Sodom and Gomorrah

Remembrance of Things Past - Volume 4

By: Marcel Proust

Narrated by: Neville Jason

Remembrance of Things Past is one of the monuments of 20th century literature. Neville Jason’s widely praised 39 CD abridged version has rightly become an audiobook landmark and now, upon numerous requests, he is recording the whole work unabridged which, when complete, will run for some 140 hours.

Sodom and Gomorrah is the fourth of seven volumes. Accidentally witnessing an encounter between the Baron de Charlus and the tailor Jupien, the narrator’s eyes are opened to a world hidden from him until now; he suspects that Albertine is attracted to her own sex.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2012 Naxos AudioBooks

continuing the journey

In this installment, the protagonist continues the slow thoughtful journey through his memories. Here he discovers that some people close to him are homosexual, hence the title. He is burning with fits of jealousy for Albertine, whom he doesn't really even love anymore, and it appears to lead him to rather unfortunate choices.

Excellent narration of a great work

Where does Sodom and Gomorrah rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Rare for audio books, I can say categorically that I enjoy listening to this book better than reading it myself. I read the first three volumes of this series ("In Search of Lost Time", also called "Remebrance of Things Past") and found it tough going. Neville Jason transmits Proust's complex sentence structure with seeming effortlessness. He does a good job of changing voices in a way that brings out the personality of characters in the novel, especially for male characters.

Any additional comments?

Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" is a rewarding series for those who stick with it. (My book club is taking 2-3 years reading all 7 volumes.) Proust is like a neuroscientist, getting inside the head of his characters, especially the narrator, who resembles Marcel Proust himself. If you're looking for an action-filled page-turner, this book is not for you (even in audio form), but if you are looking for a thoughtful book with an interesting take on human nature, Proust has something significant to offer. Remember, this is volume 4. Reading or listening to the previous three volumes is a must before starting this one.

Exploring the Forbidden (though Ubiquitous)

Would you consider the audio edition of Sodom and Gomorrah to be better than the print version?

Yes, because of Neville Jason's performance and apparently deep understanding of the characters.

What other book might you compare Sodom and Gomorrah to and why?

Only to the other volumes of Remembrance of Things Past

Which character – as performed by Neville Jason – was your favorite?

Baron de Charlus. Neville Jason brilliantly depicts his wild emotional swings and bombast and manages to deliver the significant situational humor while maintaining empathy for the character's plight.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Proust is too dense to absorb all at once.

Any additional comments?

Proust's humor comes across much more strongly in this volume than in the previous ones -- or perhaps I just am only now understanding it.

Absolutely fantastic!

This is an absolutely fantastic - life changing - piece of literature. Neville Jason's performance transfers you to the beginning of the twentieth century. Phenomenal!

story

I very like the Performance ,but the sentences are too long to understand，one very good text