A review by rachel_the_managing_editor
Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
4.7 stars; a quietly breathtaking collage of moments.
My time with Swann's Way has spanned years, but occurred in two bursts.
Part I, I read junior year of college, and since the rest of the book wasn't on the syllabus, and time was short, I stopped, vowing to pick it up again later; to finish what I had started.
Parts II and III, I read over the past three weeks, some 7 years later.
A disjointed approach, yes, but one that, given the episodic nature of the book, seems somehow fitting.
Let me just tell you skeptics right now: Proust is not difficult. The writing is, for the most part, straightforward. The tone, convivial and intimate. Sure, big sweeping themes of life can be found in these pages. It is after all, a deep rumination on the strange power of time and the fluidity of memory. But page by page, it does not require a philosopher or a literary snob to unpack. Of course, there is one thing it does require: time.
You may pick it up a few times and abandon it. But don't get discouraged. You will know when the time is right.
My time with Swann's Way has spanned years, but occurred in two bursts.
Part I, I read junior year of college, and since the rest of the book wasn't on the syllabus, and time was short, I stopped, vowing to pick it up again later; to finish what I had started.
Parts II and III, I read over the past three weeks, some 7 years later.
A disjointed approach, yes, but one that, given the episodic nature of the book, seems somehow fitting.
Let me just tell you skeptics right now: Proust is not difficult. The writing is, for the most part, straightforward. The tone, convivial and intimate. Sure, big sweeping themes of life can be found in these pages. It is after all, a deep rumination on the strange power of time and the fluidity of memory. But page by page, it does not require a philosopher or a literary snob to unpack. Of course, there is one thing it does require: time.
You may pick it up a few times and abandon it. But don't get discouraged. You will know when the time is right.