Marcel Proust's search for lost time: a reader's guide to Remembrance of things past (1st Vintage Books ed.)

An accessible, irreverent guide to one of the most admiredand entertainingnovels of the past century.

There is no other guide like this; a user-friendly and enticing entry into the marvelously enjoyable world of Proust.At seven volumes, three thousand pages, and more than four hundred characters, as well as a towering reputation as a literary classic, Prousts novel can seem daunting.

But though begun a century ago, in 1909, it is in fact as engaging and relevant to our times as ever.

Patrick Alexander is passionate about Prousts genius and appealhe calls the work outrageously bawdy and extremely funnyand in his guide he makes it more accessible to the general reader through detailed plot summaries, historical and cultural background, a guide to the fifty most important characters, maps, family trees, illustrations, and a brief biography of Proust.

Essential for readers and book groups currently reading Proust and who want help keeping track of the huge cast and intricate plot, this Readers Guide is also a wonderful introduction for students and new readers and a memory-refresher for long-time fans.From the Trade Paperback edition.