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À la recherche du temps perdu - Adaptation graphique #1&4-6
In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way, Graphic Novel
This graphic adaptation reveals the fundamental architecture of Proust's work while displaying a remarkable fidelity to his language as well as the novel's themes of time, art, and the elusiveness of memory.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2013
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768 people want to read
About the author
Stéphane Heuet
30 books35 followersStéphane Heuet is a French comic artist who is seven volumes into his comic adaptation of In Search of Lost Time. He lives in Paris.
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February 19, 2016this is the absolute only way I am ever going to read Proust
November 21, 2020
Le moins qu’on puisse dire est que Stéphane Heuet a de l’ambition. Adapter la Recherche de Proust en bande dessinée n’est pas une mince affaire. Et ce volume n’est, en principe, qu’un début (certes, démarré en 1998 !), c’est-à-dire l’adaptation du premier tome, Du côté de chez Swann. A l’heure ou j’écris ceci, Heuet travaillerait à la publication de À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs en BD.
Ce projet a, évidemment, une vertu essentielle, celle de rendre le roman de Proust accessible à un public qui pourrait, peut-être assez justement, se sentir intimidé par l’original : roman de trois mille pages, écrit sur des phrases interminables, présentant des centaines de personnages, renvoyant sans cesse à des références culturelles souvent assez savantes, etc. La bande dessinée de Heuet, au contraire, fait passer la pilule en douceur : les épisodes de Swann sont illustrés de manière extrêmement fidèle et lisible, dans un style aplati, assez proche d’Hergé ou de Tardi, et les ruminations philosophiques de Proust sont réduites au strict nécessaire. Ce volume contient également une série de notes explicatives, une liste des personnages (présentés en médaillon, comme dans les pages interne de couverture des albums Tintin) et un plan de Paris au tournant du XXème siècle, avec indication des lieux où se passe l’action.
Reste toutefois que le dessin manque parfois de charme et d’originalité et est, finalement assez « scolaire », souvent encombré d’assez gros pavés de textes, tirés verbatim du roman. En fin de compte aussi, ce que l’on gagne en facilité de lecture on le perd en fluidité et en subtilité. En outre, la mise en image fixe le sens ou supprime, de manière assez impropre, le sous-texte, les éléments souvent suggérés ou connotés. Exemple flagrant, dans l’épisode célèbre de la séduction aux catleyas dans la voiture, entre Swann et Odette : le dessin s’avère complètement incapable de rendre les sous-entendus érotiques de la situation.
Ce projet a, évidemment, une vertu essentielle, celle de rendre le roman de Proust accessible à un public qui pourrait, peut-être assez justement, se sentir intimidé par l’original : roman de trois mille pages, écrit sur des phrases interminables, présentant des centaines de personnages, renvoyant sans cesse à des références culturelles souvent assez savantes, etc. La bande dessinée de Heuet, au contraire, fait passer la pilule en douceur : les épisodes de Swann sont illustrés de manière extrêmement fidèle et lisible, dans un style aplati, assez proche d’Hergé ou de Tardi, et les ruminations philosophiques de Proust sont réduites au strict nécessaire. Ce volume contient également une série de notes explicatives, une liste des personnages (présentés en médaillon, comme dans les pages interne de couverture des albums Tintin) et un plan de Paris au tournant du XXème siècle, avec indication des lieux où se passe l’action.
Reste toutefois que le dessin manque parfois de charme et d’originalité et est, finalement assez « scolaire », souvent encombré d’assez gros pavés de textes, tirés verbatim du roman. En fin de compte aussi, ce que l’on gagne en facilité de lecture on le perd en fluidité et en subtilité. En outre, la mise en image fixe le sens ou supprime, de manière assez impropre, le sous-texte, les éléments souvent suggérés ou connotés. Exemple flagrant, dans l’épisode célèbre de la séduction aux catleyas dans la voiture, entre Swann et Odette : le dessin s’avère complètement incapable de rendre les sous-entendus érotiques de la situation.
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January 11, 2018Imagine an entire orchestra reduced to a single piano. That is the best way to explain a graphic adaptation of Swann's Way. I am in my final week of my English M.A. and thought "what a great time to tackle Proust!" If anything, reading this version convinced me that À la recherche du temps perdu is well worth my time.
There is a special place in my heart for graphic adaptations of classic literature. What a way to open up a previously inaccessible masterpiece.
There is a special place in my heart for graphic adaptations of classic literature. What a way to open up a previously inaccessible masterpiece.
January 31, 2016
This is a wonderful, relaxing, entertaining and dreamy story.
The graphics are amazing. They are detailed, wonderfully coloured, bring to them the feeling and intention of Proust's words. The graphics of the longer descriptive sections of Swann's Way are remarkably done and take you through what would have read as long passages and showing the detail and beauty of what Proust was describing.
Throughout, Proust's words are quoted verbatim with Stephanie Heuet's words between them Her words are in the style and feel of Proust, getting his thoughts and story into these pages while condensing his prose (as required in a graphic situation).
While I would not recommend this as a replacement for reading Swann's Way, it is a good additional read or a refresher. It brings to the reader the memory of the beauty of Proust's prose while not losing the intent and beauty of the story.
Highly recommended to those who have already read Swann's Way.
The graphics are amazing. They are detailed, wonderfully coloured, bring to them the feeling and intention of Proust's words. The graphics of the longer descriptive sections of Swann's Way are remarkably done and take you through what would have read as long passages and showing the detail and beauty of what Proust was describing.
Throughout, Proust's words are quoted verbatim with Stephanie Heuet's words between them Her words are in the style and feel of Proust, getting his thoughts and story into these pages while condensing his prose (as required in a graphic situation).
While I would not recommend this as a replacement for reading Swann's Way, it is a good additional read or a refresher. It brings to the reader the memory of the beauty of Proust's prose while not losing the intent and beauty of the story.
Highly recommended to those who have already read Swann's Way.
December 5, 2020
A great graphic novel that simplifies Proust’s complex novel. For me the book was about how we perceive reality through our memories. It was also how we identify people, objects and places. I was made to think what memories I associate with taste when reading about Swann and his drinking of tea as well as sound from the sonata he loved.
I find it interesting the association of memories with taste and smell. White asparagus in Holland, sashimi in Japan, strawberries in New Zealand and pancakes and maple syrup in Canada. Place and association of landmarks was interesting to ponder. Vancouver for me is Stanley Park, Sydney the bridge and opera house, Berlin the Brandenburg gate, Washington DC the White House, Auckland is Rangitoto Island and the list goes on with each linked to memories. How accurate I cannot say but I find myself questioning if I am remembering accurately or embellishing!
I find it interesting the association of memories with taste and smell. White asparagus in Holland, sashimi in Japan, strawberries in New Zealand and pancakes and maple syrup in Canada. Place and association of landmarks was interesting to ponder. Vancouver for me is Stanley Park, Sydney the bridge and opera house, Berlin the Brandenburg gate, Washington DC the White House, Auckland is Rangitoto Island and the list goes on with each linked to memories. How accurate I cannot say but I find myself questioning if I am remembering accurately or embellishing!
August 9, 2015
Many years ago I read Proust, the whole thing, as some sort of self-challenge. I remember that while reading it there were sentences, lengthy yes, but that were so beautiful and so profound I sighed longingly after them. However, here's the thing about Proust: I have no idea what it was about. It's all very vague and fractured, like a half-remembered dream. And this is not time talking; I felt that way right after reading it. There's madeleine cakes and neighbors and some Jewish elements and two men in a barn somewhere and playing in the middle of Champs-Élysées and an unfortunate marriage, but I could not begin to tell you what order these events occurred in. I could also never figure out how old all these people where supposed to be. I thought it was me until I read Adam Gopnik's wonderful Paris to the Moon, and he talks about these exact issues. This wonderful - and beautiful- graphic novel solves many of those problems. I'm not normally a fan of abridged works - and, by necessity, that's what this is - but in this case it distills Proust down to his purest form. The beautiful language is kept intact, the most beautiful sentences included verbatim, but all the less-lovely and unnecessary bits are left out. You can see the action, see the age of the characters. It's simply brilliant. It's still not an easy read; even distilled Proust is still Proust. Look at it for the visuals alone, if nothing else. Almost every frame is a tiny work of art . . . the beauty of Paris, the beauty of famous works of art, the beauty of one's imagination, and, of course, the beauty of one's memories.
January 13, 2019
Did Not Finish. The art in general is beautiful, landscapes and architecture and objects. However, as odd as it sounds, I couldn't even read the panels because of the horrible way in which the characters are drawn, especially their faces and expressions. I’m serious, any 3 year old could probably do a better job than that. What happened? Is it a particular “style”? Who came up with that brilliant idea? I’m so puzzled.
Also, far too much text for a graphic novel, splattered on the page in a heavy way. They should have made it more concise, or not done this at all.
Also, far too much text for a graphic novel, splattered on the page in a heavy way. They should have made it more concise, or not done this at all.
February 7, 2017
Clean, yet simultaneously rich illustrations, done in the ligne claire style, pioneered by Hergé. What I've been told is a fairly faithful and just rendition of the original.
All the insight and ruminations that make Proust Proust.
Almost makes me believe I might not need to read the original.
All the insight and ruminations that make Proust Proust.
Almost makes me believe I might not need to read the original.
December 22, 2021
I FINALLY finished.
By the end I had grown an appreciation for the whole project. The creator's art had grown on me and he did a solid job adapting the challenging project. Yet, I was very often confused so I would have told it in different chronological order that would've help me better understand. Loose details come together eventually but it's annoying. I would read certain panels two-three times before I got, or thought I got, the meaning.
_________________
This was stuff I wrote a while ago:
Once I got through insufferable pre-teen Proust and into "Swann in Love" EVERYTHING CHANGED in the best possible way! The events are right before he was born so it seems that I like his work of adaptation (from what's known about Swann) MUCH better than his autobiographical whimsies so far.
__________________________
My rating of the ADAPTATION will be DRASTICALLY different from my opinion of the work that has been adapted because I hated reading this tripe- appreciating one's writing stylistically does not overcome my disgust of the subject matter and personality of the writer. I'd prefer to delete this prim and preposterous ponce from MY memories!
The way he talks constantly about the agony of any length of separation (in the same house) from his mother and grandmother is nauseating!
"WHAT A MILK-SOP!":
Proust, while narrating his early childhood, brought that term out of me, for the first time, in vocal aggression- which I found interesting because I've never heard it in conversation since my only exposure is from Kafka's self-flagellating pen. I opened to where I left off only to promptly close the book a page or so later on two or three occasions after my first session because I was so disgusted by the very young Proust. What a sissy- he made me queasy with his pathetically delicate constitution!
The book finally blossomed when characters that weren't in his family and didn't resembled them in baring began entering at a rapid rate excepting his "scandalous" Uncle who didn't fit the family mold and was banned from their company as he was the only one of them that I didn't firmly dislike. My favorites were those that would be termed "peasants" by them and those who didn't take on holier-than-thou "airs" specifically the engineer who left Paris for weekends in Combray.
A particularly rankly uppity boy that Proust was friends did, however, share this viewpoint with me- so much so that it perfectly describes me in both opinion and action:
"I never allow myself to be disturbed by the influences of the atmosphere or conventional units of time. I would readily allow the use of the opium pipe and Malaysian kris, but I know nothing of the use of those far more pernicious and abjectly bourgeois instruments, the pocket watch and umbrella."
I don't even own an umbrella and only wear, in the right circumstances, a rare Frank Lloyd Wright styled watch for the fashion of it- on the occasion that someone asks me for the time I notice that it's exactly an hour ahead or behind, depending on the season, as often as it displays the correct time. I also had quite the history with opiates but with a dedicated recovery I'm presently over five and a half years removed from their vice grip.
Before continuing I must vehemently declare:
I DETEST the majority of the family, even the head servant who her own brand of vileness, in a way that will stick with me whenever Proust comes to mind. They represent everything I hate about "aristocracy" which I do not term by financial holdings but by the way they view OTHER people and life in general by standards that are obnoxious, ill-considered and a virus within decent society. I speak of the difference between those with (moldy) "old money" and inferred social rank as opposed to those who prosper financially, even if by inheritance, but retain their humanity. Proust's family, a near-perfect example of the former, DISGUST me immensely.
Being from a (comparatively) "poor" family, like the recruited athletes, in the prep schools I attended made me very aware of the differences between what "viewpoints" are necessary to retain wealth and those reprehensible ones that have no value and are the pastime of those who are putrid and lacking in soul that are so easily passed to their peers with narrow minds and "honorably" nurtured to be passed on to their children. Those monsters SHAMELESSLY perpetrate and procreate such horrors under the guise of wealth's necessity and from the ignorance of not thinking outside of their sphere once they, after a childhood under the yoke of their parents' world, are exposed to those outside of it.
HERE'S THE PARTITION BETWEEN BOOKS ONE AND 4-6
Books two and three are annoyingly absent from this edition. I read them as separate hardcover albums.
By the end I had grown an appreciation for the whole project. The creator's art had grown on me and he did a solid job adapting the challenging project. Yet, I was very often confused so I would have told it in different chronological order that would've help me better understand. Loose details come together eventually but it's annoying. I would read certain panels two-three times before I got, or thought I got, the meaning.
_________________
This was stuff I wrote a while ago:
Once I got through insufferable pre-teen Proust and into "Swann in Love" EVERYTHING CHANGED in the best possible way! The events are right before he was born so it seems that I like his work of adaptation (from what's known about Swann) MUCH better than his autobiographical whimsies so far.
__________________________
My rating of the ADAPTATION will be DRASTICALLY different from my opinion of the work that has been adapted because I hated reading this tripe- appreciating one's writing stylistically does not overcome my disgust of the subject matter and personality of the writer. I'd prefer to delete this prim and preposterous ponce from MY memories!
The way he talks constantly about the agony of any length of separation (in the same house) from his mother and grandmother is nauseating!
"WHAT A MILK-SOP!":
Proust, while narrating his early childhood, brought that term out of me, for the first time, in vocal aggression- which I found interesting because I've never heard it in conversation since my only exposure is from Kafka's self-flagellating pen. I opened to where I left off only to promptly close the book a page or so later on two or three occasions after my first session because I was so disgusted by the very young Proust. What a sissy- he made me queasy with his pathetically delicate constitution!
The book finally blossomed when characters that weren't in his family and didn't resembled them in baring began entering at a rapid rate excepting his "scandalous" Uncle who didn't fit the family mold and was banned from their company as he was the only one of them that I didn't firmly dislike. My favorites were those that would be termed "peasants" by them and those who didn't take on holier-than-thou "airs" specifically the engineer who left Paris for weekends in Combray.
A particularly rankly uppity boy that Proust was friends did, however, share this viewpoint with me- so much so that it perfectly describes me in both opinion and action:
"I never allow myself to be disturbed by the influences of the atmosphere or conventional units of time. I would readily allow the use of the opium pipe and Malaysian kris, but I know nothing of the use of those far more pernicious and abjectly bourgeois instruments, the pocket watch and umbrella."
I don't even own an umbrella and only wear, in the right circumstances, a rare Frank Lloyd Wright styled watch for the fashion of it- on the occasion that someone asks me for the time I notice that it's exactly an hour ahead or behind, depending on the season, as often as it displays the correct time. I also had quite the history with opiates but with a dedicated recovery I'm presently over five and a half years removed from their vice grip.
Before continuing I must vehemently declare:
I DETEST the majority of the family, even the head servant who her own brand of vileness, in a way that will stick with me whenever Proust comes to mind. They represent everything I hate about "aristocracy" which I do not term by financial holdings but by the way they view OTHER people and life in general by standards that are obnoxious, ill-considered and a virus within decent society. I speak of the difference between those with (moldy) "old money" and inferred social rank as opposed to those who prosper financially, even if by inheritance, but retain their humanity. Proust's family, a near-perfect example of the former, DISGUST me immensely.
Being from a (comparatively) "poor" family, like the recruited athletes, in the prep schools I attended made me very aware of the differences between what "viewpoints" are necessary to retain wealth and those reprehensible ones that have no value and are the pastime of those who are putrid and lacking in soul that are so easily passed to their peers with narrow minds and "honorably" nurtured to be passed on to their children. Those monsters SHAMELESSLY perpetrate and procreate such horrors under the guise of wealth's necessity and from the ignorance of not thinking outside of their sphere once they, after a childhood under the yoke of their parents' world, are exposed to those outside of it.
HERE'S THE PARTITION BETWEEN BOOKS ONE AND 4-6
Books two and three are annoyingly absent from this edition. I read them as separate hardcover albums.
July 19, 2019
Read the subtitle before you start telling me what an amazing reader I am. Full disclosure here: It's a graphic novel of Proust's mega-tome. I must say that it fully satisfied my desire to read Proust. I got the tone of it, the way Proust zooms into one moment so that you experience it in all its real-life complexity. Graphic novels, I admit, aren't my favorite genre; too often, I find the text reads banally when combined with cartoonish pictures. That did not happen here, perhaps because the text is too rich to be diluted in a graphic novel.
I recommend it, then. I recommend it for those of us who don't want to spend several years of our lives reading a single albeit highly praised novel. I recommend it for those of us who want to see what all the fuss is about. I can't say if this little graphic novel is a good substitute for the real thing (since I haven't cracked the real thing) but it felt good enough for me.
I recommend it, then. I recommend it for those of us who don't want to spend several years of our lives reading a single albeit highly praised novel. I recommend it for those of us who want to see what all the fuss is about. I can't say if this little graphic novel is a good substitute for the real thing (since I haven't cracked the real thing) but it felt good enough for me.
June 1, 2023
A remarkable adoption of Proust's "Swann's Way." This is not meant to replace reading the original Proust text, but Heuet's view of the grand tale and tells (and draws) it well.
Read my detailed commentary here: https://open.substack.com/pub/tosh/p/...
Read my detailed commentary here: https://open.substack.com/pub/tosh/p/...
November 20, 2020
201120: four years later and i have not read the next graphic or books again... still remember this one though, looked at again, maybe if i read french i would feel loss of technical aspects of writing, as is i like fine line drawing...
111016: i do not know if this rating is right- of course i love the writing, the extracts, the dialog- but this is all proust. i read him many years ago, probably 16 years (some 'book of the millennium' list). all seven volumes in translation. i read them in order, so this volume 1: swann's way, is buried under everything else read since, proust, bergson, lit crit. reading this the story became much more concise, ironies clear, rendering characters exact, but somehow too simple in parallels between swann and odette, marcel and gilberte. it made me want to go back and actually read him again!
having read and lived years since i first read it, increased my understanding of these characters, how complex, how engaging, how ironic and surprising. it no longer bothers me that so much happens in the head of the narrator. it did not in written form and it does not in graphic seem quite as pathetic but rather more perversely romantic that swann can revel in his jealousy and enjoy his diminished value, simply to odette, simply to the verdurins, and it is somewhat clearer to me what love is to marcel seen in this story from before his birth. and that all these people are wealthy and compete socially to the exclusion of any other values, well this only spurs me to read on... but this is only the first graphic: do i have to read the book again...?
and the names! and the images of dreams locating him! and the imagined nature of all those places he wants to go to, spurred by literature- parma, venice, florence- and the imagined nature of all those characters- madame swann, gilberte swann, swann himself!... damn i feel impatient for the next graphic...
so here is my review of the book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
111016: i do not know if this rating is right- of course i love the writing, the extracts, the dialog- but this is all proust. i read him many years ago, probably 16 years (some 'book of the millennium' list). all seven volumes in translation. i read them in order, so this volume 1: swann's way, is buried under everything else read since, proust, bergson, lit crit. reading this the story became much more concise, ironies clear, rendering characters exact, but somehow too simple in parallels between swann and odette, marcel and gilberte. it made me want to go back and actually read him again!
having read and lived years since i first read it, increased my understanding of these characters, how complex, how engaging, how ironic and surprising. it no longer bothers me that so much happens in the head of the narrator. it did not in written form and it does not in graphic seem quite as pathetic but rather more perversely romantic that swann can revel in his jealousy and enjoy his diminished value, simply to odette, simply to the verdurins, and it is somewhat clearer to me what love is to marcel seen in this story from before his birth. and that all these people are wealthy and compete socially to the exclusion of any other values, well this only spurs me to read on... but this is only the first graphic: do i have to read the book again...?
and the names! and the images of dreams locating him! and the imagined nature of all those places he wants to go to, spurred by literature- parma, venice, florence- and the imagined nature of all those characters- madame swann, gilberte swann, swann himself!... damn i feel impatient for the next graphic...
so here is my review of the book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
March 23, 2021
While I'm sure it's much easier to read than the original novel, I still found this to be fairly dense and the language/ideas very sophisticated at times. The art however is gorgeous- I love the colour pallet! On the whole, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would but could by no means say I loved it. I've heard this is a fairly accurate adaptation, so if you're interested in Proust but don't want to read the full thousands of pages, it may be worth checking out.
May 4, 2023
Content warning: allusion to lesbian relationships and pre-marital sex, prostitution
Read for my comics class.
This graphic novel is a condensed version of “Swann’s Way” by Marcel Proust. I’ve heard it’s an intense and thought provoking look at the tricks of memory, which seems very interesting. And I will give it this; the illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful in color, simplicity and detail. I can’t imagine how long this must have taken the artist. However, the story was less captivating. I really enjoyed the first section of this book, written from the perspective from the little boy Marcel, where he speaks about growing up in French Cambray and dreaming of travel and adventure. The last half of this book was also interesting because it described a childhood love and infatuation which is endearing and understandable. I can understand why this book is so beloved in its depiction of memory and how it plays tricks on us, melding truth and fiction in our minds.
However… I just don’t like the story! The majority of this book is filled with stories of Mr. Swann and his women, lovelorn escapades, and infatuation with Odette Crecy which eventually messes up his life. It’s a bit confusing even in this “dumbed down” version and all the different characters and names didn’t help my plight. I can understand why this is a classic and the whole series probably is moving, but it’s not for me and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Read for my comics class.
This graphic novel is a condensed version of “Swann’s Way” by Marcel Proust. I’ve heard it’s an intense and thought provoking look at the tricks of memory, which seems very interesting. And I will give it this; the illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful in color, simplicity and detail. I can’t imagine how long this must have taken the artist. However, the story was less captivating. I really enjoyed the first section of this book, written from the perspective from the little boy Marcel, where he speaks about growing up in French Cambray and dreaming of travel and adventure. The last half of this book was also interesting because it described a childhood love and infatuation which is endearing and understandable. I can understand why this book is so beloved in its depiction of memory and how it plays tricks on us, melding truth and fiction in our minds.
However… I just don’t like the story! The majority of this book is filled with stories of Mr. Swann and his women, lovelorn escapades, and infatuation with Odette Crecy which eventually messes up his life. It’s a bit confusing even in this “dumbed down” version and all the different characters and names didn’t help my plight. I can understand why this is a classic and the whole series probably is moving, but it’s not for me and I wouldn’t recommend it.
January 7, 2016
So there's at least 3 different aspects of this work that can be reviewed.
1) Proust's original story, which I haven't read. I was hoping for this to be a way of kind of easing into it... Instead, between this and a conversation with a well-read coworker, I think I'll mentally remove it from the "someday, maybe, in my lifetime" list. Boring, mostly; confusing, sometimes. Lots of rambling. Very wordy.
2) The translation, which I guess is good enough? But I'm not familiar with other translations or the original French to accurately judge. I know it bothered me that a certain piece of a song is referred to as a "phrase" when I feel like "melody" (or refrain or something) would have suited better; but again, not being familiar with the source, I don't know if this is accurate to the French, either in literal translation or intended wording.
3) The art, which is technically fine and lovely-- streets and buildings are well-done, and there's some nice pages interposing various senses and memories together, but I couldn't stand the overly-simplified way the people were drawn. Everyone looks either cartoony or sort of ugly. The color palette is a sort of faded, watercolor-y style with stark black lines to outline everything, and that's again, technically fine, but it's not to my taste.
Additionally, I really appreciate when graphic novel artists actually take advantage of the form to add to the story rather than simply attaching pictures to words like a glorified childrens' book. Now, a lot of this story is the narrator rambling on and on and people talking to each other interminably, which could make it hard to illustrate interestingly. And there is so very much narration--which, it occurs to me, perhaps suggests that this just wasn't a good choice to turn into a graphic novel in the first place. Alternately, it commits the sin of trying to stay too close to the original material when it needed, e.g. images progressively more complex to mimic the complex sentences found in Proust's telling. (Maybe some judicious editing to just drop some parts....)
On the plus side, it did have some helpful annotations in a glossary in the back that explained some of the terms or people/places/etc that are casually mentioned in the text, and that was nice. Sort of wish there were footnote markers in-text to make it easier to know when something in the narrative had further explanation, but I can understand why that wasn't done.
All in all, 2 stars, "it was ok."
1) Proust's original story, which I haven't read. I was hoping for this to be a way of kind of easing into it... Instead, between this and a conversation with a well-read coworker, I think I'll mentally remove it from the "someday, maybe, in my lifetime" list. Boring, mostly; confusing, sometimes. Lots of rambling. Very wordy.
2) The translation, which I guess is good enough? But I'm not familiar with other translations or the original French to accurately judge. I know it bothered me that a certain piece of a song is referred to as a "phrase" when I feel like "melody" (or refrain or something) would have suited better; but again, not being familiar with the source, I don't know if this is accurate to the French, either in literal translation or intended wording.
3) The art, which is technically fine and lovely-- streets and buildings are well-done, and there's some nice pages interposing various senses and memories together, but I couldn't stand the overly-simplified way the people were drawn. Everyone looks either cartoony or sort of ugly. The color palette is a sort of faded, watercolor-y style with stark black lines to outline everything, and that's again, technically fine, but it's not to my taste.
Additionally, I really appreciate when graphic novel artists actually take advantage of the form to add to the story rather than simply attaching pictures to words like a glorified childrens' book. Now, a lot of this story is the narrator rambling on and on and people talking to each other interminably, which could make it hard to illustrate interestingly. And there is so very much narration--which, it occurs to me, perhaps suggests that this just wasn't a good choice to turn into a graphic novel in the first place. Alternately, it commits the sin of trying to stay too close to the original material when it needed, e.g. images progressively more complex to mimic the complex sentences found in Proust's telling. (Maybe some judicious editing to just drop some parts....)
On the plus side, it did have some helpful annotations in a glossary in the back that explained some of the terms or people/places/etc that are casually mentioned in the text, and that was nice. Sort of wish there were footnote markers in-text to make it easier to know when something in the narrative had further explanation, but I can understand why that wasn't done.
All in all, 2 stars, "it was ok."
October 25, 2017
A graphic novel of Swann's Way. Hmm, that could easily go badly...but it doesn't. It is a real delight, in fact, and a nice adjunct to Proust's novel. So many of the things Proust writes about paint word-pictures of things: villages, gardens, architecture, artwork, clothes, flowers; having carefully observed illustrations of those things adds a new dimension of understanding and appreciation to the novel. It allowed me to experience Swann's Way afresh, luxuriating in the scenic and cultural details in a way that Proust's words could not fully convey. I would never recommend this as an alternative to reading Proust, nor would I recommend reading it before reading Proust. But it works wonderfully as a companion piece. One caveat: the drawings of the characters can be a little cartoonish, reminiscent of Tintin, say. Ultimately it is a matter of taste whether this is acceptable or sacrilege. For me, the value of seeing lovely rendering of the world in which the novel takes place more than offset the limitations in Heuet's renderings of the characters.
March 3, 2016
Thank you, thank you, Stéphane Heuet (and translator Arthur Goldhammer), for adapting critical sections of Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" in such a way that I can penetrate his genius! Believe me, I tried before. And I've been a little ashamed that I couldn't get into Proust. With the graphic-novel version's pictures (sometimes comical, sometimes beautiful) and many famous passages, I feel like I have finally got some exposure to the great man. I loved the incisive satire of self-important climbers. I loved the insights about how often people say the exact opposite of what they feel. I am beginning to get it through my head that Proust was a psychologist and philosopher as much as a novelist.
This version of "Swann's Way" covers "Combray," with Proust's early memories of observing the grownups at his great aunt's house in the country, "Swann in Love" and its characterizations of dislikable people making themselves ridiculous, and "Place Names." There is a kind of appendix that includes sketches of all the characters in case you get confused, but I don't think you will since the faces are so distinctive. There is also a map, a Proust family tree, and a glossary of helpful notes explaining some of the literary references.
Needless to say, the madeleine pastry gets the attention it deserves, as does a strain of music that also evokes ineffable feelings.
I loved this. Highly recommended.
This version of "Swann's Way" covers "Combray," with Proust's early memories of observing the grownups at his great aunt's house in the country, "Swann in Love" and its characterizations of dislikable people making themselves ridiculous, and "Place Names." There is a kind of appendix that includes sketches of all the characters in case you get confused, but I don't think you will since the faces are so distinctive. There is also a map, a Proust family tree, and a glossary of helpful notes explaining some of the literary references.
Needless to say, the madeleine pastry gets the attention it deserves, as does a strain of music that also evokes ineffable feelings.
I loved this. Highly recommended.
Read
August 14, 2015I remember analyzing one sentence Proust wrote in a college undergraduate creative writing class. That sentence turned me off from attempting to read Proust; however, my mind changed when I saw this graphic novel version. It was definitely easy to understand and follow. It was also very different from what I expected. I find it hard to rate since I cannot compare it to the original and also the story itself is a little too random for my taste. I am happy that I read it and thought the illustrations were very well done.
September 6, 2016
I was reminded of how I gave up the struggle to read the entire series in English, let alone French, after studying it in college in French. But I think he takes barely conscious thoughts as they drift by, notices them, and then is able to express them. He is acquainted with the contents of his mind as well as any mindfulness meditator. Wonderful illustrations.
December 25, 2017
Compared to the non-illustrated text, I found the narrator, Swann, Odette and Gilbert MORE horrible and annoying. I had more sympathy for them all when reading the extended and often beautiful prose. But this was absolutely brilliant to read because it’s a reminder of the way in which the book is structured (which does get lost in the detail of the full text). I found the art of the interior scenes a bit ordinary in comparison to the gorgeous landscapes. Beautiful version of the classic.
February 18, 2023
Phenomenal. Transported me into another world like very few books have. The fact that they translated Proust in such an amazing way is a true tour de force and the format makes this classic accessible while keeping its impact and majesty.
Must read.
Must read.
July 9, 2023
I’m reading another book which talks about Proust and hyperreality, which made me want to learn more. I didn’t know if I’d have the attention span or time to get into Proust, but this was an impressive alternative.
February 11, 2018
The only way I can read Proust.
July 23, 2018
A good overview for people who, like me, are both intimidated and intrigued by Proust's masterwork. Beautiful art.
July 24, 2022
Cool to see a visual component, but of course, a translation of a translation of a translation of a translation of a...
August 19, 2017
I remember reading one of the early volumes of this years and years ago and finding it beautiful but incomplete. The finished full adaptation is marvelous with intricate art, historical detail, and a fine paring down of the story.
December 28, 2017
Can't wait to read the next volume! Throughout Swann's Way, I kept thinking "I wonder where this is even going?" Now I want to read the original (or at least an english translation) to see if there's a similar feeling. A great picture of early 1900s upper crust Paris.
June 25, 2017
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.
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.
April 2, 2020
This seems to be: Proust Light: for Anglophones!
From what I gather, as I've never before read any Proust in French or English, much of what makes Proust lauded and famous is missing here. There are no pages and pages of dreamy prose, dripping with language and written exploration, and instead we have condensed, translated prose and images to fill in the many gaps. That said, I also gather that many of the 'highlights' from this first volume of Proust's masterpiece are collected here, and the selections and imagery do a pretty good job of conveying what Proust is all about anyway. I see this as being a great introduction to Proust for newbies, especially newbies like me who swore they would never read him until capable of reading his tomes in French (I may yet, but even one book would probably take a year to wade through). I also see it as being an interesting way for those who have already read Proust to re-imagine his work -- sort of like seeing a good (or great) movie adaptation of a great book.
As to the content itself: very interesting overall. Proust explores memory, love and relationships, language, intrigue, drama and more. He also, perhaps unknowingly for posterity, paints a worthy portrait of life in late 19th century/early 20th century France, albeit mainly for those of some wealth and stature. The tour through Proust's semi-fictional (or the Narrator's fictional) childhood [1], and impressive and elaborate depiction or imagining of a man's torrid love affair (Swann's love for Odette) are generally brilliant and enthralling -- though I do find pages and pages of Bourgeois and Aristocratic conversations and cares is far too much for my taste these days -- I can only care so much about the frivolous and ridiculous concerns of the privileged few. Additionally, the third part of the book, 'Place Names: the Name' -- at least as depicted in the graphic novel -- seems to lose good chunks of its original significance at times, particularly given how much it seems to require a focus on written language.
As is often the case for me, it took me a while to settle into the art style. This style is somewhat reminiscent of Tintin. It generally flows very well, with sometimes beautiful panoramas, incredibly-intricate details in clothing and features, or sumptuous colour coordination, interspersed with captivating reproductions of real historical art pieces. At other times, some characters can appear too cartoonish perhaps, and some panels feel lacking in needed focus and detail. Wonderful overall.
This edition includes an extensive introduction from the translator, and a very useful glossary and appendix of sorts.
PS: While this is a much, much shorter read than the original text/s, it is weighty for a graphic novel and demands a fair bit of focus and attention.
4.5 Stars (again, having not read the original content either in French, or translated)
...
[1] The consensus seems to be it is not really autobiographical, non? EG:
'Who is "Marcel"?: Proust and the Question of Autobiographical Identity'
David R. Ellison, L'Esprit Créateur
Vol. 20, No. 3, Autobiography in 20th-Century French Literature (Fall 1980), pp. 78-86 .
AND
"A quick account of what is actually there might go something like this: A man recalls, in extensive detail, his childhood, his youth and his adulthood in turn-of-the-century France. He writes of his life up to the moment when he makes the decision to write the work we have just read, that is, In Search of Lost Time itself.
That account makes the novel sound like autobiography, but the novel's narrator ("Marcel") is a mysterious figure. Some of the most significant and startling things in Marcel's life happen offstage - a duel, for instance. In fact, one of the truest things I've read about the novel is this caveat: In Search of Lost Time is not autobiography disguised as a novel, it is a novel disguised as autobiography. Proust is interested in his society, in the fundamental mysteriousness of other people, in the possibility of time being salvaged or redeemed through Art. He is not interested in the drama of self-revelation."
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME, BY MARCEL PROUST
André Alexis
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published January 19, 2008
Updated April 26, 2018
Some Notes
September 19, 2016
An admirably executed challenge. Having read Swann's Way twice now, I'm not sure that it's the best choice for a graphic novel, but Stéphane Heuet does the best possible job with the material at hand.
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