What Is German? Marcel Proust's "Swann's Way"

In 1913, Proust had a reputation as s dilettante and a snob. When he sent the first volume of Remembrance of Things Past to publishers (in longhand), it was turned down everywhere. André Gide, who was advising an important magazine, found a few minor syntactical errors in a novel full of melancholy reminiscences and philosophical digressions, he voted against publication. Proust then paid to have Swann's Way published. In 1914, Gide wrote a letter to Proust, expressing his great shame and deep remorse. Swann's Way is slow, meandering and entirely backward looking. It's a portrait of upper class French society from the perspective of a parvenu.

Пікірлер: 21

  • @eumaeus71
    @eumaeus71 Жыл бұрын

    This is the best (and most enthusiastic) lecture about Proust I have heard.

  • @roncathcart2677
    @roncathcart26778 жыл бұрын

    This woman is brilliant. I would like to hear her analyze the other books!

  • @sl33pwalk3r
    @sl33pwalk3r7 жыл бұрын

    The book she mentions at around 18:58 is "Marcel Proust's Search for Lost Time: A Reader's Guide to The Remembrance of Things Past", by Patrick Alexander.

  • @barbarajohnson1442
    @barbarajohnson14424 жыл бұрын

    I so hoped I would find part 2 from a year later!!! This was a fascinating talk, terrific facilitator!!!!

  • @glorIA1A2B
    @glorIA1A2B9 жыл бұрын

    A thank you to this lovely lady for giving such an insightful and thought-provoking talk on Proust.

  • @sl33pwalk3r
    @sl33pwalk3r7 жыл бұрын

    A remarkable lecture & lovely discussion. Very easily one of the best 10 novels of the last century. Thank you Goethe Institut for sharing online.

  • @gregoryburridge726
    @gregoryburridge7262 жыл бұрын

    Mightn't one consider James Joyce's Finnigan's Wake if not Ulysses, and if not ,why not?

  • @genevabroussard3591
    @genevabroussard35912 жыл бұрын

    This video is so brilliant. I wish i could find who the presenter is to wish her a hearty thanks. And, as someone else asked, is there a video of her presentation of the last novel? I would love to see it.

  • @GoetheInstitutBoston

    @GoetheInstitutBoston

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your message. These presentations were part of our program in 2014 and held by Susanne Klingenstein. harvard.academia.edu/SusanneKlingenstein. More videos are in our "What Is German" playlist. kzread.info/head/PL6442A9A5FDD932B0

  • @robertbrainerd5919

    @robertbrainerd5919

    4 ай бұрын

    I prefer Brahms, who doesn't have to be explained.

  • @albertodillon
    @albertodillon5 жыл бұрын

    I would like to read Marcel Proust ´s novels in English,German and French and why not in Russian or Italian or other language

  • @l.s.754
    @l.s.7542 жыл бұрын

    Great lecture.

  • @okaytoletgo
    @okaytoletgo5 жыл бұрын

    I have requested GoetheInstituteBoston to identify the presenter. Hopefully someone can do that and I'll post it.

  • @larrychen4983

    @larrychen4983

    5 жыл бұрын

    Susanne Klingenstein

  • @renzo6490
    @renzo649010 ай бұрын

    Please, what is the name of the lecturer? And at 2:50, she mentions an audiobook version of Proust read by…Peter _________? Can you supply his last name and any information about the audiobook?

  • @GoetheInstitutBoston

    @GoetheInstitutBoston

    10 ай бұрын

    The audiobook she mentions is read by Peter Matic and can be found on Amazon, Audible or wherever you typically find your audiobooks.

  • @renzo6490

    @renzo6490

    10 ай бұрын

    @@GoetheInstitutBoston Danke. It looks like he translates into German only....

  • @philipestrin4381
    @philipestrin43812 ай бұрын

    Brava! I've fancied myself a devotee of "A la Recherche." But this lecture has absolutely transfigured the way I think of that Mt. Parnasus of literature. There was, however, one element that I would have liked to have seen discussed and that is the influence of Proust's Judaism on his masterpiece. Halachically, Proust was certainly Jewish, since Judaism is a matrilinear religion and Marcel's mother was Jewish, although there is no indication that the narrator of the novel was Jewish. Swann was Jewish, as was the narrator's friend Bloch. And much of the novel makes reference to the Dreyfus Affair. Proust's own relationship to his Jewish heritage was rather problematic. I note that Ms. Klingstein has been affiliated with he Harvard Center for Jewish Studies and also that she has been working on a multi-volume cultural history of Yiddish literature, so her observations on this particular topic would be most illuminating.

  • @danielj2653
    @danielj2653 Жыл бұрын

    Nice background humm.

  • @angloaust1575
    @angloaust157528 күн бұрын

    Summarised proust competition monty python None of the contestants Won!