Marcel Proust

[NoJo]

No, I haven't read him either.

Up till yesterday all my knowledge of him came from the references to him in a funny Monty Python sketch where contestants in a tacky game show have to précis his 1.5 million word novel in 5 seconds.

But over the last two days I've read a brilliant biography of him which has almost enticed me to attempt reading his magnum opus, the seven volume sprawling story, "In search of Lost time".

I was struck by a quote from it:

Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind.

I get what he's saying.

Anyone here attempted to read any of his writing?

 

[oggbashan]

Yes.

When I had taken my final school examinations including French, I had to attend school for three more weeks with nothing to do but use the library.

I read the whole thing - in French. I had read some extracts from it before then, but now I had time to read it in full.

I wasn't impressed. As soon as I had finished Proust I moved on to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. That was much more interesting.

 

[Handley_Page]

Has Reader's Digest done a version of Proust ?