Reading Proust
I’m slowly re-reading In Search of Lost Time and I usually have so many things to say about a volume that I write several posts. I thought it might be useful to gather all the Proust posts on a special page.
To students looking for reviews to write essays: I have no competence in literature at all. I didn’t study literature at university and I haven’t read any academic book about literature. I only write my thoughts and nothing says that what I write makes sense or is accurate.
Enjoy!
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
Du côté de chez Swann – Swann’s Way. 1913
Reviews by Max (Pechorin’s Journal)
Review by Sarah (A Rat in the Book Pile)
Reviews by Richard (Caravana de Recuerdos)
Review by Séamus (Vapour Trail)
Review by Alex (Alex in Leeds)
- Reading Proust: Very Pleasurable Quicksand
A l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleur – In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower 1919
- Madame Swann at home
- A Proustian morning. Thoughts on the 1923 English translation
- A summer in Balbec
- Sea, sex and fun: the Narrator goes wild
- Doesn’t she look like Odette Swann?
Reviews by Max (Pechorin’s Journal)
Review by Sarah (A Rat in the Book Pile)
Reviews by Richard (Caravana de Recuerdos)
Review by Tony (Tony’s Reading List)
Le côté de Guermantes – The Guermantes Way 1920 -1921
- Everyday life near the Guermantes.
- Mme de Guermantes, from dream to reality
- The Guermantes Way, Book II
- The Guermantes Way and the Dreyfus Affair
Review by Max (Pechorin’s Journal)
Sodome et Gomorrhe – Sodom and Gomorrah 1921 – 1922
- Sodom and Gomorrah by Marcel Proust
- The Narrator and Molière : Comedy in Sodome et Gomorrhe
- Charlus, Albertine and others : homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorrah
Reviews by Richard (Caravana de Recuerdos)
Reviews by Séamus (Vapour Trail)
Review by Max (Pechorin’s Journal)
La Prisonnière – The Captive 1923
- Every breath you take; every move you make, I’ll be watching you
- I finished reading The Captive, eventually
Reviews by Séamus (Vapour Trail)
Albertine Disparue – Albertine Gone – 1925
not re-read so far
Reviews by Séamus (Vapour Trail)
- The Sweet Cheat Gone / Albertine Disparue 1st post
- The Sweet Cheat Gone / Albertine Disparue 2nd post
Le temps retrouvé – Time regained – 1927
not re-read so far
Reviews by Séamus (Vapour Trail)
Reviews by Tom (Wuthering Expectations.
- Finishing In Search of Lost Tile – Proust and the Library of Babel (or Proust and the Blog Post of Babble)
- Grotesque Proust: exploded shells, board meetings and kangaroos.
FOR FUN PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
Here is the famous Proust questionnaire and the answers by the 13 year old Marcel.
OTHER BOOKS BY PROUST
La Confesstion d’une Jeune Fille et Autres Textes :
I’ve read it a long time ago. It’s short and can be an introduction to Proust without starting In Search of Lost Time.
BOOKS ABOUT PROUST AND/OR IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
Marcel Proust and John Ruskin : On reading. Read Tom’s review here
- Monsieur Proust by Céleste Albaret. I haven’t read it yet but it’s the memoirs of the Prousts’ maid.
- Paintings in Proust: A Visual Companion to In Search of Lost Time by Eric Karpeles. This book shows paintings related to In Search of Lost Time. The French title is Le Musée imaginaire de Marcel Proust – Tous les tableaux de A la recherche du Temps Perdu
- Proust: A Life by Edmund White. I haven’t read it but Violet reviewed it here and according to the quote she mentions, the book sounds worth reading.
- Proust’s Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini. This book tells the story of Jacques Guérin who collected Proust’s belongings. See Violet’s review.
- Monsieur Proust’s Library by Anka Mulhstein This book will tell you about the writers who influenced Proust. Read Guy’s Review. And Tom’s review
EXPERIENCING PROUST IN REAL LIFE
- The Book Haven in Paris : 36 hours in France: Have I become a Proustitute?
- Amateur Proust : amateurproust.wordpress.com
This is a great idea. A tremendous resources. I should do something similar for the Anthony Powell’s since as far as I know I’m one of very few people to have blogged them all.
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I thought you might find it useful it when you get to the next volumes.
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There is plenty to explore there- definitely worth book-marking. . I’ve collected quite a few books on Proust, and particularly enjoyed A Night at the Majestic which recreates the meeting between Proust and James Joyce. http://bit.ly/pQmayW
I think Edmund White’s biography is very good http://amzn.to/nTi3Z1 – but then I’m not academic enough to be a reliable judge. I have Paintings in Proust, which is a lovely book but the illustrations should be bigger.
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Thanks a lot for the recommendations I’ll add them.
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Thanks for adding my review Emma – I realise (as I didn’t in my Twitter comment) that I had visited your Proust page already and find it an excellent resource. There are so many ways of thinking and writing about Proust!
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Thanks. We are several bloggers currently reading Proust and I thought it would be nice to gather the reviews at the same place.
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Hi Emma, I have posted a review of Sodom and Gomorrah (Cities of the Plain in my translation) at http://theknockingshop.blogspot.ie/2012/06/cities-of-plain-sodome-et-gomorrhe.html
I will reach the finish this year, although much later than I thought.
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I added your review to the page, thanks. Actually, it was still in my mail box.
I wish I could read Proust now but I’m too tired, I don’t have the concentration necessary to read The Captive.
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Hi Emma, I finished The Captive – http://theknockingshop.blogspot.ie/2012/08/the-captive-la-prisonniere.html -and am well into The Sweet Cheat Gone / The Fugitive. The end is in sight!
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I’m currently reading La Prisonnière, not my favourite. I’ll read your review in a few days.
In Search of Lost Time is like a fireworks, the ending is the best. Le temps retrouvé is wonderful.
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Hi Emma – you’re right, the last is the best. I’ve posted now on all volumes. Feels like the end of a long journey, although I’m still wondering where it is I’ve arrived. I’ve started a course in writing which is partly a result of reading Proust.
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The last one is incredible. I read it more than twenty years ago and I remember I was blown away. I’m still reading La Prisonnière and I’m looking forward to the last volume. I expect to be even more blown away than the first time since I’m more mature and more educated.
You started a course in writing? Congrats! Tell it to people who still think that literature can’t change your life or push you into action.
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Just returning to reading In Search of Lost Time, and found your blog when searching for reminders of what I read a few years ago. ( I was three quarters through The Guermantes Way) Your blog looks interesting, so I hope to eavesdrop occasionally if I may.
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Thanks for this message. Reading Proust is a pleasure and there are a lot of blogs about it. I don’t pretend to gather a lot of info about Proust but I’ll gather the posts I hear about.
I hope to hear about you again in the future.
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