If you have ever thought of reading “A la recherche du temps perdu,” don’t expect to get through it quickly.
The book, widely known as one of the most significant literary achievements in history, is the longest ever written.
The direct English translation of the French title is “In Search of Lost Time,” although many know the literary work as “Remembrance of Things Past.”
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This story was published by Marcel Proust in seven parts between 1913 and 1927.
The longest book ever written is “In Search of Lost Time” by Marcel Proust. (Li Yang/China News Service via Getty Images)
The parts are the following:
- “Du côté de chez Swann” (1913), translates to Swann’s Way / The Way by Swann’s
- “À l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs” (1919), translates to In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower / Within a Budding Grove
- “Le Côté de Guermantes” (1920), translates to The Guermantes Way
- “Sodome et Gomorrhe” (1921), translates to Sodom and Gomorrah / Cities of the Plain
- “La Prisonnière” (1923), translates to The Prisoner / The Captive
- “Albertine disparue / La Fugitive” (1925), translates to Albertine Gone / The Fugitive / The Sweet Cheat Gone
- “Le Temps retrouvé” (1927), translates to Time Regained / Finding Time Again
Many publishers passed on the first volume of the book, leading Proust to self-publish his work.
In 1922, Proust died of pneumonia before the last three volumes were published, but he was able to finish the final drafts before his death.
His brother Robert edited and published the last three volumes of the book.
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The narrator of the story is unnamed, although the book is a fictional account of Proust’s life. The story covers the life of the narrator as a child and into adulthood.
Even though the book is divided into seven volumes published between 1913 and 1927, the work is considered one book. (Stephane de Sakutini/AFP via Getty Images)
Even though the book is published in volumes, it is considered a single novel. Because of this, the book is recognized by Guinness as the longest novel ever written.
The book contains a whopping 9,609,000 characters.
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The exact page count of the book varies depending on the version purchased, but there are approximately 2,400 pages in the book.
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