it more and more

[@bigalbooksforever]

AH that's exciting! I went slower through the first section, but totally ended up binging the "Swann in Love" section... could not put it down. Can't wait to hear what you think! :D

[@JHarder1000]

For 1949..the great American novel of World War Two, Guard Of Honor, by James Gould Cozzens. Racial and sexual tensions help spark three days of crisis at a huge Army Air Force in Florida at the height of World War Two. Cozzens weaves over eighty perfectly realized characters into a 621 page, brilliantly narrated, beautifully described, and at times, unbearably suspenseful narrative. Three contemporary reviews will suffice. Antonia White in The New Statesman, "The whole performance is so dazzling as to be almost exhausting.' Brandon Gill in The new Yorker, "Every page of it gives the impression of a writer at the very top of his powers setting out to accomplish nothing less than his masterwork. Well, Cozzens has succeeded in doing just that." Finally, John P. Marquand, in The Book Of The Month Club News. "a fine, almost definitive, picture of as it was led by he American Army Air Force in World War II...it is the writing of a borne writer". Next to THIS, almost all the more famous American novels about WW2 are sophomoric hack work. In fact, only other English language novel about ww2 can be compared to it. Evelyn Waugh's Sword Of Honour.

[@unrandomcualquiera5291]

ok

[@ROXCANADA2023]

Very good video, thank you so much!

[@JHarder1000]

For 1949, read the greatest American novel about World War 2, Guard Of Honor by James Gould Cozzens.

[@sjc2121]

I loved the description of your journey. Is there a way to make a comment that is not public? If so, please let me know. You are absolutely uplifting! Thanks, Stephanie

[@tamaragrottker7677]

I thought the same as you...I'm not ready to read the book. But, now at 60 does this mean I can now read, or was it all a form of procrastination because I was intimidated by the volume of this novel? I had a roommate in collage who complained everyday about Moby Dick. Because of that, I avoided the book like the plague. But I would say to you in your young reading career, don't fear the books. Just read them, and perhaps reread them in other periods of your life. For sure the books experience changes with your changing points of view and experience, but that is what makes reading fun! Good luck with the reading. I ordered my copy of Swann's Way just this week. If you wait too long for reading some book you may find yourself at my age with a whole to that you have not read!

[@annaworthington9522]

that was adorable, thank you x

[@MsNishaF]

Is there a Audio Book that would match with the same book?

[@dreamer7770]

I love this so much! Please do a video for the second one whenever you get to it! :D

[@bigalbooksforever]

Yes, hopefully I'll tackle the second volume in February!

[@annakarlien1952]

By the way you've done this video I really need to recommend the video 'the West' by Contrapoints to you!! Aside from the points being awesome etcetc, she has an entire thing where she mimicks the same scene as you, but instead of the cookies she uses corndogs. It's even better than it sounds

[@bigalbooksforever]

Ahhh, I've just been getting into Contra's channel and funnily enough I think that particular video is saved in my watch later playlist already, so thanks for the recommendation! :D

[@annakarlien1952]

@@bigalbooksforever Yay, then I'm even more sure you'll find it at least as hilarious as I found it! It's one of her best things ever, imo :'D

[@havefunbesafe]

Great video and insight.

[@JuanReads]

One of my reading projects for later this year is to make my way through In Search of Lost Time.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Amazing! It is a daunting project, but I'm hoping to finish by the end of the year as well :}

[@HundreadD]

Haha, if a Proust scholar has a dismal outlook on life, then one could arguably say that he's doing a fundamentally poor reading of him, for few authors can match the pure will-to-life that his book series embodies. Perhaps our world looks so dull in comparison? Maybe he should have been a Rilke scholar instead, who remains ever so popular in the States, and who also was an extremely earlier admirer of Swann's Way when he read it in 1913, something not everyone can boast about. Highly recommend the Bohemian-Austrian-German-French poet if you liked Proust! In any case how are you you planning to read the rest? I would cautiously recommend that you read two books of the series at once IF you get winded, where The Captive and The Fugitive make up one book, so it would be Swann's Way-Within a Budding Grove (these two fit together very well because the 2nd book picks up right where the 1st leaves off), then a break, The Guermantes Way-Sodom and Gomorrah (also two back-to-back books, plus I wager you'll need a bit of a break to tackle the double-whammy of The Captive/Fugitive together), and finally The Captive/Fugitive and Time Regained. Thematically reading it like this also makes decent sense, though of course if you're up to it read it in its entirety like I did. And this may sound strange, but I encourage you to check out Raul Ruiz's film Time Regained when you finish. It's actually quite good, incredibly unique, and makes a fantastic effort to capture the essence and spirit of a supposedly unfilmable book like ISoLT in a single movie. The reason why it's not that acclaimed or popular is because it's practically incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't read the entire series

[@bigalbooksforever]

I might need to rewatch this movie to get a better handle on that character... I can't remember if his psychological breakdown was related to Proust or his career or something else! But yeah, Proust ended up being nothing like what I was expecting him to be! (Also I will file away that Rilke recommendation-- I've been meaning to trying him especially after Ali Smith had him make an intriguing appearance in her novel Spring). And thanks for the reading advice and film recommendation! My plan right now is to try and read one volume per month, but that might end up changing. Really looking forward to the rest of the experience though!

[@ErinWi]

Thank you for the video, it's very cool. How are you coming along with it?

[@bigalbooksforever]

I finished back in May! It was a fabulous experience all the way through :)

[@radiantchristina]

i'm in my 50s and still waiting for the right time to read Proust lol. ....someday :)

[@bigalbooksforever]

Yes, when the timing is right you'll know! I feel like books have a funny way of calling out to us when we're ready to read them!

[@marichristian1072]

"Swann's Way" is anything but boring- you're right! What a strange and intriguing character Proust must have been. Love the Lydia Davis translation as well.

[@southernbiscuits1275]

I read Swann's Way in January of 2018. I had previously read Proust's Pleasures and Days which I enjoyed. I found that Swann's Way was often boring. You admire his sentence structures. I found them very unnecessary. The reason I say this is because I am a firm believer that an author is required to convey his or her thoughts in an accessible manner. What good is having something to say if the audience is confused by what is being said? And, the worst thing is to frame thoughts in a way that obfuscates their meaning. If I have to read a sentence numerous times to achieve clarity, this tells me that clarity of thought was not the purpose of the writer. Writing can be stylish and ornate. But, it should never be these things simply as a means of impressing others. I love Baroque architecture and music. It's very ornate. But, the masters of that period were able to maintain an easily discernible path that led into what they were saying with their creations. In Swann's Way, Proust's labyrinthine sentence structures more often than not are mazes of words that take away from the enjoyment of reading. So, if reading is not enjoyable, what's the purpose? Swann's Way isn't a text book after all. Just sayin'.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Fair enough! Substance definitely is more important than style. I know everyone has their own reading preferences when it comes to style, so personally I can't say that I experienced the same frustration with the sentence structure... do you think the translation might possibly play a factor in that? At least we can both agree about baroque music :)

[@hdholl9696]

I agree - half. I'm in the process of reading 'Du côté de chez Swann' and at times I find the topics trivial and boring (walks, gossip, aunt Léonie etc.). But I am more and more convinced that the uniqueness of Proust lies his _language_ , the way he puts everything into words - and sentences. I thought I knew French (it not being my mother tongue) - I have to revise that. There are probably two kinds of writers: (1) those who want to write to be read, and (2) those who want to write to express themselves, regardless of readers. And that is Proust. It is funny to learn from his contemporaries that Proust spoke like he wrote, in long sentences, interrupting himself to insert a side-thought, meandering endlessly, making comparisons, but always ending his sentences in a grammatically correct way.

[@davidbiro2883]

You are very pretty.

[@yusa9429]

I love your cup

[@davidbiro2883]

I love you. So you are so funny.

[@quoileternite]

Be careful with that mug or you're going to break the handle very soon 😊😉

[@KnowledgelostOrgOnline]

what's wrong with pretentious?

[@bigalbooksforever]

I think in Little Miss Sunshine, the Proust scholars were very competitive and show-offy. Pretentious maybe wasn't the right word choice! I usually try to avoid using it as a putdown after reading Dan Fox's essay "Prentiousness: Why It Matters"-- he definitely puts a much more positive spin on the term :}

[@Mement0o]

Age being a barrier to the subjects you appreciate as a reader is a ridiculous notion.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Absolutely! Maybe because this book is such a serious time-investment I was trying to avoid reading it by thinking that "future me" would be better served by it than "current me"...

[@rhiannonh3815]

Jordan S that’s why it was a “misconception.”

[@marcysimonreadthrough8514]

@@bigalbooksforever How many volumes is Harry Potter? Seriously...if a 13 year old can read seven volumes, so can you. Keep the faith! If you reread, volume five is the best.

[@bigalbooksforever]

@@marcysimonreadthrough8514 good point! My favourites ended up being the first and the last volumes! 5 is certainly a tour de force though!

[@anridvalishvili5908]

Has anybody read the full work in this world and not only swann's way, or even some other volumes?

[@tomcasey5972]

I’ve read it all from beginning to end. I’ve read Swann’s Way twice in English, once in French. My French isn’t fluent, but Proust is actually pretty easy to read. He uses a tense that translates into English as ‘we used to’ ‘we would’. Sometimes confusing in English. For example, just how old were you when you used to do this or this would happen? In French it sounds more conventional, though you’re still not sure if the narrator is talking about something that happened when he was around seven, or twelve, or fifteen. This actually becomes interesting, part of the' mystery of the book. I like the first two volumes and the last two the best. There are many wonderful party 15:18 15:18 scenes in the book, and I especially love literary depictions of parties. I also love the narrator’s descriptions of art works, architecture acting and even music. His father was a doctor so there’s lots of medical vocabulary used. I’m an MD so this helped me understand the books. Much to love. Definitely worth your time. The drawback is not too many other people have read it. So you have to post online to share your opinion.

[@MaziarPersian]

Bon appétit..