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Marcel Proust
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Remembrance of Things Past: Volume I - Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove (Vintage) Paperback – August 12, 1982

by Marcel Proust (Author), C.K. Scott Moncrieff (Translator), Terence Kilmartin (Translator)
4.4 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
From the French intellectual, novelist, essayist, and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century: the first volume of Proust's monumental achievement Remembrance of Things Past, collecting Swann’s Way and Within a Budding Grove.

In C. K. Scott Moncrieff's heralded original English translation, as revised by Terence Kilmartin based on the definitive French Pléiade edition.

Marcel Proust's masterpiece is one of the towering literary works of the twentieth century. Relating its narrator's experiences in Belle Epoque France as he grows up, falls in love, and lives through the First World War, it has mesmerized generations of readers with its profound reflections on art, time, and memory.
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  1. Print length
    1056 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    August 12, 1982
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 1.8 x 7.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0394711823
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0394711829
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

One of the great works of Western literature, now in the new definitive French Pleiade edition translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. Volume one includes SWANN'S WAY and WITHIN A BUDDING GROVE.

From the Back Cover

One of the great works of Western literature, now in the new definitive French Pleiade edition translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. Volume one includes SWANN'S WAY and WITHIN A BUDDING GROVE.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 12, 1982
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st Edition thus
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1056 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394711823
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394711829
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.8 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

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Marcel Proust

Marcel Proust

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
103 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book delightful to read and praise its excellent writing, with one noting it's the finest in the English language. The prose receives positive feedback, with one customer particularly appreciating how Proust describes nature.

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Writing qualityReadabilityProse
11 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer noting it is the finest in the English language, while another appreciates how it describes nature.

"...read of it (just part of the Lydia Davis section), the Penguin translation is very good, but it has always bothered me that different people..." Read more

"...How simple a way to describe nature and people without the insertion of T.V and radio. None of this is in the book. You have to savor the words...." Read more

"...Ciardi's version, which remains, after half a century, the finest in the English language." Read more

"...Also the Roger Shattuck book is non-fiction, literary criticism and guide. There IS no plot." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book delightful and easy to read, with one customer noting its beautiful imagery.

"...delightfully." Read more

"Read in the past. I wanted to complete my 3 volumes. Great read. Take time and enjoy France and Proust's way of describing France in the 1850's...." Read more

"...writing.... I like all sorts of movies and methods of storytelling.... dreamy, descriptive, active or lazily poetic...." Read more

"...SWANN'S WAY is the most popular of the seven books, and was a movie about thirty years ago, with Jeremy Irons as Swann...." Read more

3 customers mention "Prose"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the prose style of the book.

"Book arrived on time in perfect shape. Proust is a great delight, as he (by magic, of course) immerses you right in the heart of every character,..." Read more

"C'mon, what can you say? It's PROUST!" Read more

"It's Proust...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • fernand daussin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic cover and an amazing world within
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Endlessly fascinated by this work of art

    Update: received my latest copy and the cover was not as well printed as in past copies (I’ve ordered several) and the paper was pulpy, which makes for less heft, but is a different - and not in my estimation better or equivalent - visual and physical experience). Very difficult these days to ascertain provenance of books.

    Update2: order “used” to get the nicer cover and paper. I did a little experiment and recently received 3 of 4 copies in excellent condition…a time capsule of how things used to be before the degraded JIT printing, for which we are paying a premium price.
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  • Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars They should release the other 2 volumes for Kindle
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I've read this version of Proust a few times over the years, so I was very pleased to see that it had become available on the Kindle.

    From what I've read of it (just part of the Lydia Davis section), the Penguin translation is very good, but it has always bothered me that different people translated different sections of the story.

    Proust can be difficult to read, and it always takes me a while to get going. In particular, it takes me awhile to come to terms with the long and complicated sentences. Every time I've read the book, I've struggled until the point, about 300 pages in, when the style becomes natural and almost conversational. Rightly or wrongly, the idea of hitting changes in tone in the Penguin edition, as new translators come on board in the Penguin translation scares me. I worry about having to come to terms with those long sentences again and again. So I've stayed with this one.

    And my relationship is with this translation. It seems likely to me that the Lydia Davis version is more accurate. But when I began reading Proust, this was my text. It may be that the tone here is a bit off; but this is the tone that I became attached to. Even if it's wrong, it's the one that I'm used to. It's like an old friend at this point. Most English speaking readers of Proust have been in the same boat.

    I can't figure out why they've released Volume 1 for Kindle without releasing Volumes 2 and 3. It shouldn't be so hard to get a decent version that's consistent (translated by the same people through the entire story) and complete. The text of the printed version of this book can be a little small if you're middle aged, so being able to read on the Kindle with its adjustable font sizes is a great thing. But you can only do the first third on the Kindle. After that, you're back to the printed version.

    There are other versions in the Kindle store by the same translators that are complete. I'm suspicious of them for no good reason. I've never dug into the history of Moncrief and Kilmartin and the people who have taken charge of the text since then. I don't know if the version of the translation that is out of copyright is solid, or if the work that's come since is necessary. Mostly, I don't want to think about those things. I just want to buy a copy of the book I know and love for my Kindle.

    So I hope they come out with the rest of it soon.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • arthur owen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Proust, the Quiet Magician
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Book arrived on time in perfect shape. Proust is a great delight, as he (by magic, of course) immerses you right in the heart of every character, big or small, as they tell us what's inside their insides (an awkward phrase, to be sure), as the tale unwinds (and this is the important part!) . . . delightfully.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Happy Camper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read. Take time and enjoy France and Proust's ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Read in the past. I wanted to complete my 3 volumes. Great read. Take time and enjoy France and Proust's way of describing France in the 1850's. How simple a way to describe nature and people without the insertion of T.V and radio. None of this is in the book. You have to savor the words. It is not a quick read but better for enjoying his way of describing life!
    9 people found this helpful
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  • EZ
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fine annotated edition
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Extremely thorough notes for which the serious student will be grateful. The translation, however, is only adequate: it cannot match John Ciardi's version, which remains, after half a century, the finest in the English language.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Lance Kozlowski
    1.0 out of 5 stars Wow, different strokes, as they say...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I tried to read this book perhaps a dozen times over two months or so.... but it just ended up being a chore. I cannot for the life of me figure out what there is that people love so much about this. I like all sorts of writing.... I like all sorts of movies and methods of storytelling.... dreamy, descriptive, active or lazily poetic. And while I am not deeply intellectual, I have enjoyed some 'difficult' material. This book seems assembled from a person's thoughts, not really based on any story. If these were thoughts and recollections provided some detail or insight about lifestyles or history of the time, that would be interesting. This seems like nothing more than ruminations by a member of the bourgoisie. There's another review here with three sample paragraphs,where you can see what I mean. Those samples, (which cause the reviewer ecstasy)have no dialog, no characters, nothing happening... simply observations by the author. A little of that is fine to illustrate a story, but as a whole, these observations elicit no great emotion in me. I can only say, I wish it did.
    28 people found this helpful
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  • Michael
    3.0 out of 5 stars Proust and Einstein?
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I began reading Proust because I read that he and Einstein had similar ideas about time and space. So far I have found no discussion of these topics. The book seems to be mainly a look at French high society during the early 20th century.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Rosemary
    5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who's going to buy this has a good idea of what he or she is getting into
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Amazon, give me a break! Anyone who's going to buy this has a good idea of what he or she is getting into.
    So your questions are pretty stupid ::E.g., "Plot of book: (pick one of three) "predictable" 'some twists" "full of surprises."

    Also the Roger Shattuck book is non-fiction, literary criticism and guide. There IS no plot.
    One person found this helpful
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