Customer Reviews

Who's Who In Proust

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I have been reading Proust's novel for a while now but I sometimes have to put it down for months at a time to read other books. When I pick it up again it is often very difficult to remember who some of the characters are, where we last heard of them and how they fitted in to the story. This slim, easy-to use volume is the perfect companion to have alongside for reference.

Alexander's fresh, informal but highly informative style is a pleasure to read. In addition to Proust's characters he provides valuable geographical information and a clear social context of the period. He has a clear knowledge of French history, society and contemporary literature.

This book is a very useful resource for all lovers of Proust

There are so many characters in Proust's novel that I can never remember who they are. My problem is that I sometimes go weeks or even months without having time to read the novel so when I pick it up again I am totally lost. On top of that, they all seem to have a variety of different names - Like Charlus is sometimes Palamède, or The Baron, or Meme. It's really confusing. Who's Who in Proust makes it all so much easier and now I just flip through the alphabetical list to remind myself of who's who.

I've always had this problem with 19th century European novels - especially the Russians - I can never remember all the names. Even if I recognize a name, I can't remember who that person is or how they relate to other people in the book. Proust's novel - with 400 characters was just a nightmare. I spent more time trying to remind myself of the characters than in following the story. "Who's Who in Proust" has changed my life. I keep it beside my bed and it is always there when a new character appears - or when an old one reappears. Now I can focus on the plot!

Warning: do not start reading this book because you won't be able to put it down. Having all the characters - their background, their role and their relationship in Proust's novel - at one's immediate disposal is not only very helpful, but also addictively informative.

The contents of this book have been incorporated into the author's new book, Marcel Proust's Search for Lost Time: A Reader's Guide to The Remembrance of Things Past. That new book contains an expanded version of this book PLUS abundant additional material, and is selling right now for just $10.85. Quite a bargain! So there's no need to break the bank for a copy of this slender paperback.