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Marcel Proust Audiobook
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(3.05) - 346 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Considered one of the greatest—and most influential—writers of the twentieth century, Marcel Proust was also one of its most fascinating figures. A strange, reclusive genius who often lay in bed for days at a time obsessively rewriting his masterpiece, Remembrance of Things Past, Proust was at other times a tireless socialite, attending the grandest parties and dazzling guests with his vivacity and wit. But as a boy Proust was yearning and lonely, an ambitious grasper after honors, and a miserably closeted homosexual, an aspect of his life that this book explores frankly and perceptively.
“White has a novelist’s eye for the telling detail or the remarkable phrase.”—New York Times Book Review
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"Very helpful for starting the journey into In Search of Lost Time. It's clear to me now that of all the modernists, Proust focuses most on sexuality and social mores, and also on obsession, desire and illness (or obsessive desire AS illness, for that matter) so this little sketch on how those themes emerge from his life and his world is good grounding."
— Christy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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White has a novelist's eye for the telling detail or the remarkable phrase and, like Proust himself, concentrates upon the minutiae of the past so that it might live again. He has a wonderful sympathy with his subject, adduced in such reflections as ''Proust fancied that so long as he failed to begin his life's work, his life would go on.'' -- Peter Ackroyd, The New York Times Book Review
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White's deft prose is densely packed with information but never burdensome. He gives a good sense of why Proust's work is valuable, and why it remains eternally fresh.
— Washington Post -
A tale of twentieth-century literature 'par excellence' that White makes fun, accessible, and insightful.
— The Philadelphia Inquirer -
White's biography of Proust is a paragon of the genre; an engrossing and delightful piece of work.
— Norah Vincent, author of Self-Made Man
Marcel Proust Listener Reviews
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" Slim book brimming with tantalizing bits of information and plenty of interesting stories of Proust's life. "
— Dottie, 2/2/2014 -
" A good and short intro to Proust. "
— Mike, 1/11/2014 -
" illuminating biography of a genius "
— Paul, 12/4/2013 -
" Really very excellent. There is a fabulous Proust bibliography at the end as well. "
— Sarah, 11/3/2013 -
" Oh, writers... "
— C.M., 10/6/2013 -
" It' a little biased but an interesting analysis of Proust's work "
— Julie, 9/26/2013 -
" An excellent, short biography. "
— Philip, 7/28/2013 -
" What a fascinating man! He's just inspired my new obsession for more information on his life. "
— Eve, 7/22/2013 -
" An easy, breezy background of M. Proust. "
— Sally, 6/7/2013 -
" Excellent brief biography. "
— Rodney, 5/10/2013 -
" A pretty succinct but interesting biography of Marcel Proust. "
— Marius, 5/7/2013 -
" Only Edmund White can get away with a rather slim-sized (physically) biography of the best novelist ever. (You can argue all you want but Proust trumps 'em all.) I am in bewildered awe at what White has accomplished here. So little, yet so much! Bravo! "
— Charmless, 4/3/2013 -
" Basically Proust for dummies. "
— Johan, 3/1/2013 -
" not a proust buff so i can't speak to much. i can say for the uninitiated it's a nice read, a wikipedia of biographies - clean style, gets you what you need to know about him without a day by day recap. it also learned that edmund white wasn't edmund wilson. all in all an educational experience. "
— Louis, 9/9/2012 -
" I remember liking it, and White is a charming writer. Why can't I remember the details better? This is a great series, but few of those I've read have really stayed with me. Perhaps the one on Joan of Arc did, as well as the one on Simone Weil. I tried Mao too, but I think I didn't finish it. "
— Jessica, 7/23/2012 -
" Very nice quick (and very, very brief) introduction to Proust - esp. meant for those (like self) who know nothing. "
— AC, 6/11/2012 -
" Interesting guy Mr Proust. I'll have to actually read his stuff "
— Kaylon, 10/10/2011 -
" A quick, enlightening read. "
— Nystrom, 6/11/2011 -
" A breezy 160 pages, very readable, real life portrayal of this unique man who wrote a novel unlike any other. I learned a lot about Proust and about what led him to write the 4,500 page tome -- and after reading White's bio of him, it's clear that it couldn't have been written by anyone else! "
— Brinda, 5/21/2011 -
" after devoting 3,500 pages of my life to his work, i thought i should take a little time to learn about the man. "
— jonathan, 5/3/2011 -
" What a fascinating man! He's just inspired my new obsession for more information on his life. "
— Eve, 4/29/2011 -
" An easy, breezy background of M. Proust. "
— Sally, 4/10/2011 -
" It' a little biased but an interesting analysis of Proust's work "
— Julie, 12/31/2010 -
" Some good information but a bit disjointed. Good companion to In Search of Lost Time. "
— Kari, 6/19/2010 -
" A breezy 160 pages, very readable, real life portrayal of this unique man who wrote a novel unlike any other. I learned a lot about Proust and about what led him to write the 4,500 page tome -- and after reading White's bio of him, it's clear that it couldn't have been written by anyone else! "
— Brinda, 1/2/2010 -
" I remember liking it, and White is a charming writer. Why can't I remember the details better? This is a great series, but few of those I've read have really stayed with me. Perhaps the one on Joan of Arc did, as well as the one on Simone Weil. I tried Mao too, but I think I didn't finish it. "
— Jessica, 7/31/2009 -
" Interesting guy Mr Proust. I'll have to actually read his stuff "
— Kaylon, 6/25/2009 -
" A good and short intro to Proust. "
— Mike, 12/29/2008 -
" Only Edmund White can get away with a rather slim-sized (physically) biography of the best novelist ever. (You can argue all you want but Proust trumps 'em all.) I am in bewildered awe at what White has accomplished here. So little, yet so much! Bravo! "
— Charmless, 8/7/2008 -
" not-good short book from a good writer. "
— Mike, 5/15/2008
About Edmund White
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.
About the Narrators
David Case was a distinguished narrator who recorded over 700 audiobooks, was nominated for a Grammy Award, and received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for his narrations. AudioFile magazine named him a Golden Voice.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.