A lovely translation of a story that wearied me. . . if Charles Swann was a tree, he's a willow in the wind, dithering this way and that. Ego-centric and all about him, Odette de Crecy is of his ilk but they are not on the same wave-length.

Oh, so many mixed metaphors. My apologies.

Last of all. . .I was unaware how very needful paragraphs are in giving this Reader a sense of progress and organization of ideation.

*A sincere thank you to M. Proust, Pushkin Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #SwanninLovDeluxeEdition #NetGalley

If you’ve studied literature or are a bibliophile, chances are you’ve heard the name Proust and maybe even know what he’s famous for: his multi-volume novel In Search of Lost Time, which totals an appalling 4,200 pages. So I’ve been curious about old Marcel for a number of years now but never read him - until now. And: never again! Proust is… ghastly! Ugh, what a horrid chore to slog through this garbage heap of a book!

Swann in Love is apparently “the perfect introduction to Proust” (it must be true, it’s in the title!), which is a more-or-less self-contained chunk taken out of the first volume in the saga, Swann’s Way. It’s about Proust’s protagonist Charles Swann (a thinly-fictionalised version of the author) falling in and out of love with a woman called Odette - and that’s basically it.

What you expect to find in a romance story is here: the courtship, the joy, the cooling-down over time, arguments, break-up, making-up, and so on. It’s a very ordinary and unremarkable story. Rubbish, boring story aside, what’ll really send you to sleep is Proust’s abominable prose. Multi-clause, double-barrelled, never-ending sentences that sprawl across the page like visual migraines that form paragraphs, sometimes even half the sodding page! He’s not even saying anything interesting - it’s usually just random waffling about nothing inserted into a description of a banal action that didn’t need to be described to begin with!

“Witty” (thanks again to the ad copy for that one) this ain’t; tedious doesn’t even cover it. You’ll need the patience of several saints to claw your way through one insufferable page after another.

I sometimes talk to my dad about books. What’s odd is that he never recalls anything that happens in them. If we’ve read the same book, I’ll mention some scenes or characters and then he’ll remember but he doesn’t recall them independently. I asked him why and he says that he doesn’t really care about story - he reads purely for language.

And I’m sure he’s not the only nutter like this. Just knowing that there are lifelong readers who view novels so differently from me - who reads for entertainment so that narrative is central to my enjoyment of a book - perhaps explains the reputation of writers like Proust. I despised the prose but maybe to someone who reads exclusively for complex and elaborate sentence structure, baby it’s the best? Those are literally the only people I see getting anything out of this and any other book by Proust.

All I can say is that I’m glad I finally experienced Proust but that I can confidently state that I will never, ever, everrrrr read any more, let alone the entirety, of In Search of Lost Time. Maybe if you’re a literary masochist like me, then Swann in Love might be the one to read (it’s a quarter of the length of Swann’s Way), but know that you’re only letting yourself in for an incredibly frustrating and trying experience. I don’t think it’s worth it. You can live your whole life without inflicting Proust onto yourself. It’ll be a better life too.

Oh thank god it’s all over!

Oh proust, i have a hard time reading you but im amazed. I do think i need to reread this bcus most of the time, the sentences just flew by my head cuz im barely processing or understand the writing. However, the story was still twisted and interesting

I hadn't read any Proust before so was intrigued when I saw this new deluxe edition. I enjoyed but didn't love this classic but that may have just been mu expectations rather than the novel itself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

This fine and perceptive new translation of Proust's novella, an extract from his larger work, is a perfect way for a new reader to approach and appreciate, (or not), Proust.

In my quest to read more classics, I thought, hmm, Proust--I know nothing about it, so let's do it. There are some lovely passages for the lovesick and the brokenhearted, and some humor sprinkled in. That said, it's not for me. (Recommended for Jane Austen fans?) The characters are unlikeable and overall, this seemed agonizingly long. I did learn that "cattleya" was used by Proust to mean "amorous fondling", which is hilarious now that it's an orchid that people name their daughters after.

As a beginner to Proust's work, this beautiful and fresh translation helped me get into the Proustian universe. Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

I just could not get into this. I know it is meant to be a classic. I have read many classics but could not get interested.

A stunning deluxe edition of the stand-alone novella from Proust’s masterpiece—an intoxicatingly witty story of infatuation and jealousy—delivers the most memorable reading experience

Reading In Search of Lost Time is a massive undertaking in itself. This novella is a good introduction into the writing style of Proust. He was a man fond of giving great detail. At times, feeling like infinite minute detail.

I was hoping I’d enjoy this more,I’ve never read Proust before. The story of Swann and his obsessive love for Odette (neither his class or in the end even his type!) coincides with his obsessive love for a piece of music. Jealousy, art, snobbery, class and some humour made this an interesting read for me.

DNF, I couldn't find myself getting into the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

If you feel intimidated by or are not sure about starting Proust’s monumental In Search of Lost Time, like I was, Swann in Love is a perfect way to get introduced to his prose and thus make up your mind if that’s an author for you. The text is actually a part of Swann’s Way (the first volume of In Search of Lost Time) but can be read as a perfect standalone novella. It’s not a plot-based story but instead a circular, stream-of-consciousness study on love as a fluid, memory-triggered state of mind and its relation to art, especially music, all set against the backdrop of fin de siècle France.

The writing instantly made me think of Virginia Woolf, which I love – rewarding but demanding some focus and time. I don’t think Proust’s writing is for everyone, but it definitely worked for me and I cannot wait to dive into the famous 7-volume series next. I’ve read the new translation by Lucy Raitz (coming out later this year as Deluxe Edition by Pushkin Press) which I found very readable and engaging. 5 out of 5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC.

This book just wasn't for me: I didn't like any of the characters, their motivations didn't make any sense to me, and it just dragged on forever.

Sumptuous…
A new translation in this sumptuous, deluxe edition of Proust’s novella. Set against a nineteenth century Paris, Charles Swann is seemingly a man of great culture and aspiration but is suddenly and brutally thrust into turmoil when he falls in love with Odette de Crecy. This tale of the illusion and delusion of love and desire burst with a full social satire of the time through a journey of fantasy and unreality and often ridiculous comedy. A beautifully done edition.

Proust's novel portrays this specific kind of love that can truly change a human being and his/her outlook on life.

<i>Swann though didn’t try to find beauty in the women he spent time with, but to spend time with women whom he had first found beautiful.</i>

Filled with a plethora of art genres and musical interludes from the likes of Debussy, Liszt, Chopin, and Wagner, this is an incredible story of Parisian romantic idealism and self-discovery through experiencing the sheer joy yet abject failure that together form the paradox of love.
Witty, non-conformist and poignant, Proust's masterful, authentic and sardonic work offers us an intriguing insight into a world rarely seen in Victorian literature - positively risqué and full of surprises.

(*This review refers to the Deluxe Edition published in September 2022 and translated from the French version by Lucy Raitz).

My thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC.