Which edition of Proust to read: typography & design edition

July 19, 2016 4:44 PM

I have decided to read Proust, and the edition I got from the library was unreadable for book design reasons. Which print edition is most readable, in your opinion?

I brought home the Penguin DropCaps edition of Swann's Way, and found it unreadable for reasons of book design. The pages are wall-to-wall text, the gutter on the binding side is inadequate, the leading is too tight, and the dark-blue page edges contribute to a sense of claustrophobia whenever I open it.

I know I should care about the translation, and I do. This edition is the Lydia Davis translation, which is highly regarded. But I need to be able to physically read it as well. What edition has a more open, readable page layout and typography?

I am open to reading on my kindle, but finding the right edition of a classic in the public domain is so dicey. If you're suggesting an e-book, please be very specific with a link.

I'm not very mobile these days, so browsing at a bookstore is not a good option. I depend on you.

posted by not that girl to Writing & Language (15 answers total)

I don't have a suggestion, alas, but I will point out that not all volumes of A la recherche are in the public domain in the US, so even if you find a readable copy of Swann's Way, you might be out of luck as you progress through the later books.

Personally, I'm listening to the audiobook, as I have the occasional long drive where I need something to concentrate on. If you're interested in that, there's a version on Audible read by George Guidall that's enjoyable.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:27 PM on July 19, 2016

I quite like the font used by the Modern Library edition. The translation is the updated Moncrieff.
posted by praemunire at 5:35 PM on July 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: even if you find a readable copy of Swann's Way, you might be out of luck as you progress through the later books

I appreciate your faith in me.
posted by not that girl at 5:52 PM on July 19, 2016

I appreciate your faith in me.

YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO STOP BUT YOU'RE MISTAKEN
posted by praemunire at 5:58 PM on July 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

Seconding praemunire's rec of the Modern Library version. We have that one and it's very pleasant to hold and read.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:03 PM on July 19, 2016

kevinbelt, I'm curious--what do you do while listening to an audiobook with the very long sentences that, when read, usually need to be read a couple of times to grasp the structure? I mean, when a sentence is 500 words long, do you rewind, or...what?
posted by praemunire at 6:18 PM on July 19, 2016

I pause frequently to digest, and I do rewind fairly frequently. But Proust, to me, is more about the feeling than any individual word, or even an individual sentence. The picture he paints is so detailed and so vivid that even if you miss a little fragment, you're still immersed in that world.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:37 PM on July 19, 2016

I nth modern library. Trade paperback, feels nice in the hand, and when you have all 6 lined up on the shelf, they make a picture!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 6:49 PM on July 19, 2016

The Lydia Davis one is pretty good, and it's the best-recommended translation, too:

https://www.amazon.com/Swanns-Way-Search-Penguin-Classics/dp/0142437964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468980814&sr=8-1&keywords=lydia+davis+swann%27s+way
posted by Drowsy Philosopher at 7:15 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I had started and stopped three times reading that work. Finally, fourth try and I could not stop and was upset when I found it had ended. I used Modern Lib.
posted by Postroad at 7:23 PM on July 19, 2016

second the lydia davis
posted by PinkMoose at 10:55 PM on July 19, 2016

Response by poster: This is what the Moncrieff-Kilmartin-Enright Modern Library edition looks like

Aaah, so soothing and non-claustrophobic and readable.

Thanks, everybody. This was really helpful. Wish me luck!
posted by not that girl at 2:11 AM on July 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Penguin edition her translation is a part of (the last three volumes of which won't be available in the US without importing until 2018 due to the copyright issues already mentioned) all have different translators.

I literally just dug into this last night. I just want to point out that importing is very easy - for example you can order them from amazon.co.uk.
posted by madcaptenor at 7:30 AM on July 20, 2016

I've read the Moncrief---Enright translation, and the new Penguin translation. [Of the whole novel, not just Swann's Way.] I much preferred the latter. The Davis Swann's Way is only $9.50 used HC on Amazon. It's worth it.
posted by OmieWise at 7:36 AM on July 20, 2016

> The Lydia Davis one is pretty good, and it's the best-recommended translation, too

Not sure what you mean by "best-recommended," but a lot of people prefer the emended Moncrieff, including me.

Also, good luck, not that girl! I finally read the whole thing (aloud, to my wife, over many nights) a few years ago, and it was wonderful; it gets better as you go, except perhaps for a sag somewhere in the middle.
posted by languagehat at 9:16 AM on July 20, 2016