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.

Oh! You don't know 'Mémé? I wouldn't dream of buying a fruit or vegetable without 'Mémé's advice. But, since you don't know 'Mémé I probably should not have mentioned him. He is very particular about his clientele.

Renato wrote: "The most common reaction I get is "who?" and, after explaining, comes the automatic "oh i see.....WHY?????"."

Yeah, I forgot the why.

Concerning Swann, I think you will have a better idea of his role in the Narrator's life and in the book at the end. But for me, the end of the book is where the questions begin, not where the questions are answered. As I've done outside reading and rereading, I've formed opinions. But as I mentioned above, some of my opinions have changed and I continue to have uncertainty on a number of questions. I've come to see my uncertainty as one of the strengths of the book - again, the uncertainty to know for sure.

Renato wrote: "The moment where he decided how he would write his novel and how everything started with Swann gave me chills to read! It's a long quote, but worth to be put here, for sure:


"In short, if I ref..."

Of the long passage you quote, it is what is said about Albertine that fascinates me. This passage reflects a mature understanding of the role Albertine played in his life. "it was quite certain that Albertine, the then Albertine, would not have understood the pages I should write. But it was just on that account, (and that is a warning not to live in too intellectual an atmosphere) because she was so different from me that she had made me productive through suffering, and, at first, even through the simple effort required to imagine that which differs from oneself. Had she been able to understand these pages, she would have been unable to inspire them."

Renato quoted: "True, I associated certain things with her face as I saw her first, gazing towards the sea. In one sense I was right in associating them with her for if I had not walked by the sea that day, if I had not known her, all those ideas would not have developed (unless, at least, they had been developed by another)" Places like this last parenthetical quote have me chasing my tail about whether Proust is referring to himself. I've changed my opinion about whether Proust inserted himself as author. I am certainly not sure. But I have discounted the outside reading that insisted that he had not.

Renato wrote: "I'm amazed at how much there is in this book. I keep reading and re-reading sections and it was impossible to stop in last week's schedule.

I feel these are the most intense couple of weeks. I rea..."

It is very fun to see your enthusiasm in your comments as you read these pages Renato. It reminds me of myself!

Marcelita wrote: "Dave wrote: "Marcelita wrote: "Dave wrote: "Oooh, Fabula, there's a word I've come across in my Narratology reading.
It would be nice to have an Audiobook of Swann's Way in French to follow in the..."

Marvelous! Thanks so much Marcelita! I like having background music too!

Marcelita wrote: "Dave wrote: "I wonder why there is no mention of the Eiffel Tower in ISOLT? Did Proust consider it a monstrosity?"

No, it's there, in Time Regained, in the war passage, "...searchlights of the Eif..."

Ah, ok. I have a Pinterest Board about Paris. When I first set it up I was frustrated that I couldn't find Pins of Paris that were not of the Eiffel Tower.

I wonder why there is no mention of the Eiffel Tower in ISOLT? Did Proust consider it a monstrosity?

Marcelita wrote: "Dave wrote: "Oooh, Fabula, there's a word I've come across in my Narratology reading. I'll have to translate this too. My wife has been studying French for six weeks but she still can't help me wit..."

That Fabula Blog is very interesting. It would be nice to have an Audiobook of Swann's Way in French to follow in the dual language book you suggested. I get by with traveler French but I am always self conscious about pronunciation. We love watching French movies with English sub-titles so we can practice pronunciation.

Oooh, Fabula, there's a word I've come across in my Narratology reading. I'll have to translate this too. My wife has been studying French for six weeks but she still can't help me with my Proust!

Thanks Marcelita! I'll translate that page later, but the name looks familiar.

Marcelita, I have a couple of questions.
1) Where do I find a detailed account of the post-death publication story?

2) Are there reviews or accounts by readers who were some of the first to read the whole book as a continuos read. The thought of having to wait a dozen years to finish gives me the creeps.

We are going to Haut-Pyrenees. If we are going to stay in Paris we will go to Combray to or from. There is a little spa town down near the Pyrenees on the Atlantic Coast where Marcel and Mama go. I have not looked it up to see which town it corresponds to. Thank you for the offer of coordination. I suspect our trip will be in the first half of October.

Jonathan wrote: "Dave wrote: "Good word Jonathan, Proustosphere. Sunny finished the book so the champagne is flowing in the Final Week folder. I'll look, but I bet I can't find that Zola series published over here!..."

Thanks Jonathan, I'll check it out!

Concerning your comment about people being afraid of not getting a book Jonathan; Bleak House is one of my favorite books, a book I have read four times over my lifetime. A few months back I listened to a lecture on Bleak House by a respected literature professor. In the portion of the lecture where he talked about what the book was about my reaction was "Huh, I never saw that." After considering what he had to say I decided that there was some merit in what he said.
The same lecture series the same professor gave two lectures on ISOLT. Those I totally discounted. It was not apparent to me he had even read the book.

- My motto is "the reason I have an opinion is so I can change it."

I prided myself in college on spending more time reading books that were not assigned. Interesting, given your comments, Crime and Punishment and The Castle were two of my first. I read Camus early as well.

Good word Jonathan, Proustosphere. Sunny finished the book so the champagne is flowing in the Final Week folder. I'll look, but I bet I can't find that Zola series published over here!

I'll be looking forward to your comments (I think Jonathan and Renato want those comments in the "Rereading ISOLT Folder" I'd check with them to be sure - they probably won't open this folder since they haven't finished).

I'll be in California next week. I'm hoping they have Internet out there so I can stay in touch with the group.

Concerning my comments I posted above when I first finished the book my opinions have changed on a couple of comments.

- The Party, I now love this scene now. As with Proust's other social occasions it serves multiple purposes, has wonderful characterization and is brilliantly structured.

- The Loose ends. When I first finished in July, I had no knowledge on the sequence in which Proust wrote the book. My perception was distrorted. I have now formed another opinion about how the book "works" which accounts for loose ends. I've let Albertine go - she's dead Jim.

In both cases I leave my original comment to mark my change in perspective.