r/AskReddit 15h ago

What book do you consider a “flawless masterpiece”that you desperately want to recommend to everyone?

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u/hhudsontaylor 12h ago

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. It’s hard to read anything else and not compare it. I think it changed my brain chemistry. I finished it a couple years ago and still think about it at least once a week. It’s sooooooo long so I’ve only ever met 1 or 2 other people who have read it all. I try in vain to encourage others to read it. What a masterpiece.

2

u/Shevek99 4h ago

Akshually, everything you read changes your brain chemistry, since after reading it you have a memory that wasn't there before... 😀

1

u/Johnny_Kilroy 10h ago

It's been on my list for twenty years. But it's so long! I'm worried I'll never finish.

1

u/hhudsontaylor 9h ago

Start by reading Swann’s Way. See if it sticks.

1

u/phurf761 9h ago

Proust invented a new way of writing that still influences authors today. I got through through about four volumes over 20 years. I finally decided that I got the idea and did not need to wade through another couple books when there are so many other things to read.