In nine chapters that start with the words ‘How to’, Alain de Botton mesmerizingly studies and showcases the key ways of the art of living a fulfilled life from the great writer and philosopher, Marcel Proust’s life. Hilarious, witty and wise, this book hovers above every aspect of a life that Proust both lived and wrote about, and brings out amazing results and insights that would benefit every reader in literally changing the way he lives his life.
What initially stroke me rather odd, when I was reading the critique’s comments about this book, and later which I found to be quite exact and surprising for that matter, was how hilarious this book was praised to be and indeed, how hugely so it was, as well. Although I have followed de Botton, rather obsessively, in the past year, I never quite knew he was capable of such consistently witty charm and sense of humor. While Proust’s life admittedly proves to be different and weird, as you generously read about it in this book, de Botton’s sense of humor does but makes it even more flavorful and impact-leaving.
But while this book is hilarious, amusingly and consistently so, it has some big-in-impact but small-in-size lessons at its core that has the capability to change your way of living in areas where you most need it. While at first the nine chapters with some different sounding titles (like How to suffer successfully and How to put books down) might seem picked accordingly to content available, it is quite the opposite: these nine chapters flow in unity with de Botton’s illustrations and key insights alongside with Proust’s extravagant life experiences, all illustrated specifically towards the readers’ benefits.
There is, as you finish the book, a sense of having read something truly different and marvelous, however, towards the start, the tone of the writing is so easy and chill on your reading experience that I couldn’t help but doubt if it would be able to change my life as it so boldly claims in the catchy title. De Botton talks about many things in this book that seem rather avoidable and not worthy of mentioning, but as the narration builds on, one comes to realize that these charming details about Proust’s life were added not only to give this book its lighter and chill tone, but also to add to the point that he is trying to make, as it gets ready to be delivered. I remember de Botton saying in a podcast (along the lines of): “I love the books where you feel the presence of the author with you – like a nice friend who not only tells you a story but also teaches you the important lessons.” Ergo, both here and in The Course of Love, as a reader you can also feel de Botton’s presence while reading his books. With his friendly presence there to teach you alongside, you are not alone in reading and learning from his books.
It is important to mention that because of its catchy and luring title, many people might take this book as one those self-help books that tell you the very exact and conclusive ways of changing your life, presumably to become more successful and richer. However, this book is anything but! It is a very honest, laboratory-cal , and uplifting study of Marcel Proust’s life parallel to his great novel In Search of Lost Times; a man truly worthy of such tender and insightful explorations. Then again, de Botton wouldn’t have chosen to study Marcel Proust because of his literary success or fame, which Proust was showered with, but rather because of his peculiar life and his unique way of living it. Thanks to him, and de Botton’ sheer devotion to the task of studying of this great man, that we are gifted with some possible and transformational lessons for living our lives more fully and consciously.
However small, there is a lot of be taken away from this book, whether it is from the ever so interesting life of Proust, from his novel In Search of Lost Times (crowned lengthiest novel ever and also 20th century’s best), or from de Botton’s commentary on the mix of these two that binds this book together. Those coming to this book with a stereotypical and pompous intentions of learning the unrealistic hacks of changing their lives to become more successful might initially be disappointed, but I am certain to say that they will leave eventually with lessons something far greater – that is to appreciate and start living their own lives more fully, before they soon come to a haunting realization that life is too short.
An Excerpt:
“(the incident) emphasizes once more that beauty is something to be found, rather than passively encountered; that it requires to pick up on certain details…”
“a genuine homage to Proust would be to look at our world through his eyes and not his world through our eyes.”
Measuring this book alongside some of the other great non-fiction works that I have read, I might not be quick and loud to praise this book to its heights, but on a second thought (which Proust would call involuntary thought) I can sense that this book really has the power that Proust himself possessed over de Botton, which is: the power to help you change the way you live your life – and change it both immediately and effectively.
My Praise for the book:
“Hilarious, wise, and hugely enjoyable book;
De Botton has done Proust justice by successfully teaching us the ways through which we can also start living more like Proust.”
Ratings: 5/5*****
A review by: Ejaz Hussain
January19, 2020