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.

That's what I thought Renato, but that turned out not to be the case. From outside reading it is widely recognized that he wrote and refined the ending (last two hundred pages of Time Regained) before WWI. The ending's relationship to the beginning is stunning. The three volume book he had before the war, expanded to seven volumes during the war. He expanded in the middle. However, apparently The Fugitive and The Captive came at or near the end of his life and are the ones he was still refining.

Great Links Marcelita, particularly like Joel Rich's My life with Albertine - I'm going to enjoy that at leisure.

Renato wrote: "It's interesting so far that this volume is called La Prisonnière and yet the narrator (I won't start calling him Marcel...) is the one who never leaves the house (or when he does, he visits Mme. d..."

I have a comment on who is the prisoner when you get to the last week of the volume Renato. Meanwhile your comment about "fun with friends" would make a great title for an eighth volume inserted between The Captive and The Fugitive and entitled "Amusez-vous Avec Voz Amis" that gives a third person account of Albertine's activity while the Narrator dithers.

Jonathan wrote: "Renato wrote: "I wonder if he'll get creepier and actually tie her down or something so the title will be literal...."

I thought the part where he was watching Albertine sleep was quite beautiful ..."

That "possession" quote is great Jonathan, I didn't catch that. Haven't seen that on any Proust quote poster on the Internet! But there is a poster out there that says "Love is a mutual torture." Marcel Proust. I don't remember that in the book but it certainly sounds credible.

Again the parallel with Swann, the deciding factor for Swan (in Vol 2) to marry Odette was to present his wife and daughter to the Duchess de Guermantes and gain her approval of them.

My application to join the Yahoo Proust Group has been approved. Thanks again for the lead Marcelita! With Patrick Alexander leading the Group had a big disscussion about the unknown moderator and how to be more accepting of new members. The Moderator finally came on line today (she's not very active any more) so they are discussing appointing more moderators!

The Moderator sent me an en email saying "your application has been approved. You must be a very special person." lol Well I think I'm special, but my wife may have a different word for me.

Your ahead of the story Renato! The Narrator doesn't get his own place until Vol. 6. Was the vacation in another State at Balbec, Brazil? ;)

Jonathan wrote: "Dave wrote: "I got the three days from one of the reference books, I don't remember which one. I had identified that 60% of the volume (in the middle) occurred on one day by marking passages that i..."

The Fugitive starts the morning after The Captive ends. I calculated it lasts two and a half years ending approximately in the Fall of 1912 in historical time. There is another historical reference in The Fugitive that happened in March 1911. Time Regained takes place over more than 10 years.

Lord, if Proust had lived we would be reading a 25 volume book! I don't think he would have ever stopped. There is always more time to be regained.

Jonathan wrote: "And when Albertine wakes the narrator feels that he possesses her even more...and she reveals his name!

I feel that it was a mistake of Proust's to name the narrator. We'd coped for four volumes w..."

I can't say I was surprised when I came to the Narrator's name. And I didn't really have an opinion. It certainly makes a fur ball of getting a handle on the structure of the book after reading. I was going round and round trying to get it straight in my mind. I eventually got it sorted out, with some outside reading. Now my opinion was that Proust was diabolical in giving the Narrator his own name.

Jonathan wrote: "Dave wrote: "The passage you quote is beautiful. It is interesting to observe that he can seem quite loving and unthreatened toward her when she is asleep in his presence. I think that may presage ..."

That would make the Narrator Prince Charming. Hmmm, I have a better French fairy tale in mind for this relationship, La Belle et la Bete.

Jonathan wrote: "I found it extremely odd, given his intense jealousies, that he didn't read the letters that were, supposedly, in her kimono when she was asleep. Do we believe him?"

I think this may be clarified later. An interesting psychological point Proust makes. We need to revisit this next volume.

Jonathan wrote: "Dave has mentioned that The Captive takes place over three days and I noticed that the synopsis in the Penguin version notes when each day starts - the Vintage synopsis doesn't. In the Penguin vers..."

I got the three days from one of the reference books, I don't remember which one. I had identified that 60% of the volume (in the middle) occurred on one day by marking passages that indicate a shift in time. Since I have cheap ebooks they have no page numbers, but I calculated the long day starts 27% through the book with the sentence "On the morrow of that evening when Albertine had told me she would perhaps be going, then she would not be going to see the Verdurins, I awoke early, and, while I was still half asleep, my joy informed me that there was, interpolated in the winter, a day of spring." I think the springlike day in the middle of winter is metaphorical.

Reading to a natural break in the story seems sensible.

Jonathan wrote: "Ok, so we're on to volume 5, The Captive or The Prisoner...or A Prisioneira. Patrick Alexander says that this one and the following volume 'are the most difficult and least satisfactory of all seve..."

Jonathan, I agree with you that I prefer each volume seperately. Somewhere along the line I've read that sometimes (in lit classes?) these two are read sometimes as a seperate, stand alone assignment (as is SW supposedly). As the risk of sounding elitest, I strongly disagree with that. After finishing "the book" and reflecting on it I really believ in its unity. Its unified in structure and in message to me. People don't read some chapters in a Dickens novel? Well I'm just a curmugeon.

The passage you quote is beautiful. It is interesting to observe that he can seem quite loving and unthreatened toward her when she is asleep in his presence. I think that may presage later developments.

Oh yes, I think we should feel free to share our reaction. I certainly have not been bashful in that regard.

As for Francoise, yes she came to work for the narrator's family in Paris when Leonie died. In Combray she kept the other servants away from Aunt Leonie and insisted on waiting on her personally. In The Captive and The Fugitive she has an increased visibility in the story since the Narrator spends a lot of time at the Paris House. His mother is in Combray and his Father isn't mentioned that I remember (he is still alive).

I think I've mentioned before but the whole volume V takes place in three days, although you have to read closely to see that. Based on a historical incident mentioned, I calculated that it is February 1909, but since finishing I've come to realized that chronological time is not very important.

Jonathan wrote: "He's occasionally quite creepy and at times comes across as one of those abductors like Josef Fritzl, locking the victim away in the cellar whilst appearing normal to the outside world."

He, he, he - it runs in the family. Aunt Leonie daydreamed of the whole family dying when the house burns down so the whole town would give her sympathy and admire how pious she was in mourning. That sounds like my own mother-in-law.

I'm not going to defend the narrator, I got angier and angrier at him over the next volume and a half as my comments at the end will show. But I eventually calmed down (wondering if Proust was controlling my emotions). On reflection I relized that my own "interior monolgue" would not stand up well in the light-of-day.

Well, my email exchange with Patrick Alexander is proving fruitful. He forwarded my email to the whole group and I've gotten several direct replies (including one from NZ). Mr Alexander forwarded me copies of emails where now there is talk of migrating to a new group to refresh the membership rolls. He is going to keep me informed of developments. Thanks again Marcelita, you always know which Proustian Hawthorn bush to shake to get results!

Hmmm, didn't do as well as I had hoped on those quizes, a third reading may be in order.

Marcelita, you deliver the goods! Patrick Alexander already forwarded my email requesting help to the whole Proust Group. Thanks!

I am in the process of completely redecorating my room in authentic "Fin de Siecle" French provential. Sadly, my designated shoppers have not found just the right electric buzzer in antique stores yet. Meanwhile I make do with calling Francois at work when I awaken, Fortunately she has an understanding employer who excuses her daily to come home and bring me my tea, toast, and egg.

Well Jonathan those are sound suggestions for keeping the riff-raff out of the group. However, I would base the sincerity of my claim on the diligence that I adhere to my favorite character's behavior - Aunt Leonie. I have moved my bed over by the window, bought a yellow lemonwood chest of drawers, arrange my pills, rosary and other necessities on my bedside table, and keep the TV on the Catholic Channel so I can coordinate taking my pills with the elevation of the host on each TV Mass. From my perch I keep a watchful eye on our neighbors to see what goes on like if any one passes with larger Asparagus than we have (if so I can call my wife at work tell her to stop at the store on the way home). My wife is having a hard time adjusting to my refusal to go downstairs, my insistence on speaking in French and my calling her Francois. My daughter is still unconvinced that she needs to legally change the name of my grandson to Marcel.
Madeleine anyone?