In Search Of Lost Times Volume 1 (Everyman's Library CLASSICS) Hardcover – International Edition, 29 Jun. 2001

Proust the master! Incredible edition

Marcel Proust is an unsurpassed observer of human nature, many will identify with his remarks. Different people will see reflections of themselves in different passages, Proust's writting makes everybody feel as if looking in the mirror and you will have an altered perception of yourself after reading the "Search of lost time". This book is also a unique opportunity to be introduced to some of the greatest works of art of the western civilization through the way that the author experiences them and reconstructs them in his everyday life. This is applied art and it is one of Proust's gifts. The other is that he will make you feel happy for being alive, his attitude towards life is so positive, what a pleasure-seeking and fun-loving person that he was. He transmits that through his art.I recommend this edition of Proust, the translation is of very high standards. I believe that the complexity of the author's sentences and his challenging syntax are allowed to shine. Amazing manipulation of language, Proust was an extraordinarily educated man and the words chosen by Moncrieff and Kilmartin are so special, again they allow the airy and higly elaborated writing of Proust to manifest itself.

Whilst not as hard as some reviewers have made it out to be (I especially enjoyed the pieces of gossip between characters, something Proust should have done more of), this book is a challenge.It is not a book that can be devoured in a single sitting, nor do I think that was ever the intention of the author. Proust forces the reader to take their time, making sure that every word is understood before moving on. This can be a little frustrating at times (be prepared for descriptions of buildings taking upwards of 6 pages). Perhaps the element that most modern readers will be most unfamiliar with is the way in which Proust crafts sentences. He is not a fan of full stops and the reader will often find themselves reading upwards of 20 lines of text without a full stop.Proust has the reputation of being the ultimate reading challenge and I believe this is entirely warranted. If you like a challenge, give it a go. Although don't feel defeated if it beats you, this book is not the easiest of reads. There is way more description than plot, this is not a page turner.