From the Bookshelf of 2017: Our Year of Reading Proust…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
It's pretty good if you're into the stream of consciousness, unstructured memories, commas and add-ons kind of style. I cannot rate the story itself since this book only serves as an introduction to the entire novel. Thus, most of the characters introduced are superficially explored, except for the narrator. My biggest issue is that nothing really interesting happens... Swann's section was a nice, comical read though.
Du côté de chez Swann vous sera splendide si vous êtes intéressés par le style ...more
Du côté de chez Swann vous sera splendide si vous êtes intéressés par le style ...more
Lydia Davis's translation is amazing. This is one of a handful of books I wish I could read again for the first time. Randomly but a funny story, I once had a French friend tell me that her (French) father used to say that everyone in France should read Proust in English, too, because the translations were so good that they added new depth to the original. If any translation could be better than the Scott-Moncrieff one, it's this.
...more
Swann's Way is more beneficial than almost all of today's "self help" books combined. Proust's poetic and flowing writing style was highly captivating. The symbolism laced throughout the entire book, the narrator's point of view filled with childlike wonder in Combray, and the heart wrenching but eye opening romance of Swann in Love made Swann's Way a phenomenal book. Proust's deep understanding of the human mind will create a stronger sense of empathy in your life. The symbolism of both paths t
...more
Occasionally inspired, always interesting long winded and perceptive narrative. Including the much more conventional (though hardly less devastating) novel within the novel of Swann in Love
Obviously fantastic - really enjoyed the pace, the humour the descriptions. So so good. Will pace myself for volume 2.
