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Summary: A Delightful, Pleasing, and Revealing Introduction to Proust
Review: To begin with, I haven't read a word of Proust. Whether Alain De Botton succeeds in rendering Proust faithfully is not something I can address with competence. But I can say that his book makes me want to read Proust; for if the nuggets of wisdom contained in this book are an inkling of what lies in store for the ones who tackle Proust's work, one can be sure of an experience that will deepen one's perception of the world and how we experience it. And, in the Proustian universe, it is this that is the goal of reading.In a way, I found some of Proust's observations (distilled for us by De Botton) very familiar to those by Walker Percy, addressing the phenomenon of people coming to see the Grand Canyon for the first time: one's initial experience is so often conditioned by the images that we already hold of the thing as-yet-to-be experienced. Indeed, some disappointed reviewers of this book have indicated that it failed their expectations. Would that they could have left those at the door, and followed the advice Proust gives!
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Summary: Fun and Worthwhile
Review: I just finished reading Swann's Way, and was sure that that would be the beginning and the end of my reading of Proust, at least for now. But then I found this book. It's written in a tone half-serious and half-tongue in cheek, and manages to be both reverent to Proust and damning of his "reputation" as difficult, dense, overlong, and too damn philosophical to be entertaining. Its breaking up of Proust's great (and his trivial) themes into easy-to-handle morsels and "morals" is frequently hilarious and always pointed and accurate. (The last sentence in particular made sense to me, having just spent 2 hours struggling to read the last 40 pages of Swann's Way...) But the greatest praise I can give this book is that, because of it, I am going to buy In a Budding Grove this weekend. Great stuff, highly recommended, especially for those unsure if they wish to read more than one volume of Proust. (It may be a little less appreciated by those who have never read any Proust, but it is still entertaining and may convince you to pick up the book itself.)
Rating: 
Summary: Deceiving Title
Review: I bought this book because of its title. I have always wanted to read "In Search of Lost Time" , but got discouraged because of its length.I thought this little volume would sort of distill the wisdom of the original work. I was wrong! The book contains bits and pieces about Proust's life and book.I found it somewhat boring and not helpful at all, but perhaps my dissappointment stems from having a different expectation from this book, that is emplied from a deceiving title.
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Summary: Successfully Responding to the World...
Review: A specific theme is explored from a variety of perspectives in many of de Botton's books, including ~Proust~, and that is, how to successfully respond to the vagaries of life. These vagaries and pre-occupations include the pursuit of love, happiness and, most importantly, how to make use of suffering, how to learn from the inevitable pain that this life will bring to some. However, what is it that makes de Botton's advice more palatable than the common spewing from your garden-variety self-help manual? Apart from his user-friendly writing style, it's his approach, his unique way of interpreting great works of philosophy and literature, and re-moulding age-old notions into workable methods of application to the personal and everyday. The key, I believe, to fully appreciating what this particular text has to offer, is to understand Proust's various responses to the world - what I like to call his inner-worldliness. It is well known, of course, that Proust was not a 'worldly' man in the common sense of the term, but worldly in that vast terrain known as the imagination. In fact, this gentle and fragile writer, most of his short life, rarely stepped out of his bedroom, let alone transverse the expanses of Europe. Proust's gift was the uncanny ability to observe something as apparently mundane as a pocket watch or a scrap of bed linen, and through a mental process of rich association, create new and meaningful experiences. What Proust taught us through his voluminous works, which de Botton points out, is what we all too often take for granted, ironically, has the potential to give us what we need. ~How Proust can Change your Life~ is one of those texts that you can pick up after lunch and finish before dinner, yet the contents and practical wisdom should remain with you for a long time.
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Summary: Cute to listen to...
Review: A fun little audio-book, provides insight into Proust's life and writings. It did leave me pleased but a little disappointed. Perhaps the printed edition would have been better.
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Summary: Impenetrable and maddening
Review: De Botton pays homage to Proust by making his prose almost as impenetrable as the prose of the man he writes about. Reading Proust is worthwile; Reading De Botton is a waste of time.
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Summary: How "How Proust Can Change Your Life" Can Change Your Life
Review: Well, it won't on its own, I must warn you silly, avid self-help devotees. I do love the idea of a Frenchman following in the footsteps (or ironically appearing to) of so many self-help writers. This is strictly an American genre, and it's amusing to see the European version. It's better by far, needless to say. I'll take De Botton over say, Dr. Wayne Dyer, for example. One starts with quality literature, the other ends with wonderfully hopeless psych-homilies. Anyway, the book does a service if it effectively points you away from itself and onward to Proust. Proust will save us all.
Rating:
Summary: A small masterpiece
Review: This book has a wonderful understated charm. The author's voice is like that of a perfect friend taking you through some issues you always wanted to think about but never quite got around to. Though the book is ostensibly (and in fact) about Proust, it's also about a thousand other things - why we read, why we fall in love, why we love nature, why we go travelling... It's a complete one-off, and a small masterpiece in my view. I've tried all of de Botton's other works. He's an up and down writer. The other good ones are On Love and The Consolations of Philosophy - though this is the winner.
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Summary: Read the Real Thing Instead
Review: I know I'm in the minority,but I simply could not stand this book. In fact, I resisted reading it for many months, but friends finally talked my into it. I wish I had held my ground. de Botton is certainly right about one thing: Proust can definitely change your life. He's changed mine. I just don't think anyone's life will be changed in the manner in which de Botton suggests. How Proust Can Change Your Life is meant to amuse, but I found it more than mildly irritating. Had de Botton been a better writer I suppose I would have been amused, or, conversely, had Proust been a lesser writer, I might not have been irritated, but as it is.... Non-Proust fans will probably not understand the gist of this book. Proust fans will be able to correctly second guess de Botton every time. Thus, either way you look at it, the fun is spoiled. It might serve as an introduction to someone who wants to read Proust but finds the genuine article a bit daunting, but I do have my doubts. I think those who enjoy this book haven't read and studied Proust...in depth. I do have something positive to say...it is obvious that de Botton has read and studied Proust. Why he chose to mock this great author in this manner is simply beyond me. Proust was never meant to be cute and sweet as de Botton attempts to be. And he certainly never meant to degenerate into self-help. I love Proust. He is one of my alltime favorite authors. Read Proust, by all means, but read the genuine article. You'll come away far, far more enriched.
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Summary: Erudite and Entertaining, Truly A Beautiful Book
Review: I will start out by saying I'm somewhat biased towrd the subject matter as proust is one of my favorite writers - 'philosophers' (peut -etre ?). Nontheless, compliments do no justice to this excellent book. It is possible to read it in a weekend, on a beach or in the library, yet the wisdom it contains will last a lifetime. As it examines peculiarites of Proust's life and character, as well as his famous novel "In Search of Lost Time", De Botton distills the contents of the seven volumes to provide valuable advice on friendship, love, money, work and ultimately how to live a better life. Ulike self help books, "How Proust Can Change your Life" does not ask you to make lists of things to do, change your personality or tell you that "if you can see it you can be it". Nor will you find quick solutions to complex issues like personal change and many of the associated buzzwords of most intellectually insulting guides like 'proactive', 'multitask', 'lifestyle' or even 'successful'. It will not tell you how to become rich. It merely asks you to examine and think about your life so that you may understand yourself better. It also shows how paying attention to minor details is the key to appreciating others, ourselves and the world. It is simply an excellent book. Unfortunately, too few will read it, but those few will have a rare privilege.
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