r/Proust

I have quite pronounced adhd, and so I struggle with impulse control, holding my attention for long periods, and with working memory (probably an irony there).

I also really want to read, and fully take in, ISOLT in all its sublime glory. These two contexts seem to be battling it out with my copy of volume 1 (penguin edition) as I can barely get through a couple lines before my mind drifts off or I lose track of what's happened in the last page.

Have any ISOLT veterans/people with more refined attention spans/organised brains got any tips on parsing the guy and his page-sentences? The writing style feels decently accessible to me so far, so ik this likely isn't the problem. Help? Thanks

>!Je viens de terminer « Le Temps retrouvé » et, par la même occasion, l'intégralité du cycle. Ai-je raison de penser que la fin reste ambiguë quant à la possibilité que le narrateur épouse la fille de Gilberte et Saint-Loup ? Comment l'avez-vous interprétée ? Avez-vous des ressources à ce sujet ? Existe-t-il une interprétation canonique ?!<

Our (virtual) Proust book club is accepting new members. We were formed in January (2026), with the goal of reading (slowly and closely) all seven volumes of In Search of Lost Time. We are wrapping up Volume 2 and on July 6, we will start reading Volume 3, The Guermantes Way. We aim to finish the entire series by September 2027.

Structure: We read at a pace of 50-60 pages a week, roughly 10 pages a weekday. Discussions are conducted via a private Substack. Each week 1-2 group members are assigned to write post, and 1-2 members are assigned to comment. Additionally, we hope to have a virtual meeting once every volume.

Our group: We have a wonderful group comprised of smart, collegial folks. Though we are quite diverse in terms of our geographic locations, life experiences, and professions, we are united by our passion for literature and desire to connect with others who share this passion. While the group has quite a few members who have completed the series and have deeper knowledge of Proust , it was designed to support the reading of ISOLT.

How to join: If this sounds like something you wish to be a part of, please send me a DM with your name, city, and email address, and I will share full details via email. The schedule for Volume 3 will be finalized on July 5, so if you wish to join us, we would need you to CONFIRM by that date. We would especially love to welcome folks who come from outside of the US.

Thank you and happy reading!

I need to name a cat and ideally the name should be as excessive as I presume Saint Loup's full name would be.

The best I have it, per the Kilmartin "Guide to Proust" at the end of the Modern Library editions, is "Marquis Robert de Saint-Loup-en-Bray"