So far, I have to say that I'm appreciating this book more than the last. The first novel in this collection seems to be about the narrator's obsessive jealous, which is a far more interesting topic than why Mme. Verdurin wants to invite M. de Charlus to her dinner parties or not, which is what it seemed at times the entirety of "Cities of the Plain" was about. Obsession is almost always good copy.