Welcome to Proustian Paths - the podcast channel that gives you different routes through Marcel Proust’s masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time.
Join host Dr. James Holden in the main numbered episodes for a guided walk through of this classic work of French literature. Then, in the ‘Shortcuts’ episodes, get ahead in your understanding of Proust’s novel with spoiler-filled discussions of key characters and concepts that range across the entire text. The perfect podcast for readers new to Marcel Proust’s work, and the ideal way for dedicated Proustians to get new perspectives on the books they love.
Join your literary tour guide and host Dr James Holden for Episode 9 of Proustian Paths, in which we continue our gentle walk through Marcel Proust's masterpiece of French literature - A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time).
Today, we travel further through Swann’s Way. We discover how Charles Swann is excluded from the Verdurin salon. Love and jealousy abound as he storms home through the Paris night alone with the promise of other love affairs and piano music hanging in the evening air.
In this episode we will discuss:
Swann’s exclusion from the Verdurin salon
A performance of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for piano, played in the dark
The mutability of social truths
Proustian Paths is the perfect podcast for both first time readers of Proust's novel and dedicated Proustians alike. It is ‘a brilliant invitation into the world of Proust and the insights his work offers’.
13 Jul 2025
Channel Update - New Episodes and New Ways to Engage
Well, it's been a while! But the Proustian Paths podcast is returning, and there are exciting new ways to engage with the show.
This short Channel Update episode tells you everything you need to know about the show's latest developments, including how to get even more classic literature discussion direct to your inbox via the Proustian Paths Substack newsletter.
Subscribe to Proustian Paths on Substack FOR FREE by clicking here to become part of the show's welcoming community of readers and listeners, and take part in subscriber chat.
So, dust off your literary walking boots as we prepare to set out once again on our guided walk through Marcel Proust's classic novel, In Search of Lost Time.
14 Jun 2022
Episode 8: Swann and Forcheville
Love quickly turns to jealousy along Swann's Way. In this episode of the Proustian Paths podcast we return to the Verdurin salon in Paris on the evening Odette introduces Forcheville to the little clan. He establishes himself there as a rival for Odette's love, sparking Swann's jealousy which we see played out as we follow the paths that take him to Odette's window late at night.
Join audio tour guide Dr. James Holden on the next leg of our gentle walk through this important work of French literature, Marcel Proust's classic novel A la recherche du temps perdu.
This episode will provide you with:
* a clear 'map' of the sequence - focusing on the social scene and the two 'window' scenes that are the beginning of Swann's jealousy.
* a discussion of the important physical, social and conceptual 'landmarks' Proust places in the passage.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical view.
Proustian Paths is the perfect introduction to Marcel Proust's work for new readers and a way for dedicated Proustians to get a new view on the book they love.
24 Mar 2022
Episode 7: Swann and Odette
Today's steps along the paths through Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time find us heading out into the streets of Paris and following Charles Swann as he searches for Odette. This episode traces Swann's emotional and physical journey, and the relationship that then develops between the couple.
Listening to Episode 7 of the Proustian Paths podcast will give you:
a 'map' of this section of Proust's narrative (pp. 229 - 253 of the edition published by Penguin).
a list of the physical and conceptual 'landmarks' needed to navigate this passage.
a discussion of the literary-critical view.
Join your audio tour guide and host Dr James Holden as we continue our gentle walk through Marcel Proust's masterpiece of French literature - A la recherche du temps perdu. The perfect podcast for both first time readers of Proust's work and dedicated Proustians alike.
9 Mar 2022
Channel Update
It's time for a quick channel update! Discover what’s been happening here at the Proustian Paths podcast since our last episode and find out what's coming up on the channel. It’s true that I’ve taken a long detour before being able to come back to the paths through Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time, but I’m now back to guide us on our slow reading journey together.
So dust off your literary walking boots and listen to this update and you'll be ready for upcoming new episodes as we continue our gentle walk through Proust's masterpiece of French literature - A la recherche du temps perdu.
3 Oct 2021
Episode 6: Swann in Love
Charles Swann is in love. In this episode, our path through Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time follows the paths that the character Charles Swann himself takes as he circles from his home to the Verdurin salon, and from there to Odette's house at the beginning of their grand love affair.
Join audio tour guide Dr. James Holden on the next leg of our gentle walk through this important work of French literature, Marcel Proust's classic novel A la recherche du temps perdu.
This episode will provide you with:
* a clear 'map' of the sequence so that you can understand the structure of these social scenes.
* a discussion of the important physical, social and conceptual 'landmarks' Proust himself places in the passage.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical view.
Proustian Paths is the perfect introduction to Marcel Proust's work for new readers and a way for dedicated Proustians to get a new view on the book they love.
27 Aug 2021
Shortcut: Vinteuil
Vinteuil's music is one of the central artistic reference points in Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time. But who is Vinteuil?
In this episode of Proustian Shortcuts from Proustian Paths, host Dr. James Holden provides you with a very quick shortcut to understanding this character's place in Proust's work A la recherche du temps perdu, helping you get ahead on your own journey through this masterpiece of French literature.
In this episode you will:
* Discover Vinteuil’s life in Combray.
* Learn about Vinteuil’s life as a composer and his feelings towards his own works.
* Discover Vinteuil’s two most important pieces of music, his Sonata for violin and piano and his Septet, and learn about their importance for both Proust’s Narrator and also Charles Swann in his relationship with Odette.
* Hear about the afterlife of Vinteuil’s music and the creation of his artistic legacy.
Save time in your reading and comprehension of the classic work In Search of Lost Time, and listen to this 3 minute episode today.
***Contains plot SPOILERS for the entirety of Proust's In Search of Lost Time.***
20 Aug 2021
Shortcut: The Little Clan
Who are 'the Little Clan'? Find out in the first episode of 'Proustian Shortcuts', the new series from Proustian Paths that provides you with quick shortcuts to an understanding of the key characters and concepts in Marcel Proust's classic novel, In Search of Lost Time.
In this episode you will:
* Discover the members of the little clan, the faithful of the Verdurin salon, and how the group changes over time and through the course of the novel.
* Learn about the group’s social status and their relationship with the fashionable aristocratic society of Paris.
* Hear how the clan provide some of the key artistic reference points in the novel.
So join host Dr James Holden and find your own way through Proust’s text - A la recherche du temps perdu. Save time in your reading and comprehension of the classic work In Search of Lost Time today, and listen to this 3 minute episode.
***Contains plot SPOILERS for the entirety of Proust's In Search of Lost Time.***
13 Aug 2021
Shortcuts: Trailer
Introducing Proustian Shortcuts, the new series of quick episodes from Proustian Paths designed to get you ahead in your understanding of Marcel Proust's masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time.
Each ‘Shortcut’ episode offers a short, spoiler-filled discussion of a crucial character or concept from this classic work of French literature. From ‘the little clan’, to Vinteuil’s music and even the idea of involuntary memory, this new series will help speed you along the way through Proust.
So join host Dr James Holden and find your own way through the text of Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu. Save time in your reading and comprehension of the classic novel In Search of Lost Time today, and listen to this series of 3 minute episodes.
*** Please note: all episodes in the ‘shortcuts’ series contain spoilers for the entirety of Proust’s novel. ***
23 Jul 2021
Episode 5: The Verdurin Salon
In this new episode, our gentle walk through the text of Marcel Proust’s classic novel In Search of Lost Time sees us leave Combray behind and enter Paris, and the Verdurin salon. Here, we’ll meet the regulars, the ‘little clan’, and learn about the love affair between Charles Swann and Odette. We’ll also hear the Vinteuil Sonata.
Here, then, our slow reading journey brings us to the section entitled ‘Swann in Love’ or ‘Un Amour de Swann’, which will now occupy us for several episodes, and which forms such an important part overall in Proust’s work.
So, let’s make our way through the crowded Parisian streets and arrive in time for dinner as we take the next leg of walk along the Proustian Paths through this masterpiece of French literature.
This episode will provide you with:
* a 'map' of the opening passages of ‘Swann in Love’.
* a discussion of the important ideas or 'landmarks' Proust himself places in the passage.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical view.
The perfect introduction to Marcel Proust's work for new readers and a way for dedicated Proustians to get a new view on the book they love - A la recherche du temps perdu.
14 May 2021
Episode 4: The Two Ways
There are two 'ways' or paths that head out of Marcel Proust's Combray - Swann's Way and the Guermantes Way.
In this episode of Proustian Paths, our gentle walk through the text of Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time finally finds us heading down these famous paths. Join audio tour guide James Holden and discover these great pieces of literary terrain and how they shape so much of the work to come.
This episode will provide you with:
* a 'map' of the section describing the two ways.
* a discussion of the important ideas or 'landmarks' Proust himself marks on the ways.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical views found on both Swann’s Way and the Guermantes Way.
So put on your literary walking boots once more, read along with the show if you want, and join us as we continue our literary journey.
The perfect introduction to Marcel Proust's work for new readers and a way for dedicated Proustians to get a new view on the book they love - A la recherche du temps perdu.
30 Apr 2021
Episode 3: Combray
Combray looms large in the Proustian imagination. In Episode 3 of Proustian Paths, our gentle walk through Marcel Proust's classic novel In Search of Lost Time finally brings us to this town.
Your audio tour guide James Holden will help you navigate the section of text describing this place, and will show you all the best literary-critical views. Let's discover the town, its inhabitants, and its place in the Narrator's memories.
This episode will provide you with:
* a 'map' of the section dealing with the town of Combray.
* a discussion of the passage's important ideas or 'landmarks'.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical view.
So put on your literary walking boots once more, read along with the show if you want, and join us as we continue our literary journey. The perfect introduction to Marcel Proust's work for new readers and a way for dedicated Proustians to get a new view on the book they love - A la recherche du temps perdu.
16 Apr 2021
Episode 2: Madeleine Cakes and Tea
The madeleine cake sequence is the most famous moment in Marcel Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time.
Discover why in this episode of Proustian Paths. Join your audio tour guide James Holden as we pause on our gentle walk through Proust's work to enjoy tea and cake. Learn about the idea of 'involuntary memory' and discover Proust's madeleine cake - so famous it even ended up as a phrase: 'madeleine de Proust'.
This episode will provide you with:
* a 'map' of this famous scene.
* a discussion of the section's literary highlights or 'landmarks'.
* an opportunity to take in the literary-critical view
So relax with a cup of tea and join us as we continue our literary journey through Marcel Proust's masterpiece of French literature - A la recherche du temps perdu. The perfect introduction to Proust for new readers and the ideal way for dedicated Proustians to get a new perspective on this key scene.
2 Apr 2021
Episode 1: Waking and Sleeping
Join James Holden, your audio tour guide, as we set out on our journey through the text of Marcel Proust’s classic novel, In Search of Lost Time.
26 Mar 2021
Proustian Paths: Trailer
Proustian Paths is the new series of podcasts that will take you on a gentle walk through a classic work of French literature: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time.
James Holden is your audio tour guide for this journey and is ready to show you the very best literary critical views. So, dust off your literary walking boots and listen to this trailer to be ready for our journey through this twentieth-century masterpiece, Marcel Proust's novel A la recherche du temps perdu.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
795
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
26
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
51
Contact Proustian Paths
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Proustian Paths?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
