In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: A Graphic Novel

I first encountered Marcel Proust in a college classroom. I have since read the entire series of In Search of Lost Time on two occasions. I have read Swann's Way the first book in the set three times. It is a difficult book to read in translation due to Proust's very long sentences, incredible detail and intricate knowledge of all things French, artistic, philosophical and poetic! The tubercular Marcel Proust (1871-1922) is a literary genius and his work is one of literature's essentials. Alas and Alack! Most Americans do not read Proust. This graphic novel by Stephane Heuet serves a great resource to engender a love of the Proustian world for students and those unfamiliar with his work. As an old Proust fan I enjoyed the 200+ page book due to its reacquainting me with the story of the sensitive narrator from Combray and his infatuation with life and love. The book is divided into three parts in the graphic novel and in the original French book by Proust:Part I-A brilliant evocative portrait of the French village of Combray where the narrator grew to adulthood. He tells us of the sights and sounds of provincial France and introduces us to his wealthy family's eccentric friends and relatives.Part II-Swann in Love tells the story of the aristocratic Charles Swann and Odette the fallen women with whom he loves.Part III-Names deals with the narrator's growing love for the daughter of Swann. This book is an excellent work which would make a great gift to anyone who loves art or literature.

As someone who is not a professor of literature nor a literary critic, I realize that going into writing a review for a send-off of such a monumental novel is arduous at best.However, I can concisely express an opinion on this book:If In Search of Lost Time were a bakery full of cakes, pies and pastries, this illustrated version of Swann's Way would be a spoonfull of icing.If you have never read Swann's Way, you'll probably find this version to be charming, perhaps even enchanting. However, if you have read Swann's Way, you'll feel like you're watching a DVD on fast forward.The illustrated book only touches on the very aesthetic portions of Swann's Way. There is none of Proust's intricate teasing of the language like a feather tossed about in the summer breeze. It tells the story in summary, as if you'd asked your nanny to read to you Goldilocks and the Three Bears and she grunted "fine, it's the middle bear. The moral is moderation. Now go to sleep."It's very much "the movie is garbage if you've read the book" syndrome.That said: If you've never read Swann's Way, I encourage you to do so using any of the most popular translations, or if possible, in the native French.I've been reading it for over 2 years and I'm about halfway through. And no, I'm not ashamed that it's taking so long. Books of the era were designed that way; they were designed for people who might only be able to afford to buy one book in an entire year, or two years. Like a solo through hike, novels of this accord are meant to be experiences of reflection, self evaluation and observation.

Bottom Line:Not the same as reading the original, but the art work alone makes this a valuable addition to your library. I have a much better Idea of what I am missing by not reading the full text. This is recommended as better than a Readers Digest but not a full on replacement.Many years ago, and only because it was required reading I attempted the first volume of Marcel Proust’ In Search of Lost Time/ Swan’s Way. The experience taught me that I was not up to every author I attempted. I was humbled and deterred from ever again attempting Marcel Proust. A few years back I read his short, pastiche  The Lemoine Affair (The Art of the Novella) Proust in this book he manages to make fun of himself and to satirize a number of his contemporaries. I cannot claim to have understood everyone targeted but the man’s good humor and ability to tweak his targets made for a fun read.As soon as I saw this graphic novel version, what the publishers call ComicArt of Proust’s epic reinvention of the modern novel, I made the decision that this was a wayto get some idea of what had previous defeated me. No one reading the graphic novel should claim to have read the book, but with it I feel that I have achieved my goal of getting beyond the famous memory inspiring madeleine. This book serves as a rich sample of what the actual read will be with the constant reward of highly crafted, richly embellished comic art.As to the quality of Arthor Goldhammer’s translation I can make on general statements. I was never conscious of the kinds of translator short cuts as terms with little or no meaning to an English reader may or may not get switched out for either a bald term or one that would have carried no meaning with the original author. The text does contain a number of the Proust’s signature sentences structure, lexical arabesques and complexities. There are any number of a conceits and lessor metaphors that I had to take on faith. Several pages of the young narrator’s feverish hopes of a tour of the European mainland left me more confused than inspired.Elsewhere there is a lyrical description of a ride to Martinville –le-Sec. A trick of the road causes the town church steeples of Matinville and neighboring Vieuxvicq to appear to “change places.” The text conveys the child’s wonderment and the art work eloquently duplicates the intended effect of the text.And the art work. The drawings of Stephane Heuet make this book. Finely detailed drawing insure our attentions to the details that Proust would us to especially note. Faces, food, architecture, the infinity of the details of fin de siècle France among the upper middle class. Lessor characters and lessor locations get a more classically simple finished comic rendition.The issue of class. Much of this book chronicles the life of their neighbor Swan. The road from home to town can be by passage in front of Swan’s estates, Swan’s Way. We are advised of his ‘inappropriate marriage”. We see every moment of his spiral out of his ready access to the higher society where he had been welcome. We watch his troublesome love affair that keeps him with a lady of the demimonde. She will use him for entre into upper middle class or a social climbers or at a least socially pretentious clique. Watching Swan became an exercise like unto the grind house movie where you want to shout at the teen ager to no go alone into the dark Only Swan is a boulevardier, a sophisticate and knows better while not acting better than a besotted man.I was not prepared for the implied sex in the text. Here punctuated by the occasionally indiscreet drawing. Perhaps I was less aware of what complexities Proust was hiding in his complex sentences. Nothing here that is scandalous, but a few cartoons that some parents and the much more easily offend may wish to be wary.

I first learned of this book from the New York Times Book review. The author worked over years to prepare a graphic representation and an edited version of Swan's Way. The book is controversial, especially among Proust purists. But, I would not have discovered the beauty of Proust without this volume. Now I am moving to the orginal.work, just as this author intended. The detail in the drawings is marvelous.This is a hard bound, large format book which ain't made for bed reading. Enjoy it in your favorite chair..

A marvellous book. If you have any of those apologetic people in your circle who keep meaning to read Proust, but don't, call their bluff with a recommendation or a present of this brilliant version of Swann's Way, in its three parts, Combray, Swann in Love, Place Names, with the addition of a gallery of characters and Proust's own family tree. The illustrations are truly authentic - meaning they follow the text to the letter as well as reproducing the atmosphere of Fin de siecle France.The reader is aware of a considerable compression into what in English is known as a 'comic strip' - an unfortunate translation of the French 'Bandes Dessinees'. These 'bandes' can explain things to people who have already read the book, as well as introduce personalities and ideas to new readers. Don't worry about Proust's reputation for depravity. You can give this volume to your grandmother and to your grandchildren, and they will come to understand all the famous incidents such as the tasting of the madeleine, Marcel's long waits for his mother's goodnight kiss, and Swann's heartfelt cry of despair on realising that he'd given the best years of his life to a woman who was not his type!

Most of us remember the Madeleine cake. This book will bring us through Swann's way where it all starts. The drawings are Perfect. Maybe we will get the Whole "saga" over time. Then all of us will know and enjoy "In search of lost time".

A great way to begin appreciating this author and a quality book.

A joy to read - it illustrates well and illuminated key elements of the novel

A great introduction to Proust for those who can't face the challenge of the volumes of densely written prose. I hope that their will be a sequel covering the subsequent volumes.