Kilmartin wrote a highly amusing and illuminating account…
““Kilmartin wrote a highly amusing and illuminating account of his experience as a Proust revisionist, which appeared in the first issue of Ben Sonnenberg's quarterly Grand Street in the autumn of 1981. The essay opened with a kind of encouragement: 'There used to be a story that discerning Frenchmen preferred to read Marcel Proust in English on the grounds that the prose of A la recherche du temps perdu was deeply un-French and heavily influenced by English writers such as Ruskin.' I cling to this even though Kilmartin thought it to be ridiculous Parisian snobbery; I shall never be able to read Proust in French, and one's opportunities for outfacing Gallic self-regard are relatively scarce.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage humorously critiques the idea that French readers might prefer English translations of Proust because the original feels un-French, highlighting cultural snobbery and translation challenges.
In simple terms: It jokes about French readers choosing English versions of Proust due to perceived un-Frenchness.
Key Takeaway
Question the cultural biases that affect how we read foreign literature.
Themes
literature
translation
culture
snobbery
identity
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
critical
humorous
When to use this quote
- academic discussion
- book clubs
- language learning
- cross‑cultural analysis
Key Concepts
cultural bias
translation theory
national identity
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you ever choose a translation over the original?
- How does language shape our perception of a work?
A Different Perspective
Translation can never fully capture the original's nuance, and preferences may be personal rather than cultural.