Dave’s Comments (group member since May 24, 2014)

Dave’s comments from the Reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time in 2014 group.

Renato wrote: "I was under the impression that Morel was with Saint-Loup... a" These twists happen sometime very quickly. Yes Morel walked out on Saint-Loup, distressing him as he had his Uncle. Morel is still in Mme. Verdurin's circle.

Renato wrote "perhaps one or two more sections, if that), as if I'm saving them for my future re-read." It's late in the game Renato, but I'd suggest rereading as you feel inclined.

Renato wrote: "There are even cases where in a particular edition character's names were changed: from Brichot to Cottard, from Norpois to Brichot..." wow, that would be confusing! I know Brichot is fairly prominent in this weeks reading in that there is a section about how Mme Verdurin snubs him. I thought Cottard was already dead, is this where he is resurrected? (I've never identified that ressurection). I don't remember Norpois mentioned this week.

Browsing around on the web I came across TVTropes.org a site like wikipedia that is a treasure trove of various techniques and details used in TV, Movies, literature etc. Makes fascinating browsing. Of course the first thing I searched for was Proust (309 mentions) The link to the basic Proust page is

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...

Oh, and I did an electronic search of The MKE whole book and Penguin Vol 2 and came up empty on Juliette. I also thought she was a member of the little band.

That BBC4 Proust program Marcelita recommended talks some about who reads Proust today and are more people reading now. I enjoyed it and they thoughtfully avoid spoilers.

Those Prinet paintings are nice. I never heard of him either,

Goodness it does sound confusing. When I was listening to the Audio I got exasperated when I learned that Montcrieff had not translated TR. I guess because of copy-write issues, the reader-Narrator and another gentleman had done a private translation. So what they were reading was not available to me. So I was brave and read the last volume without Audio. Well, by then I was used to Proust's style so it was not that difficult.

I've mentioned before that in my reading I don't really find myself aware of translations. I've read Moncrieff, then parts in Penguin and now in MKE mostly. I'm just not sensitive enough to discern differences.

Meanwhile, in my continuing obsession - I bought a 3 volume set from Abe's books translated by M & K in 1981. My God, the three volumes weigh in at 8.4lbs! Each volume is as thick as an unabridged dictionary. I'm a wus now and want my books to weigh what my iPad weighs. I'd have to set these volumes on the kitchen table to read them. But the do have a nice indexed synopses at the end of each volume.

I listened to the BBC 4 program Proust: In Our Time - quite interesting.

More great links Marcelita. Thanks! I have started my own modest little Pinterest Board on "In Search of Lost Time". I don't pin everything I come across. When I do search for pins most often I'm lead to your boards. Recently, there was a reference to something smelling like Vetiver. I looked it up and ordered a small bottle of Vetiver Oil. It smells musty, like raw pottery to me.

Good point. I was struck by Marcel's ability to just "let it go" when he go no answer.

Interesting. I wondered how much Cocaine was "normal" usage.

A couple of small details that I didn't notice the first time: Saint Loup used Cocaine "excessively" at Tansonville (next to last page this week).

"Although Saint Loup and I did not attend the Lycee and Sorbonne together...) - An example of how Proust slips significant details in so casually. I have wondered how Marcel got educated since there is so little reference to school. So there are years of Lycee and at the Sorbonne that are only casually mentioned here.

What an excellent metaphor Jonathan. "he does flit back and forth in time, filling in bits of detail here and there." A bird building a nest, I think Proust would have loved that description! Very apt and accurate!

Jonathan wrote: "Dave wrote: "Marcel mentions that going to Tansonville is a nuisance because he is keeping a girl in Paris. After musing on this for a paragraph he says "And before I could go to Tansonville I had ..."

And for being in such a dither about his girlfriend being involved with other women, now he seems pretty casual about having apparently multiple friends who do not care for women from whom to choose. Marcel, you've come a long way from learning the birds and bees in S&G.

Another aspect of the book I have been thinking about is how little chronological time is portrayed in the action. 100 page dinner parties, receptions, etc. but then very brief moments are portrayed also, and hundreds or thousands of pages of interior monologue. We've read thousands of pages and decades have passed, but almost unnoticed if we were not actively trying to guess what year we are in.

Then there was the (17 year old?) souvenir seller (or something similar) in Venice which he was mooning over taking back to Paris "for his exclusive use". That was the one time Mama stood up to him. "I'm leaving, you say here if you want.....what to do, what to do..... Ayeeeeeeee wait for me mama! lol

Marcelita wrote: "Here are some specific tracks that may be of interest:

From the "Italie Venise" program:
Reynaldo Hahn singing and playing the piano.
http://www.francemusique.fr/player/re...
or
d..."
Thank. you, you're always so generous and helpful

I find it fascinating every time Albertine is mentioned by the Narrator there is some sort of lingering "if only" type of qualifier.

Marcel mentions that going to Tansonville is a nuisance because he is keeping a girl in Paris. After musing on this for a paragraph he says "And before I could go to Tansonville I had to make her promise that she would place herself in the hands of one of my friends who did not care for women, for a few days." This is exactly what Swan did with Odette (although the homosexual aspect was implicite) when he asked Charlus to keep an eye on her for him when he was away. Also perhaps the source of gossip that Charlus and Odette were lovers at Tansonvile in Swanns Way.