In A Nutshell: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

I have yet to embark on reading this novel by Proust. I have done a small research on the novel to boost my interest in reading the novel. I will consider it is not a spoiler to the novel. I have read the Harold Pinter's play version for the theater or the motion picture's audiences.
"The biggest help in reading Proust is to have the persons and places of the story clear in one's mind." - Roger Shattuck

The novel have five major settings.

Places(Settings):-

Combray: Church of Saint-Hilaire

Aunt Leonie"s House

Swann's Way
(Meseglise Tansonville)

The Guermantes Way

Martinville Steeples

Paris: Champs-Elysees Gardens

Guermantes' Town House

Marcel's Family Apartment

Salons

House of Prostitution

Balbec: Grand Hotel

Elstir's Studio

Rivebelle

La Raspeliere

Doncieres: Cavalry Barracks

Pension

Venice; (Trip Planned and Cancelled)

Visit with Mother

Characters:- Marcel, Narrator,Author

Mother,Grand-Mother,Aunt Leonie
Father, Uncle Adolphe (Marcel's
Family)

Francoise,Swann,Odette.Gilberte.
Bloch,Legrandin
(Early Friends)

Marquise de Villeparisis - a school
friend of Marcel's grandmother

Marquise Quis De Saint-Loop - her
nephew

Baron De Charlus - his uncle

Du and Duchess De Guermantes -
neighbours both in Combay and
Paris

Prince De Guermantes

Princess De Guermantes

Mlle De Saint-Loop - daughter of
Robert de Saint-Loop and Gilberte
Swann

Bergotte - a writer

Vinteuil - a composer

Elstir - a painter

La Berma - an actress

Rachel - an actress

Morel - a violinist

Francoise - the family servant

Monsieur Verdurin

Madame Verdurin

Albertine

Marquis De Norpois -
the ambassador

Jupien

Love Affairs:- Marcel - GrandMother

Swann - Odette

Marcel - Gilberte

Marcel - Duchesse de Guermantes

Saint-Loop- Rachel

Marcel - Albertine

Charlus - Morel

Marcel - Narrator (Narcissism)