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Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
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English (33)  French (1)  Norwegian (1)  Portuguese (1)  Finnish (1)  All languages (37)
Showing 1-5 of 33 (next | show all)
Sublime dreamlike, hypnotic writing from the waking and half waking thoughts of a young boy. The words in this novel flow like quicksilver and it is fun to read slowly and savor what this author creates ( )
  hangen | Nov 6, 2009 |
The first volume of Proust's 7-volume masterpiece: In Search of Lost Time. Lydia Davis's translation is superb and gives a contemporary life to an old classic. ( )
  checkadawson | Nov 3, 2009 |
Proust is definitely incredible and his descriptions can be unbelievable, as well as some of the psychological insights. That being said, his predilection for long sentences with weird structures leads to some of the most constipated writing I've read since Foucault. Also, this book is so bourgeois that it disgusts me and the ending argument that the progress of civilization is bad because it isn't "elegant" is laughable.A lot of peeps be saying that Proust and not Joyce is the best writer ever (or of the 20th century, which is the same thing really) but judging from this first volume Proust is merely the culmination of the literary styles before him while Joyce moves beyond those and off into other realms entirely. Joyce is also a more proletariat, less romantic writer. ( )
  phette23 | Oct 19, 2009 |
Really beautiful and dense with startling observations.
  chuckzak | Oct 13, 2009 |
Oh it's just so, so good! ( )
  markpeterwest | Oct 1, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 33 (next | show all)
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Longtemps je me suis couché de bonne heure (Du côté de chez Swann)
Ma mère, quand il fut question d’avoir pour la première fois M. de Norpois à dîner, ayant exprimé le regret que le Professeur Cottard fût en voyage et qu’elle-même eût entièrement cessé de fréquenter Swann, car l’un et l’autre eussent sans doute intéressé l’ancien Ambassadeur, mon père répondit qu’un convive éminent, un savant illustre, comme Cottard, ne pouvait jamais mal faire dans un dîner, mais que Swann, avec son ostentation, avec sa manière de crier sur les toits ses moindres relations, était un vulgaire esbrouffeur que le Marquis de Norpois eût sans doute trouvé selon son expression, «puant». (A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleur)

Le pépiement matinal des oiseaux semblait insipide à Françoise. (Le côté de Guermantes)
On sait que bien avant d’aller ce jour-là (le jour où avait lieu la soirée de la princesse de Guermantes) rendre au duc et à la duchesse la visite que je viens de raconter, j’avais épié leur retour et fait, pendant la durée de mon guet, une découverte, concernant particulièrement M. de Charlus, mais si importante en elle-même que j’ai jusqu’ici, jusqu’au moment de pouvoir lui donner la place et l’étendue voulues, différé de la rapporter. (Sodome et Gomorrhe)
Dès le matin, la tête encore tournée contre le mur, et avant d’avoir vu, au-dessus des grands rideaux de la fenêtre, de quelle nuance était la raie du jour, je savais déjà le temps qu’il faisait. (La prisonnière)
Quotations
"I do feel that it's really absurd that a man of his intelligence should let himself be made to suffer by a creature of that kind, who isn't even interesting, for they tell me she's an absolute idiot!" she concluded with the wisdom invariably shewn by people who, not being in love themselves, feel that a clever man ought to be unhappy only about such persons as are worth his while; which is rather like being astonished that anyone should condescend to die of cholera at the bidding of so insignificant a creature as the common bacillus.
Last words
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Disambiguation notice
Swann's Way is the first volume of Proust's monumental Remembrance of Things Past. However, at least one publisher issued Swann's Way itself (and other volumes of Remembrance of Things Past) as multivolume works. Thus, you can have Swann's Way, Part One which is part 1 of part 1 of Remembrance of Things Past. Thus if you use "Part 1" as part of your book title make sure you distinguish between Part 1 of Remembrance of Things Past and Part 1 of Swann's Way.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Canonical titleSwann's Way
Original publication date1913 (French), 1913
SeriesIn Search of Lost Time (Book 1), Remembrance of Things Past (Book 1)
People/CharactersMarcel, the Narrator, Marcel's mother, Marcel's father, Marcel's grandfather, Marcel's grandmother, Aunt Léonie (show all 30)
Important placesCombray, France, Paris, France, Balbec
First wordsLongtemps je me suis couché de bonne heure (Du côté de chez Swann), Ma mère, quand il fut question d’avoir pour la première fois M. de Norpois à dîner, ayant exprimé le regret que le Professeur Cottard fût en voyage et qu’elle-même eût entièrement cessé de fréquenter Swann, car... (show all)
Quotations"I do feel that it's really absurd that a man of his intelligence should let himself be made to suffer by a creature of that kind, who isn't even interesting, for they tell me she's an absolute idiot!" she concluded with the ... (show all)
Last words(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Book description

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0142437964, Paperback)

Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time is one of the most entertaining reading experiences in any language and arguably the finest novel of the twentieth century. But since its original prewar translation there has been no completely new version in English. Now, Penguin Classics brings Proust’s masterpiece to new audiences throughout the world, beginning with Lydia Davis’s internationally acclaimed translation of the first volume, Swann’s Way.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:05 -0400)

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