In Search of Lost Time
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proustby Marcel Proust
Shares rank 26 of 122 novels by recommenders
Readers find it engrossing and exquisitely written, far more accessible than school suggested, and rewarding once you settle into its rhythm.
Readers find it engrossing and exquisitely written, far more accessible than school suggested, and rewarding once you settle into its rhythm.
7 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 7 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 7 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Exquisitely described prose, even in translation
“a story in which almost nothing happens but it is described exquisitely”
Comment from 23 Aug 2026 in “To become a better writer, read as much as you can” “even in a mediocre translation it's quite stellar”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” Engrossing and satisfying once into it
“if you get into its rhythm, most of it is blissfully engrossing”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Short Little Difficult Books” “it's very satisfying so far”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| In Search of Lost Timeby Marcel ProustThis page | 7 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | — |
What people said
All 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“it's very satisfying so far”
“a story in which almost nothing happens but it is described exquisitely”
“even in a mediocre translation it's quite stellar”
“Many one-sentence paragraphs extend for more than one page.”
“although I personally find them delightful”
“a lot more accessible and enjoyable than my high school teachers made it sound years and years ago”
“if you get into its rhythm, most of it is blissfully engrossing”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.