Books with author Marcel Proust

In Search of Lost Time (French: À la recherche du temps perdu)— previously also translated as Remembrance of Things Past, is a novel in seven volumes, written by Marcel Proust (1871–1922). It is considered to be his most prominent work, known both for its length and its theme of involuntary memory, the most famous example being the "episode of the madeleine" which occurs early in the first volume. It gained fame in English in translations by C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin as Remembrance of Things Past, but the title In Search of Lost Time, a literal rendering of the French, has gained usage since D. J. Enright adopted it for his revised translation published in 1992. The novel began to take shape in 1909. Proust continued to work on it until his final illness in the autumn of 1922 forced him to break off. Proust established the structure early on, but even after volumes were initially finished he kept adding new material and edited one volume after another for publication. The last three of the seven volumes contain oversights and fragmentary or unpolished passages, as they existed only in draft form at the death of the author; the publication of these parts was overseen by his brother Robert.Included: - Swann's Way- Within a Budding Grove- The Guermantes Way- Cities of The Plain- The Captive- The Sweet Cheat Gone- Time Regained- Notes

"'In Search of Lost Time' is widely recognized as the major novel of the twentieth century." —Harold Bloom"At once the last great classic of French epic prose tradition and the towering precursor of the 'nouveau roman'." —Bengt Holmqvist"Proust so titillates my own desire for expression that I can hardly set out the sentence. Oh if I could write like that!" —Virginia Woolf"The greatest fiction to date." —W. Somerset Maugham"Proust is the greatest novelist of the 20th century." —Graham GreeneOn the surface a traditional "Bildungsroman" describing the narrator's journey of self-discovery, this huge and complex book is also a panoramic and richly comic portrait of France in the author's lifetime, and a profound meditation on the nature of art, love, time, memory and death. But for most readers it is the characters of the novel who loom the largest: Swann and Odette, Monsieur de Charlus, Morel, the Duchesse de Guermantes, Françoise, Saint-Loup and so many others — Giants, as the author calls them, immersed in Time."In Search of Lost Time" is a novel in seven volumes. The novel began to take shape in 1909. Proust continued to work on it until his final illness in the autumn of 1922 forced him to break off. Proust established the structure early on, but even after volumes were initially finished he kept adding new material, and edited one volume after another for publication. The last three of the seven volumes contain oversights and fragmentary or unpolished passages as they existed in draft form at the death of the author; the publication of these parts was overseen by his brother Robert.

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust How is this book unique? Illustrations IncludedSwann’s Way is the first volume of the famous masterpiece In Search of Lost Time. Using the involuntary memory technique, Marcel Proust travels back in time to his childhood where the reader meets Charles Swann, a friend of the family. The memories fade and reappear again in Proust’s mind this time telling the sad love story between Swann and Odette, an intriguing woman with an unusual style. What more can the narrator remember? In Swann's Way, the themes of Proust's masterpiece are introduced, and the narrator's childhood in Paris and Combray is recalled, most memorably in the evocation of the famous maternal good-night kiss. The recollection of the narrator's love for Swann's daughter Gilberte leads to an account of Swann's passion for Odette and the rise of the nouveaux riches Verdurins.

Swann's Way tells two related stories, the first of which revolves around Marcel, a younger version of the narrator, and his experiences in, and memories of, the French town Combray. Inspired by the "gusts of memory" that rise up within him as he dips a Madeleine into hot tea, the narrator discusses his fear of going to bed at night. He is a creature of habit and dislikes waking up in the middle of the night not knowing where he is.

Proust's classic novel Swann's Way is the first entry in his acclaimed series: Remembrance of Things Past, also known as In Search of Lost Time. Originally written and published in 1909, this premier entry in Proust's series contains some of the finest prose fiction Proust ever authored. Although lengthy, no sacrifice is made with the signature style Proust had cultivated by the time he commenced Swann's Way - recollections are written relentlessly, of places, names, items and other such paraphernalia of life. The narrator gradually builds up a plot surrounding his own life and activities. The titular character, Charles Swann is an associate of the narrator's family who receives particular interest in the story. The first scene recounts a dinner in which Swann was in attendance, noting his characteristics. By stages, a compelling story unfolds with Swann's affections for the former courtesan Odette de Crecy explored. As compared with other, later, entries in the Remembrance series, Swann's Way is a much more standalone novel. It is the part most often published as a distinct work, and recommended as an introduction both to Proust's series and the rest of his writings. Artistically well-informed, Proust imbues this book with classical musical references that serve to enrich both the tone and plot. This acclaimed translation from the original French is by C.K. Scott Moncrieff. Since first appearing in the 1920s, it has served as a popular and abiding rendition responsible for elevating Proust's fame and reputation among English speaking audiences.

"'In Search of Lost Time' is widely recognized as the major novel of the twentieth century." —Harold Bloom"At once the last great classic of French epic prose tradition and the towering precursor of the 'nouveau roman'." —Bengt Holmqvist"Proust so titillates my own desire for expression that I can hardly set out the sentence. Oh if I could write like that!" —Virginia Woolf"The greatest fiction to date." —W. Somerset Maugham"Proust is the greatest novelist of the 20th century." —Graham GreeneOn the surface a traditional "Bildungsroman" describing the narrator's journey of self-discovery, this huge and complex book is also a panoramic and richly comic portrait of France in the author's lifetime, and a profound meditation on the nature of art, love, time, memory and death. But for most readers it is the characters of the novel who loom the largest: Swann and Odette, Monsieur de Charlus, Morel, the Duchesse de Guermantes, Françoise, Saint-Loup and so many others — Giants, as the author calls them, immersed in Time."In Search of Lost Time" is a novel in seven volumes. The novel began to take shape in 1909. Proust continued to work on it until his final illness in the autumn of 1922 forced him to break off. Proust established the structure early on, but even after volumes were initially finished he kept adding new material, and edited one volume after another for publication. The last three of the seven volumes contain oversights and fragmentary or unpolished passages as they existed in draft form at the death of the author; the publication of these parts was overseen by his brother Robert.

"Remembrance of Things Past is one of the monuments of 20th century literature. Neville Jason's widely praised 36 CD abridged version has rightly become an audiobook landmark and now, upon numerous requests, he is recording the whole work unabridged which, when complete, will run for some 140 hours. Swann's Way is the first of seven volumes and sets the scene with the narrator's memories being famously provoked by the taste of that little cake, the madeleine, accompanied by a cup of lime-flowered tea. It is an unmatched portrait of fin-de-siecle France.

"'In Search of Lost Time' is widely recognized as the major novel of the twentieth century." —Harold Bloom"At once the last great classic of French epic prose tradition and the towering precursor of the 'nouveau roman'." —Bengt Holmqvist"Proust so titillates my own desire for expression that I can hardly set out the sentence. Oh if I could write like that!" —Virginia Woolf"The greatest fiction to date." —W. Somerset Maugham"Proust is the greatest novelist of the 20th century." —Graham GreeneOn the surface a traditional "Bildungsroman" describing the narrator's journey of self-discovery, this huge and complex book is also a panoramic and richly comic portrait of France in the author's lifetime, and a profound meditation on the nature of art, love, time, memory and death. But for most readers it is the characters of the novel who loom the largest: Swann and Odette, Monsieur de Charlus, Morel, the Duchesse de Guermantes, Françoise, Saint-Loup and so many others — Giants, as the author calls them, immersed in Time."In Search of Lost Time" is a novel in seven volumes. The novel began to take shape in 1909. Proust continued to work on it until his final illness in the autumn of 1922 forced him to break off. Proust established the structure early on, but even after volumes were initially finished he kept adding new material, and edited one volume after another for publication. The last three of the seven volumes contain oversights and fragmentary or unpolished passages as they existed in draft form at the death of the author; the publication of these parts was overseen by his brother Robert.

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.Quotes from the book:“Always try to keep a patch of sky above your life.”“The thirst for something other than what we have…to bring something new, even if it is worse, some emotion, some sorrow; when our sensibility, which happiness has silenced like an idle harp, wants to resonate under some hand, even a rough one, and even if it might be broken by it.”“Now are the woods all black,But still the sky is blue.”Readers' reviews:“For 100 years now, Swann’s Way, the first volume of Marcel Proust’s masterpiece, has engaged and enchanted readers. Within moments of turning back the cover and dropping your eyes into the trenches of text, the reader is sent to soaring heights of rapture while clinging to Proust prose, leaving no room for doubt that this is well-deserving of it’s honor among the timeless classics.” (S. Penkevich, goodreads.com)“The best part of Swann’s Way, by far, is the intricate portrayal, from beginning to end, of the relationship between Swann and Odette.” (Jason, goodreads.com)“If you're looking for a plot-driven story, look elsewhere. What it does is loop in and around certain topics, in the narrator's life and the life of Swann, and examine them in such minute detail, in such flowing prose from one moment to the next, looping around the events in question. And it is beautifully written.” (Megan Baxter, goodreads.com)