The Guermantes Way

Proust was a genius. His observation , descriptions , insights unsurpassed. But the depth and extent of his narrative is almost a form of madness. Notwithstsnding, I had to force myself to read 25 pages per day to get through it. It is a portrait of a lost world (fortunately).

Reading Proust's "In Search of Lost Time is like listening to Wagner's Ring in several ways. Both works are pinnacles of artistic creation, very long, entrancingly beautiful, and make overwhelming demands on the attention of the audience. Amazon's sales ranks display something of the difficulty. "Swan's Way," the first and most popular of Proust's six volumes (as of 4/18/2008) ranks 6,586; the second, "Young Girls in Flower," ranks 40,389; and the third, "Guermantes Way," ranks 62,649. The numbers soar into the stratosphere for the remaining three volumes.The sustained cognitive effort needed to read Proust (or listen to Wagner) quickly overcomes good intentions. The difficulty is not that the books are long. Many contemporary best sellers are themselves weighty tomes. For Proust character and setting take precedence over action. Sentences and paragraphs are long, convoluted, and like many Wagnerian melodies, go on forever. However, as with all great literature, each element of the text is essential. If skimmed, the meaning is elusive. Slowly digested, the words unfold into ideas of great originality, wit, and amazing beauty.Reading the series is worth the effort. The books describe the development of an increasingly sophisticated person. "Swan's Way" revolves around a young boy's attachment to his mother and a flirtatious playmate. "Young Girl's in Flower" describes the awkward yearnings of an adolescent for a pretty girl. "Guermantes Way" dwells on a young man's infatuation for a society doyenne, Mme de Guermantes, who rules the exclusive Fauberg St. Germain. "Guermantes Way" is both a guide for climbing into fashionable society, and a cautionary tale of inevitable disappointment.Social deities project a glittering irresistible allure in the mind of an aspirant. However, having made the ascent via a path of rigid conformity, once actually in an exclusive salon, at an elegant soiree, or at a stylish dinner party, these luminaries unmask themselves as not much different from the middle class citizens they disdain, not more intelligent, more sensitive, or more interesting. Aristocracy is distinguished only by its wealth, exclusivity, and generations of inbreeding. Proust's luscious satire of the Fauberg St. Germain at the opera, and their trite opinions about Wagner, demonstrates no less. Here, as elsewhere in "Lost Time," an eagerly desired liaison rests on delusion and fails to produce imagined happiness.

Something about the way it was written, just was not for me. Seemed to tie me into knots. I picked up another translation which seemed more natural.

I have not read any other translation of this book, but given what I've read about Proust, I think the translator has done a great job of balancing the literary art of the original with creating a clear and approachable translation for modern readers.This book feels more distant that the first two volumes. As the story moves into the drawing rooms and away from the seaside and home, there is much more parlor conversation and social maneuvering (some of it a bit tedious). While there are footnotes, there are still many references that I didn't quite catch (but nothing that was an impediment to enjoying the story). I found this book something that was best digested in short pieces -- I would read about twenty five pages at a time, would reflect on them for a while, and then return to the book.For students of the novel, this is a towering achievement that should be read. This particular version is also quite beautiful and of high quality.

oh yes yes yes yes yes!

Presumably, one does not read a review of Proust to find out if the story is good. It's a bit like reading a review of the Bible in order to find out whether it says anything relevant about religion. Proust's place in literature is beyond doubt--how his translators fare, however, is open to debate. Mark Treharne has validated Penguin's decision to tackle this new translation with a brilliant, crisp, fresh, easily-accessible Proust. In fact, the text is so easily accessible that one wonders if something has been lost in translation along with Proust's famous obtuseness. But be reassured, the original's consistent ability to astonish with its insights into the human psyche is there throughout. This is Proust as he would have sounded had he written in English. Well done, Treharne.

Proust is a fantastic writer. I couldn't recommend In Search of Lost Time highly enough.

Seriously, this is one for a collector, and considering that it's 100 years old, it's in amazing condition.

...unsere Zeit. Obwohl es noch eine ganze Zeit dauern wird, bis ich alle sechs Bände gelesen habe.Einziges Problem war die Bestellung des gesammelten Werkes, da man diese nicht zusammen bestellen kann. Man muss die Einzelbände zusammensuchen und aufpassen, dass man wirklich die verschiedenen Bände kauft und nicht versehentlich eine gleiche Ausgabe nur mit einem anderen Cover.Würde ich das gesammelte Werk beurteilen, gäbe es dafür einen Punktabzug.Da ich aber jeden Band einzeln bewerte, kann ich dabei keinen Punkt abziehen. Würde auch dem großartigen Inhalt nicht gerecht werden!