Reader discussion: Swann's Way

Public reader discussion about Swann's Way in the WeRead Catalog by Marcel Proust.

So, I started Proust's "In Search Of Lost Time" a few days ago. Any suggestions on how to approach this 'monster' book?

By ForestSignal51

I’m about a hundred pages in and I’m actually having a great time with it. The only thing is the style feels totally different from what I’m used to, but honestly that part is a good surprise. I’ve been seeing mixed reactions too—some people talk about it like it’s amazing, and others act like it’s just a complete waste of time, so I’m kinda torn. I ended up getting the 7-book edition just because it’s easier to lug around, even though I know it’s really one continuous story. Curious what your take is—do you think it’s worth sticking with, and how did you end up approaching it? Did you like it yourself?

Sway Way by Marcel Proust

By yellow_badger

Sorry, the title’s a dumb typo and I can’t fix it now. I meant Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust.

Just finished Swann’s Way...

By mistBinary

I’m 33 and I just finished what feels like it might be my favorite book so far. I’m really happy I didn’t read it earlier, because I don’t think I would’ve appreciated it as much. I work with older adults, so that part really hit me. The idea that when people get older—after some point—they kind of stop making the effort to visit or even cross the street, stop writing, and just… accept that they won’t be able to communicate anymore here. It just got me in the chest.

[deleted by user]

By Sunny_Lantern

Seems like a nice place to read and chat about Marcel Proust’s work and his life. Not sure if it’s the best spot though, but you could also try something like books/literature subs and just search for Proust there.

Discussion Group Week Three: Swann's Way (Combray Chapter Three, up to "The Sea!")

By coffee-chilly74

UPDATE: the schedule percentages are now listed below in bold to make it easier to find stopping points in whatever edition you’re reading We’re talking about In Search of Lost Time, Volume One: Swann’s Way (Du côté de chez Swann) by Marcel Proust in this thread This week’s section is more of Combray Chapter Two, ending at his comparison to a traveler saying “The Sea!” Also, welcome to our new moderator who got this discussion going, u/therealamitk, and thanks for the sub pics and intro quote If you’re ahead of the group’s reading, feel free to join in, but please stick to the assigned part of Swann’s Way and don’t post spoilers unless they’re tagged We’ll keep posting new threads every weekend on schedule, and people are still welcome to keep talking in earlier threads too A few ground rules for discussion: - No hate speech, and be open if someone tells you something sounds off or poorly worded - Use spoiler tags if you mention anything surprising, and add them if someone asks - Post your thoughts in this thread here (blog/goodreads links are fine at the end) - Share in good faith and read others’ posts in good faith too - Have fun, or complain in a fun way if needed Schedule (page # = Penguin 2002 / Vintage 1982) NEW: percentage of total pages for other editions - Week 1 (by Jan 9-10) to end of Chapter One/Overture (48 / 51) [11%] - Week 2 (by Jan 16-17) break between “stockbroker” and “While reading in the garden (102 / 108) [23%] - Week 3 (by Jan 23-24) paragraph break @"The Sea" (141/ 151) [32%] - Week 4 (by Jan 30-31) end of Combray (191 / 204) [43%] - Week 5 (by Feb 6-7) para brk near end ("...an academic" 260 / ("...gown still clung" 274) [59%] - Week 6 (by Feb 13-14) para brk @ ("betrayal" 328 / "treachery" 345) [74%] - Week 7 (by Feb 20-21) end of Swann in Love (396 / 415) [89%] - Week 8 (by Feb 27-28) end of book (444 / 462) [100%] [use this formula: your edition’s last page # (of novel, no endnotes/addenda) times (X) .## of % (ex, 11%=.11) = your page with the stopping place, or close to it? DM me feedback please!!] (DM me if you need help with page numbers for the edition you use) Possible things to talk about: - How’s your reading going this week? First time or reread? - First thoughts on this section? - What do you think of Proust’s writing style so far? - Any new vocabulary? - Any aphorism-like side comments you liked? - What questions did this part leave you with?

Currently trying to make progress with Swann's Way by Proust. I keep thinking about this Monty Python sketch:

By EagleStory1994

Really liked that sketch. For the book itself, though, it starts off kind of slow, but after you get to the “Swann In Love” part it somehow turns into a total page-turner.

What's a book you just couldn't finish?

By gathers_lake1990

At least two for me. The first is *One Hundred Years of Solitude*. I know it’s a big classic, so I figured I’d try again, but I just can’t make it through. I don’t really understand what’s happening, and I’m totally lost on what the point is supposed to be. After a while I end up giving up because it’s so frustrating. The second is *The Brothers Karamazov*. I started it and got bogged down after like 300 pages. It felt slow and boring to me, and I think I stopped when they went off and visited some hermit guy in a cave or something like that—I honestly didn’t get why it happened. I really liked *Crime and Punishment* and *Notes from Underground*, so it’s weird that this one is the one that I can’t stick with. I’ve never had a book make me feel this physically bored before.

[deleted by user]

By Goose-Reader

This feels like a good spot to hang out and read/talk about Marcel Proust—his books and his life. If you’re looking for more, maybe try r/literature or r/books too, and just search Proust on there somewhere.

Discussion Group Week Four: Swann's Way (to the end of Combray Chapter Two)

By amberfrog40

La comtesse Greffulhe was apparently Proust’s muse and kind of the inspiration for the Duchesse de Guermantes Anyway, this thread is for In Search of Lost Time, Volume One: Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust This week we’re reading up to the end of Combray, Chapter Two If you’re further along than the group schedule, feel free to join in, just stick to this part of Swann’s Way and no spoilers unless you use a spoiler tag We’ll be making a new thread every weekend on schedule, but posting in earlier threads is totally fine and encouraged too Also, flair is turned on now. I thought it might be nice to see what editions people are reading at a glance, but use it however you want as long as it’s not offensive. If you’re not sure how to add it, DM u/hirtho A few ground rules for discussion: - No hate speech, and please be open if someone points out something weird or offensive - Use spoiler tags if you mention something surprising, and if someone asks you to tag it, please do - Put your thoughts in this thread here (blog/goodreads links are okay at the end) - Post and read in good faith - And have fun, or complain in a fun way Schedule (page # = Penguin 2002 / Vintage 1982) [percentage of total pages for other editions] - Week 1 (by Jan 9-10) through end of Chapter One/Overture (48 / 51) [11%] - Week 2 (by Jan 16-17) break between “stockbroker” and “While reading in the garden (102 / 108) [23%] - Week 3 (by Jan 23-24) paragraph break @"The Sea" (141/ 151) [32%] - Week 4 (by Jan 30-31) end of Combray (191 / 204) [43%] - Week 5 (by Feb 6-7) para brk near end ("...an academic" 260 / ("...gown still clung" 274) [59%] - Week 6 (by Feb 13-14) para brk @ ("betrayal" 328 / "treachery" 345) [74%] - Week 7 (by Feb 20-21) end of Swann in Love (396 / 415) [89%] - Week 8 (by Feb 27-28) end of book (444 / 462) [100%] [use this formula: your edition’s last page # (not endnotes/addenda) times (X) .## of % (like 11%=.11) = your stopping page, or close to it? DM me feedback please!!] (DM u/hirtho if you need help with page numbers for your edition) Some things you could talk about: - How’s your reading going this week? (Say if it’s your first time or a reread) - First impressions of this section? - Does anything here connect with your own life? - What do you think of Proust’s writing style by now? - Pick up any new words? - Any aphorism bits you liked? - What questions did this part leave you with?

swanns way is so good?

By looseHeron2969

Okay so spoilers but also I’m not even done yet—I'm like at Swann in Love and I’ve got maybe 70 pages till the end. Still, I had to say something because I’ve never had a book mess with me like this. It’s honestly hurting in a way I didn’t expect, which is super rare for me because I don’t usually get completely wrecked by what I’m reading. I’m gonna drop this (kind of) relevant quote I found in a Blade Runner 2049 video essay I watched—no real plot spoilers, just the theme stuff. It was basically saying that we can only express what’s inside us up to a point, and that the stuff we care about most (dreams, thoughts, feelings) is exactly the stuff we can’t really communicate. So you end up with this constant want for connection, like you’re reaching but you’re not actually getting to the other person’s interior. And that’s why I love Proust so much, and I mean it when I say it’s probably one of the most talented writing styles ever. I don’t even read that much normally, but I picked up Swann’s Way one day and I just got absolutely taken over by it. The idea that Proust can actually capture what’s inside—like the things we can’t put into words—and somehow turn it into this full-on book/memoir thing? That’s the part that gets me. But then the second part of that quote hit and now I’m spiraling because Swann in Love just destroys me. Like holy fuck, why is it so painful. It keeps bringing up that gap again—what Swann can’t communicate to Odette, and what she can’t communicate back. And even if Swann isn’t interrogating her the exact way the quote mentions, it still feels like the author is basically forcing you to remember that a lot of his suffering isn’t “mysterious” or noble or whatever—it’s just… not reciprocated. She doesn’t feel what he feels. Oh man.

What Do You Think is the Single Best Exerpt of Literature Ever Written?

By FallenMole2

I’m not really talking about whole novels or big long poems here—more like a single page, a chapter, or just a section of something bigger that you think is really stunning or totally essential or just feels iconic. And yeah, nobody can honestly declare something “the greatest ever” since we haven’t read everything, but you get what I mean. So I’m asking: what’s the best “small” piece of writing you’ve run into? I’ll go first: I’m picking chapter two of Zora Neale Hurston’s *Their Eyes Were Watching God*. The first time I read that excerpt I was straight-up knocked over. The writing is unbelievably beautiful, but what got me even more was how dead-on it feels—like she’s describing being alive in the exact way I recognize it. I can’t explain it properly here, but this chapter is probably the wildest display of skill I’ve seen in writing. She somehow fits mastery of language, gorgeous imagery, and real emotion into just a few pages, and it nails that move from soft, rose-gold childhood into the roughness of adolescence. I loved it from the first read, and I actually went and bought a used copy just so I could read this part every spring under a flowering tree. My brain is being kind of weird right now, so I’ll stop here. What about you—what’s your pick?

Discussion Group Week Eight: Swann's Way: Place-Names: The Name

By Amber_Cat

L’Empire de Flore by Nicolas Poussin We’re talking about In Search of Lost Time, Volume One: Swann’s Way (Du côté de chez Swann) by Marcel Proust in this group. This week we finished Place-Names: The Name, so I’m kind of glad to be at the end of Swann’s Way already. If you’re ahead of the schedule, feel free to jump in, but please keep it to the part we’re doing and don’t drop spoilers unless you tag them. There’ll be new threads every weekend like usual, but it’s totally fine to keep chatting in the older ones too. Quick rules: - No hate stuff (and if something’s worded weird/offensive, tell me) - Use spoiler tags if it’s surprising or if someone asks - Share your thoughts here; blog/Goodreads links at the end are ok - Be cool about it - Have fun / vent a little Schedule (I’m using Penguin 2002 / Vintage 1982): Week 1: by Jan 9-10 — through Chapter One/Overture (48/51) [11%] Week 2: by Jan 16-17 — break between “stockbroker” and “While reading in the garden” (102/108) [23%] Week 3: by Jan 23-24 — break by the paragraph “The Sea” (141/151) [32%] Week 4: by Jan 30-31 — end of Combray (191/204) [43%] Week 5: by Feb 6-7 — near the end (“...fall from grace” 260/274) [59%] Week 6: by Feb 13-14 — paragraph break at “betrayal” (328/345) [74%] Week 7: by Feb 20-21 — end of Swann in Love (396/415) [89%] Week 8: by Feb 27-28 — end of the book (444/462) [100%] Also, if you want to figure out your stopping page, use: your edition’s last page # (of the novel only) × the % (like 11%=.11) = your stopping page (or close) If you need help with page numbers for your edition, DM someone.

Should I get DJ Enright's translation of Swann's way?

By blueheron

I’ve heard the CK Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin translation is worse than the DJ Enright one, but I can’t tell how much worse. And the title thing really bothers me too—like calling it “Rememberance of Things Past” instead of “In Search Of Lost Time.” So now I’m wondering if it’s actually worth switching to Enright’s Swann’s Way to lose less in translation. It’s kind of ridiculous, because I’m already over a hundred pages in and I usually don’t care that much about translations. But I honestly really fell for the language in this book—the little stuff and all the wording. Should I just stick with what I have, or try to swap?

What do you think are, in your opinion, the most important european modernist literary works?

By Scarf

What do you all think are the most important novels? And the most important poems too? I’m really curious what the key works are for this place and this period—so if anyone has suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Swann’s Way bilingual English/French

By IanInDublin5723

Does anyone know of a version that has both the French and the English text side by side? If you’ve got a recommendation, I’d love to hear it. Edit: nvm, I found it—it's on Amazon and there’s also a Kindle version.

Has anyone read Swann's Way recently?

By Garden

I read this a few months ago, but I haven’t had much chance to talk about it because I don’t really know anyone who’s finished it—at least not recently. I’d be super down for a general discussion, though, because I honestly loved it.

Swann’s Way but boring

By ReaderRestless50

Hey everyone—this is my first time posting. I’m back at *Swann’s Way* for the third time ever, and this time I’ve actually gotten farther than before (about 50 pages). My question is: did anyone else find it insanely boring at first? Does it eventually get better, or do you really just have to stick with it and push through to enjoy what he’s showing? I can deal with a slow build if it’s going to be worth it, especially since it’s supposed to be this big, multi-volume thing, but I’m trying to figure out if I should be excited about anything yet. Also… has anyone actually finished all six volumes? It’s been on my “someday” list for like 20 years 😂 Quick edit: I’ve already seen a few comments saying the problem might be me. I get it, but please don’t make it personal—I’m struggling to connect with a novel, that’s all. And just to clarify: it’s not that I’m expecting a normal plot or anything. I’m okay with that. What I’m missing is that I haven’t felt much depth or joy in it—at least not yet. The language isn’t really winning me over, and the pacing/movement hasn’t grabbed me either. So basically, what makes it worth it? Is it “classic” status on its own, or is there something specific that makes it redeemable? People sharing what they love have helped a bit, and I don’t think it’s silly to need that kind of support to see the beauty.

Swann's age in "Swann in Love," from Swann's Way?

By shelfOld

Hi everyone — I’ve been slowly working through Lydia Davis’s translation of *Swann’s Way*, and I’m really enjoying it. I had a couple questions about the “Swann in Love” part though. Specifically, does anyone know how old Swann is supposed to be here? There are a few hints that his age doesn’t match up with Odette’s, and I kind of assumed he’s older, but I can’t quite figure out the actual number. Thanks! Still loving the whole ride and I’m hoping I can make it through the entire book eventually.

Why do people love Proust so much?

By DullSparrow10

So I’m thinking about giving up on my second try with *Swann’s Way*. I’ve been able to slog through some super boring books before, but I just can’t seem to get into *In Search of Lost Time*. A lot of people act like it’s one of the greatest things of the 20th century, and I admit the whole take on memory and time sounds interesting, but the story itself just isn’t keeping me interested. Has anyone here actually finished any of it (or all of it)? Was it worth pushing through?

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust [Literature](1913)

By SonnetHeadsman75

In *Swann’s Way* you can really feel the big Proust themes starting up right away, and then it sort of slips back into the narrator’s childhood around Paris and Combray—especially that whole bedtime-kiss memory with his mom, which is still the most vivid part for me. Then it moves into the narrator remembering his feelings for Gilberte, and from there you get the story of Swann and his obsession with Odette, plus how the Verdurins kind of rise into that nouveau riche world. Also, this English edition is supposed to be pretty well done—D. J. Enright revised Terence Kilmartin’s earlier version of Moncrieff’s translation, mainly to match the newer “final” French editions (with the last one coming out in 1989 by the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade).