Un Amour de Swan by Marcel Proust

 Un Amour de Swan by Marcel Proust


 

A La Recherche du Temps Perdu is for me the greatest book I came across. I was surprised to see that on the Le Monde list of best books it came only second, even if I love L’Etranger, which was placed at number one.

 

The first time I saw a book by Proust was in the house of a teacher. A math teacher. Starting to read Proust at 17 was a challenge, indeed- it still is. Apart from finding the book, the length of some phrases-extending over a few pages sometimes- a serious challenge- I got influenced by some of the views expressed by Proust on women, love, betrayal. Alain de Botton has a book: How Proust can change your life. I can say it changed mine.

Ever since I was 17, I‘ve read Proust. Not every week, not even every year. It has been on my mind and /or with me in odd places. Once, on a summer holiday, I remember reading from Proust in Herculane, in a green pasture, not far from the hotel. Later, in Rosenau, I had some audio book version, read by Trintignant, one of my favorite actors. I do not have that any more.
Recently, I have embarked on this challenging and rewarding journey. I only wish I could feel the same excitement, pleasure and bong with Joyce. Quite a number of critics say that Ulysses is the best book written, but I could not find the gumption, so far, to finish it. Started- Yes.

I also remember the shock of finding out that Proust was gay. How could he write so well about women? I think that he writes somewhere in A La Recherche that gay men are not really men, but women…No matter, he changed my perspectives on almost everything: I am in favor of gay marriage and appreciate (where in the past I was kind of appalled) gay special qualities, acute sensitiveness, different understanding...
In one place he writes about the happiness of finding out, in a work of a favorite author, one of his own opinions…I share this thought and the pleasure on …facebook and my blog.

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