Customer Reviews

Remembrance of Things Past: Combray (Remembrance of Things Past) (Vol 1)

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Stephane Heuet successfully adapts Marcel Proust's Remembrance Of Things Past into the format of a graphic novel in the first volume of a planned 12 volume series. The result is an impressive work that will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to an outstanding example of French literature. Indeed, it was Proust's cogent and discerning observations that in the hands of graphic artist Stephane Heuet that provides today's readers with a revealing and engaging examination of a time when life was more bucolic, less stressful, and contemplation friendly than life today. This NBM edition of Remembrance Of Things Past is highly recommended for all graphic novel fans in general, and Marcel Proust enthusiasts in particular!

How incredible to find my much beloved Proust placed in my equally beloved comics format! At last, the astoundingly complex and beautiful novel is being made more accessible to the masses. The simplistic Eurocomics style is perfect in the uncomplicating process. Heuet has quite adroitly whittled away to the essence. This can hopefully serve as an introduction to the masterwork; at very least, it will acquaint more with what may indeed be the greatest novel of the 20th Century. I was particularly pleased at the attention paid to Proust's droll humor. Can't wait for the next installment. A profound addition to the often mundane plethora of graphic novels.

Stephane Heuet, Remembrance of Things Past: Combray (ComicsLit, 1998)

Stephane Heuet has taken on the unenviable, and quite Herculean, task of adapting Marcel Proust's vast Remembrance of Things Past and adapting it into graphic novel form. Combray, the opening part of the novel Swann's Way, is the first offering in the series.

This is not your typical graphic novel, but then one would be hard-pressed to adapt Remembrance... in traditional graphic novel form. There's a whole lot of exposition, and many pretty pictures, and very little dialogue. Heuet's people look more than a tad like Herge's, which has me constantly wondering when Snowy and the Captain are going to barge into any given scene, but that's a minor distraction. The story is-- obviously-- abridged, but it still serves, so far, as a fine introduction to Proust for, say, the high-school set. ***

I'm rather surprised that there's been no one so far who pointed out the book's way of abridging Proust that often verges on distortion. One of the more serious cases of this occurs on p. 41, as to Swann's peculiar linguistic habit. It is taken from p. 135 of Modern Library's Swann's Way, and here, it is about how Swann took care to speak with quotation marks in place whenever he discussed things that seemed important to him. To speak of things that would normally matter, not least to himself, as if he's merely relaying the general opinion on them, such was Swann's way of ironically calling attention to an important topic, without declaring any personal allegiance on his part to it.

In this particular instance, none of the irony and subtlety the original has remains in Heuet's adapation. Here, it is made out as if Swann doesn't have the confidence to speak his thoughts without quotation marks, and in good times that may come, he would finally learn to do so. Ridiculous! But then, it may be only natural that simplification of this severity should end up in distortion.

For the first time, Marguerite (11), Louis (16) did understand and appreciate what Proust means for the rest of us! When I brought them to Illiers (the actual name of Combray village, near Chartres)we asked the "boulanger" for "Proust-madeleine" cakes. But he does not make them anymore. Some shops are for sale, there. Maybe one of Amazon.com readers should settle down and start a "Proust-cake" business there. This book is terrific because the graphics are as "bon-goût" as the text.

As a slow reader, I always favored "bande desinees" [graphic novels]. At the annual picnic of my wife's employer, the french dept of a university, I can finally converse with her collegues and actually sound smart. I can even, what can I say, run for Presidency 2008. Oops: that would overqualify me...

Really interesting. Maybe I should now challenge myself to read the real thing...