Manny’s review of À la recherche du temps perdu > Likes and Comments
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I began to realize after a while that it was impossible. But, as one does, I thought that I might as well carry on, just to see where I ended up!
A Proust review consisting of a single Proustian sentence? I like it!
Manny, I've got to add my applause, too.
Merci beaucoup! Comme dirent les americains, j'♥ Proust...
Thank you, Manny. When/if I finish reading your review, I will pay a visit to the dusty boxes in my basement, a la recherche de memories that you've re-kindled of my first contact with Proust. Five-star review.
Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?
Robert wrote: "Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?"
A common urban legend! There is indeed an important episode near the beginning of Vol 1, but most of the book is about other things. See e.g. my reviews of Vol 2 and Vol 3...
Aha - this "legend" which is more of a myth, really, has escaped at least as far as the suburbs these days - thankfully I don't live in the urbs. ;-)
Seems like he's more eliptical than a modern cypher.
Proust invented a new way to tell a story. A lot of people have imitated him since. Anthony Powell is a particularly clear example. Nabokov was a huge Proust fan. I would argue that David Foster Wallace, in Infinite Jest, borrowed many of his stylistic tricks, though I don't know whether that would be as widely accepted...
Hmmm...but I find Nabakov a right pretentious wotsit in his later short stories...that kinda suggests I shouldn't try Proust.
Nabokov is only pretending to be pretentious!
Just don't read his comments about Dostoevsky. I was just starting on a Fyodor kick when I started flipping through "Lectures on Russian Literature". Ouch. I'm just so easily manipulated.
Re: Proust v. Nabokov. I've only read Lolita and half of A la Recherche, but they seem quite dissimilar in style based on that small amount of reading. I can definitely see the DFW-Proust connection though. Maybe that's why I'm digging IJ so much.
I think Nabokov just likes to flick in a reference to Proust every now and then. I recall that there are several explicit ones in Ada and Pale Fire, at least...
Great review...I've been meaning to read Proust forever, I have a 6 volume hardcover set...really must get to it soon!
Thank goodreads I had only to wade through the several waves of words you've thoughtfully provided for edification instead of ploughing through Proust himself.
G N wrote: "Thank goodreads I had only to wade through the several waves of words you've thoughtfully provided for edification instead of ploughing through Proust himself."
Oh. It's actually supposed to make you want to read him. I have clearly not got it quite right yet...
Manny wrote: "Nabokov is only pretending to be pretentious!"
That is so funny.
When it is put to him.
Nabokov: Prétentieux? Moi?
Bill wrote: "Great review...I've been meaning to read Proust forever, I have a 6 volume hardcover set...really must get to it soon!"
Ha. That's what they all say. Personally, I am broken of the heart that my mother sold our set of that Proust sentence before I could start reading it.
No no. Wait. Just let me finish the page. No? The sentence. Just the sentence.
Oh, OKAY. Take the damn thing.
lovely review thanks; am 28% through ISOLT and am hypnotised
Manny, now I must read this book! Thank you!
If I have convinced you, I'd happily have spent ten times as long working on it!
Worthless wrote: “A Proust review consisting of a single Proustian sentence? I like it!”
Manny wrote: “is still not quite finished...”
Nor is your sentence finished, unless the ellipsis at the end counts as a stop. The never-ending sentence is an infinite quest. While longer sentences (by Barthelme, for example) tend to have a bitter flavor, yours is delicious. The textbook Mathematical linguistics, written by András Kornaiin, suggests that in "journalistic prose the median sentence length is above 15 words." So, at 305 words, yours is well above average.
All levity aside, your review is inspiring. I’ll need some inspiration if I’m going to read it. Fortunately, I saw the review just in time. À la recherche du temps perdu is the current selection by the Book of the Decade Club.
Thank you David! The ellipsis at the end is indeed meant to suggest that the sentence is unfinished.
If the review persuades you to read Proust, I will be very happy!
An exquisite and clever review, which is great to read at this length, but I failed to enjoy a whole book of it. I wanted to enjoy the leisurely beauty of Proust, but couldn't manage it.
Thank you Cecily! I can't always appreciate Proust either, but sometimes I'm in the right part of whatever cycle is involved...
I've not read Proust, but I just love how your wrote your review all in one sentence. My favorite was the part about "unpacking layers of subordinate clauses to discover, nestling inside their crisp folds, a simile as unexpected and delicious as a Swiss chocolate rabbit." Lovely, delicious writing that is certainly worth savoring. Thank you!
Thank you Audrey! And those rabbits have just gone on sale again... I saw a window display only yesterday.
Is Proust a good read ? I've twice tried Le Grand Meaulnes, and it was like wading through sludge. I gave up, both times.
It's a terrific well-written review! Can compare it with Proust actually
A futile attempt at an imitation, but thank you!
As a lifelong practitioner and proponent of conciseness in communication and the written word, reading Proust sounds like it might be a special kind of hell.
...Call me a masochist, your review convinced me to delve in anyway haha
Vanessa, you've got the right attitude!
Many people (including me) have tried to figure out how the trick works, but I don't think it can really be done...
Manny wrote: "Robert wrote: "Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?"
A common urban legend! There i..." I was wondering why this review was written in the style of Hemingway... and then I realised goodreads must have the kind of word limit that Marcel would vehemently dissaprove of. Seriously though, that was spot on, you really caught Proust's voice, and that is some trick to pull off. As for the madeleine? It is always a turning point in a young man's life, the moment redolent of the scent of gardenia, cheap cologne and the bathwater of a guest presenter on the Late Review, when you realise that a lot of people in public life who are regarded as the font of all wisdom, when discussing Proust, only ever mention that morsel. It's then that you begin to speculate just how far they've probably read into the work itself, and start to wonder about how first hand their knowledge is of a number of books... To end, I echo the chap above, a true five star review.
Thank you Nico! Since you clearly have read it, you may be amused by this rather less serious review...
I'm lost with the Potter references as I am old enough to not have read it as a child and immature enough not to ever want kids... However I would be interested in commissioning a colouring book version of 'Marcel Proust and the Cottaging Baron' for my godson. Might as well mark him with the curse of intellectualism, his parents named him Ziggy so he's pretty much going to be a pariah at school anyways. The origins of his nomenclature, as they're not big Bowie fans, is as mysterious as perceiving a novel about the Faubourg St Germain, salon life, how far someone can stay in the closet, memory and the nature of existance as being about, well, just a cake. Still though, cake. I love a good cake. Just thinking about it. Mmmm... That reminds me...
It's amazing how few people have read both Proust and Potter!
I think Marcel Proust and the Cottaging Baron Colouring Book is a killer concept. It's entirely possible that Heuet is already planning to write it, but looking at this page it seems he probably isn't going to get there until about 2030. Maybe a nice letter from your godson will speed things up though?
Fabulous review. My main regret is I cannot hear Neville Jason read it. I thought I'd read Proust's great novel until I spent 175 or so hours listening to the late Neville Jason, the British actor who recorded the only unabridged audiobook of this work, read it to me. My only regret about your review is Neville is no longer with us to read it. I can only imagine, but Neville always had a little surprise for me, something I hadn't quite noticed.
Thanks, Manny.
That is very kind of you, John! And thank you for telling me about the Neville Jason audiobook, which I'm ashamed to say I'd not even heard of. I will look out for it.
You read Manny's reviews, and you're like, "Well, he's funny, but is that all?"
Then you read his review of in search of lost time, and he's just like, "Oh, yeah, I can also write liquid lightning prose. Whatever."
Aw, thank you Aiden. Proust's terribly inspiring...
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I began to realize after a while that it was impossible. But, as one does, I thought that I might as well carry on, just to see where I ended up!
A Proust review consisting of a single Proustian sentence? I like it!
Manny, I've got to add my applause, too.
Merci beaucoup! Comme dirent les americains, j'♥ Proust...
Thank you, Manny. When/if I finish reading your review, I will pay a visit to the dusty boxes in my basement, a la recherche de memories that you've re-kindled of my first contact with Proust. Five-star review.
Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?
Robert wrote: "Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?"A common urban legend! There is indeed an important episode near the beginning of Vol 1, but most of the book is about other things. See e.g. my reviews of Vol 2 and Vol 3...
Aha - this "legend" which is more of a myth, really, has escaped at least as far as the suburbs these days - thankfully I don't live in the urbs. ;-)Seems like he's more eliptical than a modern cypher.
Proust invented a new way to tell a story. A lot of people have imitated him since. Anthony Powell is a particularly clear example. Nabokov was a huge Proust fan. I would argue that David Foster Wallace, in Infinite Jest, borrowed many of his stylistic tricks, though I don't know whether that would be as widely accepted...
Hmmm...but I find Nabakov a right pretentious wotsit in his later short stories...that kinda suggests I shouldn't try Proust.
Nabokov is only pretending to be pretentious!
Just don't read his comments about Dostoevsky. I was just starting on a Fyodor kick when I started flipping through "Lectures on Russian Literature". Ouch. I'm just so easily manipulated. Re: Proust v. Nabokov. I've only read Lolita and half of A la Recherche, but they seem quite dissimilar in style based on that small amount of reading. I can definitely see the DFW-Proust connection though. Maybe that's why I'm digging IJ so much.
I think Nabokov just likes to flick in a reference to Proust every now and then. I recall that there are several explicit ones in Ada and Pale Fire, at least...
Great review...I've been meaning to read Proust forever, I have a 6 volume hardcover set...really must get to it soon!
Thank goodreads I had only to wade through the several waves of words you've thoughtfully provided for edification instead of ploughing through Proust himself.
G N wrote: "Thank goodreads I had only to wade through the several waves of words you've thoughtfully provided for edification instead of ploughing through Proust himself."Oh. It's actually supposed to make you want to read him. I have clearly not got it quite right yet...
Manny wrote: "Nabokov is only pretending to be pretentious!"That is so funny.
When it is put to him.
Nabokov: Prétentieux? Moi?
Bill wrote: "Great review...I've been meaning to read Proust forever, I have a 6 volume hardcover set...really must get to it soon!"Ha. That's what they all say. Personally, I am broken of the heart that my mother sold our set of that Proust sentence before I could start reading it.
No no. Wait. Just let me finish the page. No? The sentence. Just the sentence.
Oh, OKAY. Take the damn thing.
lovely review thanks; am 28% through ISOLT and am hypnotised
Manny, now I must read this book! Thank you!
If I have convinced you, I'd happily have spent ten times as long working on it!
Worthless wrote: “A Proust review consisting of a single Proustian sentence? I like it!”Manny wrote: “is still not quite finished...”
Nor is your sentence finished, unless the ellipsis at the end counts as a stop. The never-ending sentence is an infinite quest. While longer sentences (by Barthelme, for example) tend to have a bitter flavor, yours is delicious. The textbook Mathematical linguistics, written by András Kornaiin, suggests that in "journalistic prose the median sentence length is above 15 words." So, at 305 words, yours is well above average.
All levity aside, your review is inspiring. I’ll need some inspiration if I’m going to read it. Fortunately, I saw the review just in time. À la recherche du temps perdu is the current selection by the Book of the Decade Club.
Thank you David! The ellipsis at the end is indeed meant to suggest that the sentence is unfinished. If the review persuades you to read Proust, I will be very happy!
An exquisite and clever review, which is great to read at this length, but I failed to enjoy a whole book of it. I wanted to enjoy the leisurely beauty of Proust, but couldn't manage it.
Thank you Cecily! I can't always appreciate Proust either, but sometimes I'm in the right part of whatever cycle is involved...
I've not read Proust, but I just love how your wrote your review all in one sentence. My favorite was the part about "unpacking layers of subordinate clauses to discover, nestling inside their crisp folds, a simile as unexpected and delicious as a Swiss chocolate rabbit." Lovely, delicious writing that is certainly worth savoring. Thank you!
Thank you Audrey! And those rabbits have just gone on sale again... I saw a window display only yesterday.
Is Proust a good read ? I've twice tried Le Grand Meaulnes, and it was like wading through sludge. I gave up, both times.
It's a terrific well-written review! Can compare it with Proust actually
A futile attempt at an imitation, but thank you!
As a lifelong practitioner and proponent of conciseness in communication and the written word, reading Proust sounds like it might be a special kind of hell. ...Call me a masochist, your review convinced me to delve in anyway haha
Vanessa, you've got the right attitude!
Many people (including me) have tried to figure out how the trick works, but I don't think it can really be done...
Manny wrote: "Robert wrote: "Am I correct in thinking that Proust spent bazillions of words saying "smells can trigger strong memories", an assertion now backed by much research?"A common urban legend! There i..." I was wondering why this review was written in the style of Hemingway... and then I realised goodreads must have the kind of word limit that Marcel would vehemently dissaprove of. Seriously though, that was spot on, you really caught Proust's voice, and that is some trick to pull off. As for the madeleine? It is always a turning point in a young man's life, the moment redolent of the scent of gardenia, cheap cologne and the bathwater of a guest presenter on the Late Review, when you realise that a lot of people in public life who are regarded as the font of all wisdom, when discussing Proust, only ever mention that morsel. It's then that you begin to speculate just how far they've probably read into the work itself, and start to wonder about how first hand their knowledge is of a number of books... To end, I echo the chap above, a true five star review.
Thank you Nico! Since you clearly have read it, you may be amused by this rather less serious review...
I'm lost with the Potter references as I am old enough to not have read it as a child and immature enough not to ever want kids... However I would be interested in commissioning a colouring book version of 'Marcel Proust and the Cottaging Baron' for my godson. Might as well mark him with the curse of intellectualism, his parents named him Ziggy so he's pretty much going to be a pariah at school anyways. The origins of his nomenclature, as they're not big Bowie fans, is as mysterious as perceiving a novel about the Faubourg St Germain, salon life, how far someone can stay in the closet, memory and the nature of existance as being about, well, just a cake. Still though, cake. I love a good cake. Just thinking about it. Mmmm... That reminds me...
It's amazing how few people have read both Proust and Potter!I think Marcel Proust and the Cottaging Baron Colouring Book is a killer concept. It's entirely possible that Heuet is already planning to write it, but looking at this page it seems he probably isn't going to get there until about 2030. Maybe a nice letter from your godson will speed things up though?
Fabulous review. My main regret is I cannot hear Neville Jason read it. I thought I'd read Proust's great novel until I spent 175 or so hours listening to the late Neville Jason, the British actor who recorded the only unabridged audiobook of this work, read it to me. My only regret about your review is Neville is no longer with us to read it. I can only imagine, but Neville always had a little surprise for me, something I hadn't quite noticed. Thanks, Manny.
That is very kind of you, John! And thank you for telling me about the Neville Jason audiobook, which I'm ashamed to say I'd not even heard of. I will look out for it.
You read Manny's reviews, and you're like, "Well, he's funny, but is that all?"Then you read his review of in search of lost time, and he's just like, "Oh, yeah, I can also write liquid lightning prose. Whatever."
Aw, thank you Aiden. Proust's terribly inspiring...
Oh, thank you! I was concerned that I was making it too easy, and not giving people even a suggestion of the real Proust experience...