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Proust For Beginners
Proust For Beginners is a compelling biography of French novelist Marcel Proust and a vivid portrait of his times. It also serves as a concise guide and critical review of In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu, 7 volumes, 1913–1927), one of the most difficult—yet widely taught—works of French literature.
With extensive passages from In Search of Lost Time and other essential works, Proust For Beginners highlights the defining themes and unique literary style of a modern master whom many have heard about but few fully fathom. It portrays Proust and the milieu in which he wrote in vivid detail, bringing to life the “Proustian moments” at the heart of his greatest work—and our own everyday experience.
Proust’s masterpiece “begins in a series of rooms in which he unlocks themes, styles, references, and foreshadows,” writes Harold Augenbraum in the foreword. Proust For Beginners will provide the key.
With extensive passages from In Search of Lost Time and other essential works, Proust For Beginners highlights the defining themes and unique literary style of a modern master whom many have heard about but few fully fathom. It portrays Proust and the milieu in which he wrote in vivid detail, bringing to life the “Proustian moments” at the heart of his greatest work—and our own everyday experience.
Proust’s masterpiece “begins in a series of rooms in which he unlocks themes, styles, references, and foreshadows,” writes Harold Augenbraum in the foreword. Proust For Beginners will provide the key.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 18, 2018
A Great, Accessible Introduction to Marcel Proust
I was at the library, looking for some Marcel Proust and writings about Marcel Proust, when as fate would have it - understandably - this book was next to everything.
I checked out many books - and this one was the first one. And it was incredible.
If Proust got a whole life's experience in a Madeleine dipped in tea, Steve Bachmann fits all of Proust, or at least his salient parts in this accessible volume. Oh - and the illustrations don't hurt.
I had just read Albert Camus, who is ultra accessible - and was a little intimidated by Proust and his 958-word long sentences.
But Bachmann brings the best parts.
If I could summarize the most salient parts:
* Proust's ultra long sentences are there to capture human experience. We organize the chaos of this universe and retrofit it into the tales we tell ourselves, but this is not real. At the bottom of this concept is Camus's absurdism, where there is no tale - and things end in disaster. But in Proust's world - the sentences capture the human experience of being.
* There is beauty everywhere, and it is up to the artist to find it, and then place it in a way that everyone can understand. Proust finds it in a single Madeleine dipped in tea - and then in tripping over stone steps. We can find it as well, and it need not be a Mary Oliver-traipse into nature. That would certainly help - but you can find beauty in the most mundane things.
* There is a link between Proust and Plato. There is a level beneath perceived reality, and then another level beneath that - the truth. Does Proust see this? Perhaps - but in any case he is certainly aware of this.
* Truth is the artist's objective. That's it - find the truth.
Conclusion
In any case - I recommend this introduction - great insight, and great art. Just incredible!
I was at the library, looking for some Marcel Proust and writings about Marcel Proust, when as fate would have it - understandably - this book was next to everything.
I checked out many books - and this one was the first one. And it was incredible.
If Proust got a whole life's experience in a Madeleine dipped in tea, Steve Bachmann fits all of Proust, or at least his salient parts in this accessible volume. Oh - and the illustrations don't hurt.
I had just read Albert Camus, who is ultra accessible - and was a little intimidated by Proust and his 958-word long sentences.
But Bachmann brings the best parts.
If I could summarize the most salient parts:
* Proust's ultra long sentences are there to capture human experience. We organize the chaos of this universe and retrofit it into the tales we tell ourselves, but this is not real. At the bottom of this concept is Camus's absurdism, where there is no tale - and things end in disaster. But in Proust's world - the sentences capture the human experience of being.
* There is beauty everywhere, and it is up to the artist to find it, and then place it in a way that everyone can understand. Proust finds it in a single Madeleine dipped in tea - and then in tripping over stone steps. We can find it as well, and it need not be a Mary Oliver-traipse into nature. That would certainly help - but you can find beauty in the most mundane things.
* There is a link between Proust and Plato. There is a level beneath perceived reality, and then another level beneath that - the truth. Does Proust see this? Perhaps - but in any case he is certainly aware of this.
* Truth is the artist's objective. That's it - find the truth.
Conclusion
In any case - I recommend this introduction - great insight, and great art. Just incredible!
May 31, 2025
This series, which may trace its delineated lineage to Pantheon's Rius-penned, beige, prole-packaged Marx, Trotsky, Communism for Beginners titles I picked up as an undergrad early in the final Cold War decade, hasn't appealed to me judging by its covers. I find the triple-headed Cerberus-like icon of Proust unappealing. Ok, I get it: author, mature Marcel, youngster, but those caricatures evoke NYRB David Levine, speaking of a bygone, if elevated literate era, before these handy screens intervened...
That caveat pre-empted, I confess I overcame my reluctance. Although Van Howell's Levine-esque ink still occupied too much of the content, I guess it's par for the course. I admit the cute illustrations of Terence Kilmartin's alphabetized themes in Recherché (wisely, Steve Bachmann emphasizes how the "research" á la radioactive Mme. Curie reverberates in Proust's appropriate appropriation of tech to service his philosophical investigation as another harbinger of nascent modernism as rigorous study, being a spawn of a scientist or two himself) succeeded with wit, although half the letters got dropped.
And Bachmann manages the endeavor on the print side skillfully. I highlighted many excerpts as I ready myself (fortified by the brief Beginners Guide of Ingrid Wassenaar, and the heftier Patrick Alexander, which seems to have established itself alongside Bachmann-Howell's as recommended) for tackling the Modern Library set at long last. I sense, contrasting the relatively terse summations of each volume to their page count, that indeed plot's not the point. Rather, as this introduction teaches us, it's the evocation of how powerfully our recollections drift, often unbidden, across our conscious present. This juxtaposition challenges us to wrestle with the demons, to contemplate the angels, and to grapple with the shadows of chiaroscuro cast over our lives, as Proust conjured up in his bold book.
That caveat pre-empted, I confess I overcame my reluctance. Although Van Howell's Levine-esque ink still occupied too much of the content, I guess it's par for the course. I admit the cute illustrations of Terence Kilmartin's alphabetized themes in Recherché (wisely, Steve Bachmann emphasizes how the "research" á la radioactive Mme. Curie reverberates in Proust's appropriate appropriation of tech to service his philosophical investigation as another harbinger of nascent modernism as rigorous study, being a spawn of a scientist or two himself) succeeded with wit, although half the letters got dropped.
And Bachmann manages the endeavor on the print side skillfully. I highlighted many excerpts as I ready myself (fortified by the brief Beginners Guide of Ingrid Wassenaar, and the heftier Patrick Alexander, which seems to have established itself alongside Bachmann-Howell's as recommended) for tackling the Modern Library set at long last. I sense, contrasting the relatively terse summations of each volume to their page count, that indeed plot's not the point. Rather, as this introduction teaches us, it's the evocation of how powerfully our recollections drift, often unbidden, across our conscious present. This juxtaposition challenges us to wrestle with the demons, to contemplate the angels, and to grapple with the shadows of chiaroscuro cast over our lives, as Proust conjured up in his bold book.
February 18, 2018
I generally don't go through a lot of pre-reading when I begin a book--but when you're going to make the possible investment of "In Search of Lost Time", you better make sure your take away is worth it.
The "For Beginners" graphic novel series was first introduced to me through their "Postmodernism" book, which helped me conceptualize the concept like 6-7 years ago for myself. While literary, I was a business major so didn't have the high level exposure to some of the concepts that were percolating at the cultural surface.
Nonetheless, this book gives quite a bit of context of Proust, his life and times. In addition, essentially a key on who to pay the most attention to, suggestions on the most recent passages (and how to read the series. There is even a suggestion to read the last volume first--so you can get the sense of who is important, and how their growth ties altogether.
Previously I had read the first two-volumes, with little memory of than the iconic madeline moment. At the worst, it'd help me look like I read the entire series, rather than posturing like people do with Ulysses and Infinite Jest.
The "For Beginners" graphic novel series was first introduced to me through their "Postmodernism" book, which helped me conceptualize the concept like 6-7 years ago for myself. While literary, I was a business major so didn't have the high level exposure to some of the concepts that were percolating at the cultural surface.
Nonetheless, this book gives quite a bit of context of Proust, his life and times. In addition, essentially a key on who to pay the most attention to, suggestions on the most recent passages (and how to read the series. There is even a suggestion to read the last volume first--so you can get the sense of who is important, and how their growth ties altogether.
Previously I had read the first two-volumes, with little memory of than the iconic madeline moment. At the worst, it'd help me look like I read the entire series, rather than posturing like people do with Ulysses and Infinite Jest.
December 2, 2016
I won this book through Goodreads. I really enjoyed this. I am very interested in books like this. Love to learn. This was great & I can't wait to get into Proust now.
February 12, 2017
This book describes the life and works of a famous author.
This was an odd but entertaining biography which included much analysis of the author's work and comments from other writers (which I found interesting). At the end I had the feeling that I knew the author (if that is possible) to a certain degree.
This was an odd but entertaining biography which included much analysis of the author's work and comments from other writers (which I found interesting). At the end I had the feeling that I knew the author (if that is possible) to a certain degree.
December 31, 2016
I'm glad I have this book. I had heard the name Proust many times but never considered reading his works. This book gave me a lot of insight into what I was about to experience. I appreciate the way the book presents the history of the period and the views from his contemporaries as well as modern authors. The illustrations are pretty fantastic too. If Proust is the main meal, this book should be the appetizer.
August 1, 2018
Steve Bachmann made Proust compact and simple to read. This introductory book my be short, but even after reading, my mind was exhausted--almost as if I read all of Proust himself.
This Goodreads Giveaway win is one of very few that have encouraged me to pursue further into the subject matter. To the path of Proust I go!
This Goodreads Giveaway win is one of very few that have encouraged me to pursue further into the subject matter. To the path of Proust I go!
July 11, 2016
Great book. Can't wait for more from this author!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews