It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, so I don’t have any particularly insightful thoughts off the top of my head, but one tip: you will spend A LOT of time reading (minor spoiler) scenes that involve people talking at house parties or salons. I’m not always the type to listen to music while reading, but found that playing the type of music they were probably listening to at these gatherings — particularly Saint-Saens, whose work was referenced by a pseudonym repeatedly in Proust — added to the mood and helped me stay focused.