Why isn't Proust more popular among today's readers?

Answer 1

Proust is unreadable to me, almost like stream of conciousoness...rambling!

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Answer 2

I started Swann's Way 3 or 4 times, and never got to the second book. "In Search of Things Past" isn't easy to read. Some of his sentences go on for line after line after line.

Yet I love his writing, even in translation, and the people are fascinating. It's just so slow.

I read an article once by someone who got through all 7 books over a few years by reading 5 pages a day. Maybe that's the best way to do it? :-)

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Answer 3

Because he didn't write about vampires or wizards. This is the same reason why most literary fiction is failing today. People don't read to get an idea of how to better themselves, they read to escape from the world and themselves.

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