Marcel Proust's Search for Lost Time: A Reader’s Guide to The Remembrance of Things Past

by: Patrick Alexander

Published by: Vintage Books, a Division of Random House

Reviewed by Patty Inglish, MS

This study guide is an incredible text, like a lengthy concordance to the Old and New Testaments, yet more fully packed with information. Detailed, yet easy to follow and understand, Marcel Proust’s Search for Lost Time covers all seven books in the epic Proust novel with a clear synopsis of each. That alone helps one understand the 1,000 pages of the novel. Reading through Alexander before attempting Proust would make the latter more accessible to greater numbers of people by giving them more opportunities to appreciate the humor. However, reading the guide afterwards or alongside Proust provides a gift of clarity as well.

Alexander offers a unique individual study on each one of all 50 major players out of 400 total in “Remembrance of Things Past,” lending insights into character and motivation. Not only that, but the author includes a biography of Marcel Proust, along with family trees of both the Proust characters and of the Proust family, allowing connections to be recognized between the two groups. In addition, Parisian maps and French cultural background and history in the 19th century all place the Proust novel in a more relevant context.

Photographs, drawings, and images of paintings of several of the Proust characters, and actual people from whom some characters may have been drawn, help to make Alexander’s book a complete guide. It includes text, pictures, and graphics that access most of the learning styles readers possess. The only item lacking is an audio recording, especially one including some of the humorous portions of “Remembrance,” with perhaps some character dialect and period music.

Alexander makes it clear just how funny Proust’s novel is in its depiction of Parisian gossip in the Gay Nineties (1890s), brothels, gay and lesbian affairs, expensive restaurants, class differences, and various vices like gambling. The Proust biographical material pours an ocean of understanding into all this by describing the Marcel’s own experience with sex, drugs, and other elements.

Armchair Interviews says: Readers that enjoy Proust or need a good reference text as they wade into his huge work will be delighted with this reader’s guide.