Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
My rating: 4/5 cats
so i figured i would finally read me some proust, get in touch with my roots or whatnot. and i have to say, for my introduction, it was kind of a mixed bag. the first part i had real problems with. i am not a fan of precocious or sensitive children, so the whole first part was kind of a wash for me. i know, that’s terrible, right?? here is this Monument of Great Literature, and i am annoyed, as though i were watching some children’s production of oklahoma, or any musical, really (shudder). there are some truly beautiful moments in it, though—the varnish scene, those madeleines, the little secret room…and the transitions between these memories are so well-executed, you don’t even really feel like you are reading them, you are just kind of flowing along with the words. but when he started hugging the flowers goodbye and crying because he was going to miss them, i’m a monster, really, i was so full of eye-rolling, it was almost seizing. seriously—buy the kid a football. but then the second part—ah—here’s where i understand it! such minute and perfect details. such insight into love and obsession and betrayal. it was like high school, but only the really painful first-love bits. i’m looking forward to reading the rest of these, but i need a break and some sensitivity training first.
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