Observations of society and etiquette as an adolescent on holiday, living as a dilettante with his grandmother. Illustrations (reminiscent of Tintin) in full colour, this adaptation set in the fictional seaside town of Balbec, on the Normandy coast. I loved the visual atmosphere created in this novel of a seaside town in the late 1800s/early 1900s, with the changes in weather, the cycle rides, the diablo games, the bandstands, the excursions, and the seasonal holiday makers staying in a Grand Hotel. Also the depictions of the (fictional) artist's watercolours really helped bring the story to life - Proust with his lingering observations captured well in this adaptation. The glossary in the back was particularly useful, explaining references to Proust's influences and social attitudes of the time. A superb way of understanding the novel. ( )