In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust - General Chat

[Roman Clodia]

Oh yes, the volumes all have a character of their own, some more starkly different than others. The opening is not actually that typical of the rest of the book, it really operates more like a prequel.

[Vesna]

I am currently reading the second volume, already read the first volume, all in the heavily revised Moncrieff translation by William Carter. Carter really did excellent revisions, removing all antiquated wording. He wrote Proust's biography that RC mentioned and copiously annotated all volumes in this new edition (Yale UP). The last volume still needs to be published, very likely in 2025. I'll be joining the group read (continuing from Vol. 3) next year.

[Roman Clodia]

Delighted you'll be joining us, Vesna. I didn't know there was another revision of Moncrieff in hand - perhaps, as it's Yale UP, it's been publicized more in the US? Though Yale have a London office, I think.

[Vesna]

Roman Clodia wrote: "Delighted you'll be joining us, Vesna. I didn't know there was another revision of Moncrieff in hand - perhaps, as it's Yale UP, it's been publicized more in the US? Though Yale have a London offic..."

Yes, I think Yale publicized it more in the US as it looks like they'd like to promote it as a new standard version for college courses. Annotations are very helpful for the background on all kinds of details, taking advantage of Carter's scholarship, but I increasingly find some to be superfluous. The substantially revised translation is consistently excellent though and I very much enjoy it.

[Jan C]

Phrodrick wrote: "Like many I found the Moncrieff translation a bit dull and prissy. There was a partial set - it may be completed by now-of new translations that worked better for me.
https://www.goodreads.com/book..."

I've ordered the graphic novel. The book scares me almost as much as Ulysses did.

[Brian E]

Roman Clodia wrote: "One of the first questions is which translation? ..."

In January of this year, I chose to read an edition that Roman Clodia doesn't mention: a brand new one by Brian Nelson just published by Oxford World Press on December 14, 2023, and called The Swann Way.

I do own the entire set of the Moncrief/Kilmartin/Enright translation along with Lydia Davis’s well-regarded translation that RC recommends. I had planned to read the Davis translation before discovering the new Nelson one right before I was ready to start the book in January of this year.

I chose the Nelson edition instead of Davis because I had very much enjoyed readin Brian Nelson’s translations of the following Emile Zola’s works: The Fortune of the Rougons The Belly of Paris The Ladies’ Paradise

While both the Moncrief and Davis translations may be better, I thought I'd be best served by reading the book, one I had some trepidation about reading, in an edition by a translator I felt I could rely on. I also chose to follow Roman Clodia's advice that “the best way to succumb is to let go of plot expectations and drift with the rhythm and flow.”

Succumb I did, and the result was that The Swann Way was a very rewarding reading experience, one I enjoyed much more than I anticipated. Proust’s famous long, luxurious sentences proved to be more enticing than boring for me, at least in the first volume.

[Anubha]

I'd love to join this buddy read. I started with the first volume in 2020 but couldn't persevere beyond the first chapter. I'm wondering if reading in a group setting will help.

[Roman Clodia]

Brian E wrote: "In January of this year, I chose to read an edition that Roman Clodia doesn't mention: a brand new one by Brian Nelson"

Ah, that's because I didn't know Oxford were also getting in on the Proust act! I've also enjoyed Nelson's translations of Zola so that bodes well. So lots of translation choices now which is nice. And I'm so happy to hear how much you enjoyed Proust's sentences, Brian.

[Roman Clodia]

Anubha wrote: "I'd love to join this buddy read. I started with the first volume in 2020 but couldn't persevere beyond the first chapter. I'm wondering if reading in a group setting will help."

Delighted to have you join us, Anubha - maybe a buddy read will help you click with Proust?

[Hester]

I think I saw the revised Moncrief/ Kilmartin /.Enright for sale in Waterstones in Leeds . My head is spinning with all these choices . And that before we get into the different titles ....

Happily my library have located Elegant Wits and Grand Horizontals by Cornelia Otis Skinner . Her introduction is witty . She says she undertook the research for her one woman revue , Paris '90 , which consisted of fourteen character sketches, "all representatives of varying facets of the Gallic 1890s" The LP of this show is on you tube .

As an aside Cornelia Otis Skinner had a minor role as Mrs Hamer in the film of The Swimmer , John Cheever's masterpiece , which starred Burt Lancaster and is also worth watching .

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

She says she undertook the research for her one woman revue , Paris '90 , which consisted of fourteen character sketches, "all representatives of varying facets of the Gallic 1890s" The LP of this show is on you tube .

This look very fun, thanks

[Hester]

My pleasure .She sounds like an interesting character, for sure .

[Anubha]

Roman Clodia wrote: "Delighted to have you join us, Anubha - maybe a buddy read will help you click with Proust?"

Thank you RC. I'm really hoping it will. I'm sure getting different perspectives would also help.

[Daniela]

I absolutely recommend reading this book. However, it should be seen as a single book published in several parts, so the various books should be read one after the other to appreciate them better. It's the story of a life, so every episode matters. The final book is a true epiphany on everything that came before. You will find everything in this book. After this one, every book will feel like you've already read it! 😄

[Roman Clodia]

Yes, that's the plan, Daniela, to read the whole thing slowly over 2025.

[Roman Clodia]

I just came across this about Virginia Woolf:

“My great adventure is really Proust,” she wrote to Roger Fry in the same year. “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.”