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

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10 жыл бұрын

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: 22

@eumaeus71 Жыл бұрын

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

@roncathcart2677 8 жыл бұрын

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

@glorIA1A2B 9 жыл бұрын

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

@barbarajohnson1442 4 жыл бұрын

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

@sl33pwalk3r 7 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.

@sl33pwalk3r 7 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.

@philipestrin4381 5 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.

@genevabroussard3591 2 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 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. kzfaq.info/sun/PL6442A9A5FDD932B0

@robertbrainerd5919 6 ай бұрын

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

@gregoryburridge726 2 жыл бұрын

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

@albertodillon 6 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 2 жыл бұрын

Great lecture.

@okaytoletgo 5 жыл бұрын

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

@larrychen4983 5 жыл бұрын

Susanne Klingenstein

@renzo6490 Жыл 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 Жыл 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 Жыл бұрын

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