coreyk's review against another edition
Obviously, I already knew how Proust can change your life since I've read "In Search of Lost Time" (ahem...), but this was an enjoyable read!
jusdani's review against another edition
4.0
Haven't read any Proust yet but this was a really good read. Only certain parts stood out, but this is worth giving a shot, I think. Also, my favorite part about reading de Botton is that I can literally hear him.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
3.0
To live better, do we need proustotherapy? This book suggests that it does, and he is right, although reading it was not necessary to convince me of this fact. So what is it that feels good about Proust? First of all, De Botton notes the Research's length: you have to take your time to read even a single sentence from Proust, and God knows if what we miss most today is time out, freeze frame, reflection. We run, we run, and we resort without ever knowing either after whom or after what. Proust takes dozens of pages to say nothing between sleeping and waking up; he dwells on all the changing expressions on Albertine's face. He scrutinizes the least of his emotions; in short (and there is no less Proustian than this "brief"), he takes the time to live and think. Besides, it does not live any better, sealed off as is between his bed and book, but lives more intensely, more truly than the one who touches the world. He lives by inhaling the essence of every moment. Of course, De Botton lingers (as Proust would have done with much more penetration) on details; he tires by the too much biography character of his remarks; he only repeats banalities on the work of a genius. Still, his book has one merit: it makes you want to continue rereading Proust and continue to waste time in it that we inevitably find.
zimlicious's review against another edition
5.0
If I break a leg or can't leave the house for a few days, I'm definitely diving into [b:Swann's Way|12749|Swann's Way (In Search of Lost Time, #1)|Marcel Proust|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1269255643s/12749.jpg|4830806]. Full review soon.
mxd's review against another edition
4.0
Another one of those books where I penciled in 4/5 stars but can't actually remember much about the book. What I do remember is an incredible warm feeling in regards to this book and a desire to re-read it. I think it featured little in the way of life-changing advice, and was more of a warm and humourous look at the way Proust lived, styled into a self-help guide of sorts. I think it also made me appreciate a slowed down life where you indulge your creative spirit rather than keep up with all the traffic around you. Also, as a person who appreciates a good dressing gown and idling in bed, this spoke to me on a very spiritual level :D
sophielegarrec's review against another edition
4.0
Read in English - very frustrating at times, I wish I could read Proust's original words. However had I read the book in French I'd missed out on Alain de Botton original writing, and everything that comes with it: his wit, humor, and incredible ability to break through Proust to extract the "substantifique moëlle". Loved the conclusion.
kosr's review against another edition
3.0
It Didn't Change My Life, Unfortunately
Forewarning, this is quite a biased review that simply speaks from my experience of reading this novel, it's content very well may not apply to you. I feel I may have gone off the deep end without meaning to (considering this was a book I read on the side of others).
Please still consider picking this book up.
***************************************************
I have to admit, this is the first book I've actually struggled to complete this year due to a lack of interest; as opposed to the difficulty of the subject defeating me, or the fact I lack knowledge in a particular area. As such, I stopped reading it about six months ago, and just today caught myself skimming the last few pages having fully given up on achieving full completion.
I was given this novel by a friend when visiting their flat in London. We had had a positive conversation about Alain de Botton (I happened to have recently discovered him in an interview conducted by Chris Hedges, whereas she'd known about him for quite some time) and she picked this book out from a shelf for me to read. Unfortunately, I have a problem with starting brand new books immediately after attaining them, even when I have other older, more personal novels needing to be finished.
Unfortunately, this one never saw my full attention all the way to the end.
The real problem I have with this book isn't the way it's written. In fact, if it weren't written by this particular Author, then I may have stopped far earlier than I did in reality. Alain has a style that naturally evokes a welcoming nature, and speaks to the reader as if he/she is a friend receiving a casual lecture on the subject in person. I admit, my bias towards Mr De Botton might become clearer upon mentioning how much I enjoy his YouTube channel The School of Life (seriously scope it out, it's amazing) and his pretty calming accent / demeanour. You really can't not read this book in his voice, after listening to him ramble about famous philosophers for hours online.
Neither is the topic in question off putting. I knew nothing about Proust before reading this novel, and yet found no obstacle presented to me in the form of prior understanding being needed when opening the first page. Alain has simply taken many multifaceted topics about life and then laid out what Proust thought about them. He also raises topics that we may never have thought of before, but Proust had. Moreover, he balances each topic well by refusing to deify Proust (pretty hard to avoid with a title like this book has) and is quite critical of his shortcomings and slight hypocrisy on certain subjects.
Yet, the real issue at hand is how, on a personal level, so little of what has been picked from Prousts brain by De Botton actually appeals to me. Because of this fact, it's quite hard to give this book anymore than three stars (earning three in the first place because of the above qualities mentioned). I found myself struggling to connect with the opinions of a man who was born in the early 19th century, lived a fairly upper class life and spent much of his time in the small (no less beautiful and interesting) part of the world he was born into.
I must emphasise that I did not make these judgements before opening the book. I have found great pleasure and knowledge reading from people who have come from a plethora of different backgrounds. Neither am I criticising the work or Proust himself. I do not doubt for a moment that In Search of Lost Time is a masterpiece, and I look forward to reading it as soon as time permits.
It is only a symptom of a larger problem I feel we may posses when looking back on the past. We feel the ideas of some great Authors, Philosophers and Artists hold the keys to understanding life in some great unknown fashion. And in some ways they DO present wonderful, inspiring and great thoughts / advise for us to mull over. I only feel that if we were to look deeper at the people themselves (especially considering the more hardline thoughts about life some of them have presented) - the environment they grew up in, their surroundings and more - we would find that quite a few of them only represented a small part of the society they grew up in. Even if we were to apply the typical "they were a product of their time" to the equation, we would still have to hold their bolder claims under a microscope just as equally with the above suggested scrutiny. Avoiding interchangeable bias when using this phrase is incredibly important, something we tend to do when our favourite intellectuals come under attack. Shouting about their innocence due to them being born at a certain stage of history doesn't exempt their most strong opinions on life being compared to the social environment they were surrounded by.
I found this problem with Prousts opinions on love in this book. For me, some of it contained some very archaic views on the workings of a woman's mind and I found it to be completely bizarre. Again, we might apply the "but he's a product..." to this point, but it's an argument that falls short due to the fact we don't mind holding up Prousts other thoughts on life high in the air and applying them to our daily lives now in the 21st century. The fact that his thoughts on love DID make the book shows De Botton thinks they're worth the time of humans living in the 21st century. I could go on, but I feel I need only paste this problem onto other subjects in the book to get my point across.
As such, I think I can confirm to myself that reading books that suggest one persons thoughts on many different subjects on life can somehow change mine are useless. I adore biographies and peering into another's life throughout history, almost as much as I love reading the great novels written by individuals who may very well have fit the criteria I just mentioned Proust came from. Just because someone was born into a small sliver of society doesn't mean they have nothing to say of importance at all. I'm eternally grateful that ancient Greek philosophers were given the education available at the time to come up with some great thoughts on life (even though living as a farmer at the time I may [emphasises on may] have struggled to accept someone from a higher part of society giving me lectures on how I should consider existence).
However, it did hinder me from enjoying this book and I would actively encourage people to analyse where, when, which, and what society people we would assume to worship come from. At least before starting to read into their work. This way I feel you will be able to read critically, and take only what you feel applies to today, and not 200 years ago.
Forewarning, this is quite a biased review that simply speaks from my experience of reading this novel, it's content very well may not apply to you. I feel I may have gone off the deep end without meaning to (considering this was a book I read on the side of others).
Please still consider picking this book up.
***************************************************
I have to admit, this is the first book I've actually struggled to complete this year due to a lack of interest; as opposed to the difficulty of the subject defeating me, or the fact I lack knowledge in a particular area. As such, I stopped reading it about six months ago, and just today caught myself skimming the last few pages having fully given up on achieving full completion.
I was given this novel by a friend when visiting their flat in London. We had had a positive conversation about Alain de Botton (I happened to have recently discovered him in an interview conducted by Chris Hedges, whereas she'd known about him for quite some time) and she picked this book out from a shelf for me to read. Unfortunately, I have a problem with starting brand new books immediately after attaining them, even when I have other older, more personal novels needing to be finished.
Unfortunately, this one never saw my full attention all the way to the end.
The real problem I have with this book isn't the way it's written. In fact, if it weren't written by this particular Author, then I may have stopped far earlier than I did in reality. Alain has a style that naturally evokes a welcoming nature, and speaks to the reader as if he/she is a friend receiving a casual lecture on the subject in person. I admit, my bias towards Mr De Botton might become clearer upon mentioning how much I enjoy his YouTube channel The School of Life (seriously scope it out, it's amazing) and his pretty calming accent / demeanour. You really can't not read this book in his voice, after listening to him ramble about famous philosophers for hours online.
Neither is the topic in question off putting. I knew nothing about Proust before reading this novel, and yet found no obstacle presented to me in the form of prior understanding being needed when opening the first page. Alain has simply taken many multifaceted topics about life and then laid out what Proust thought about them. He also raises topics that we may never have thought of before, but Proust had. Moreover, he balances each topic well by refusing to deify Proust (pretty hard to avoid with a title like this book has) and is quite critical of his shortcomings and slight hypocrisy on certain subjects.
Yet, the real issue at hand is how, on a personal level, so little of what has been picked from Prousts brain by De Botton actually appeals to me. Because of this fact, it's quite hard to give this book anymore than three stars (earning three in the first place because of the above qualities mentioned). I found myself struggling to connect with the opinions of a man who was born in the early 19th century, lived a fairly upper class life and spent much of his time in the small (no less beautiful and interesting) part of the world he was born into.
I must emphasise that I did not make these judgements before opening the book. I have found great pleasure and knowledge reading from people who have come from a plethora of different backgrounds. Neither am I criticising the work or Proust himself. I do not doubt for a moment that In Search of Lost Time is a masterpiece, and I look forward to reading it as soon as time permits.
It is only a symptom of a larger problem I feel we may posses when looking back on the past. We feel the ideas of some great Authors, Philosophers and Artists hold the keys to understanding life in some great unknown fashion. And in some ways they DO present wonderful, inspiring and great thoughts / advise for us to mull over. I only feel that if we were to look deeper at the people themselves (especially considering the more hardline thoughts about life some of them have presented) - the environment they grew up in, their surroundings and more - we would find that quite a few of them only represented a small part of the society they grew up in. Even if we were to apply the typical "they were a product of their time" to the equation, we would still have to hold their bolder claims under a microscope just as equally with the above suggested scrutiny. Avoiding interchangeable bias when using this phrase is incredibly important, something we tend to do when our favourite intellectuals come under attack. Shouting about their innocence due to them being born at a certain stage of history doesn't exempt their most strong opinions on life being compared to the social environment they were surrounded by.
I found this problem with Prousts opinions on love in this book. For me, some of it contained some very archaic views on the workings of a woman's mind and I found it to be completely bizarre. Again, we might apply the "but he's a product..." to this point, but it's an argument that falls short due to the fact we don't mind holding up Prousts other thoughts on life high in the air and applying them to our daily lives now in the 21st century. The fact that his thoughts on love DID make the book shows De Botton thinks they're worth the time of humans living in the 21st century. I could go on, but I feel I need only paste this problem onto other subjects in the book to get my point across.
As such, I think I can confirm to myself that reading books that suggest one persons thoughts on many different subjects on life can somehow change mine are useless. I adore biographies and peering into another's life throughout history, almost as much as I love reading the great novels written by individuals who may very well have fit the criteria I just mentioned Proust came from. Just because someone was born into a small sliver of society doesn't mean they have nothing to say of importance at all. I'm eternally grateful that ancient Greek philosophers were given the education available at the time to come up with some great thoughts on life (even though living as a farmer at the time I may [emphasises on may] have struggled to accept someone from a higher part of society giving me lectures on how I should consider existence).
However, it did hinder me from enjoying this book and I would actively encourage people to analyse where, when, which, and what society people we would assume to worship come from. At least before starting to read into their work. This way I feel you will be able to read critically, and take only what you feel applies to today, and not 200 years ago.