Jonathan’s Comments (group member since Oct 24, 2013)

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

Dave wrote: "I don't remember Jonathan. The Narrator suspects about every female character before its over. There are a number of implied relationships that are never resolved - some quite significant. .."

That's interesting Dave because when I was reading that bit I felt that this character was going to have a huge part in the rest of the novel...oh well!

Renato wrote: "Jonathan, you're only thinking of reading Swann's Way next year? Not the other volumes?..."

Ha! Ha! I feel that 're-read creep' is starting to take over. A few weeks ago a re-read seemed a bit pointless, now I'm thinking of re-reading SW, who knows, by the end I'll probably be thinking of a total re-read.

Dave: On a slightly different point - do we get to find out who the 'handsome young woman' on the beach is? She's attracted by Albertine. She's the one that the narrator notices has eyes that 'scattered rays so geometrically luminous that one was reminded, on meeting her gaze, of some constellation.' n.b. this was from a few weeks back.

Renato wrote: "!! indeed!

I forgot that Charlus and Swann were close friends! WAS SWANN ALSO BI? LOL kidding :)"

Anything's possible. :-) What I find really interesting with Proust is that we can't be sure that the grandfather isn't just getting it mixed up. Everyone thought that Charlus was a ladies' man after all.

Renato wrote: "But even the Narrator took her there by choice... he could've taken her elsewhere..."

Mind you, the narrator just took Albertine there to keep his beady little eye on her...as long as Mme Putbus's maid wasn't there. I guess it's an environment free of attractive young men and women.

It's funny, after reading your note about when Odette was first mentioned I just started looking back at Swann's Way and I can see bits that seem more significant now that we're further along in the novel. I mentioned to Dave that I am thinking of re-reading 'Swann's Way' after the novel...not straight away though.

It's interesting just looking back at some of the scenes; take for example when the narrator sees Gilberte for the first time in their garden at Combray - the 'woman in white' is presumably Odette. The grandfather says 'Poor Swann, what a life they are leading him - sending him away so that she can be alone with her Charlus...' !!

Dave wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "but are we to assume that he is correct in his etymologies of place names? " I've wondered the same thing. I came to the conclusion that even if they were correct, the place names themselves are fictional so t didn't matter."

When Brichot first started spouting his etymologies I thought he was just a bit of a know-it-all who liked the sound of his own voice, but I think I was influenced by the Verdurins' contempt of him and his knowledge. (BTW I was only interested in whether his etymologies were correct 'within' the novel not whether they had any validity 'outside' of the novel) As the narrator took him seriously and I realised that he is actually a professor at the Sorbonne then my feelings changed a bit. His knowledge may be boring to many and he may seem pedantic but it is from real study and interest rather than the frivolous interests of many of the others; so I have a bit of a soft spot for him as I see elements of myself in him. He seems out of place though.

I'm getting used to Proust's attempts to direct us towards believing certain things about a character only to derail us later on.

Yes, I remember that bit Renato and I remember thinking, 'the Prince de Guermantes? Surely he's got the wrong person!'

Renato wrote: "Also, is this the first time the narrator has mentioned he rides horses? "

I know, I was surprised as well. You'd think that that was a bit too dangerous for our narrator.

Renato wrote: "It’s interesting how Morel is portrayed by wanting to be known for his music instead of his social class or what his father did for a living. It seems back then, the focus was so much about ancesto..."

I think even then things were changing, the aristocracy's days of dominance were at an end though it took the World Wars to really change things, at least this was the case in the UK.

Remember that Charlus, the Guermantes etc. are a privileged set who are living in their own little bubble, contemptuous of all those people who have to work for a living. That's why I have a bit of a soft spot for people like Brichot - and Morel; they're looked down on by the aristocracy (and the wannabe-aristocracy such as the Verdurins) as pedants, bores, little-nothings, which is all sort-of true in a way, but what is so great about THEM?

I find it interesting comparing Proust with Zola as they're 'almost' the same period. As Zola deals mostly with the middle-class and working-class in a more down-to-earth manner I can relate to his novels more readily than to Proust's. It is in fact this concentration on privilege, blood-lines, duc-this & duchess-that that is sometimes a bit of a struggle. Though, of course, there's a positive, in that Proust does such a good job of showing this 'unknown' world to us plebs - warts and all.

Renato wrote: "Since you mentioned Emmanuelle Béart I remembered that I haven't thanked you yet for mentioning Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. I absolutely loved both films and hope to read the books one day! ..."

I'm glad you liked them Renato; they're wonderful films. I've got a copy of the book here and I've been meaning to read it for ages - I will soon!

Sunny in Wonderland wrote: "OMG... I adore John Malkovich! I had no idea there was a movie of Time Regained, much less that JM was in it! That's now on my must-see list. ..."

...and Emmanuelle Béart as Gilberte. I've had a sneak preview and it looks good, but I didn't want to watch too much yet. There is also Swann in Love but it's a bit more difficult to get.

"There was a time when my ancestors were proud of the title of chamberlain or butler to the King," said the Baron. "There was also a time," replied Morel haughtily, "when my ancestors cut off your ancestors' heads."

Ho! Ho! Sometimes I like you Morel.

For the narrator jealousy AND love seem inseparable, or is he confusing jealousy for love? Take this revelation when they're on the train:

For though I no longer felt any jealousy and scarcely any love for her, and never thought about what she might be doing on the days when I did not see her, on the other hand, when I was there, a mere partition which might at a pinch be concealing a betrayal was intolerable to me...

We've witnessed nothing so far to justify the narrator's paranoia, but I wonder....although his reaction is over the top, I'm guessing that many of his suspicions will be well-founded.

My favourite quote of this section was:

M. de Charlus made no reply and looked as if he had not heard, which was one of his favourite forms of rudeness.

I like the idea of having a 'favourite' form of rudeness...out of many I feel.

Proust is preparing us, I feel, for what is to come. He mentions that the narrator keeps 'Albertine a prisoner under my unnecessarily vigilant eye.' Within a page he talks about calling back Bloch's 'fugitive affection'. Is it any coincidence that he's using the titles (prisoner & fugitive) of the next two volumes?

When Charlus gets going on his bloodline there's no stopping him, but he's quite often entertaining, like when he's educating Morel:

As for all the little people who call themselves Marquis de Cambremerde or de Gotoblazes, there is no difference between them and the humblest rookie in your regiment. Whether you go and do wee-wee at the Countess Cack's or cack at the Baroness Wee-wee's, it's exactly the same, you will have compromised your reputation and have used a shitty rag instead of toilet paper. Which is unsavoury.

BTW I think at times I agree with Mme Verdurin that Brichot can be a bit of a bore sometimes, but are we to assume that he is correct in his etymologies of place names? He is a professor I believe, even if Mme Verdurin calls him a schoolmaster. And why the hell does he put up with her interfering in his love life?

Renato wrote: "As I had friends over this weekend, I couldn't read Proust - that's not to say he wasn't present. We watched some films and, coincidentally, Proust was mentioned in not one, but two of them: Howard..."

Hope you had a good weekend Renato.

Talking of films, I got a copy of Time Regained, but will, of course, wait until I've finished the reading before watching it...John Malkovich as Charlus!!

The scenes where Charlus and Jupien hides away in the brothel to try to catch Morel and where Morel is scared away from the Prince de Guermantes house when he sees a photograph of Charlus are amusing farce....but what!?...the Prince de Guermantes is also renting young men as well! I thought he was pretty straight-laced....

Whilst the narrator is at Morel's, trying to entice him to go back to see Charlus, he is being nosey and looks at some of the books that Charlus has given to Morel and the inscriptions inside. If, like me, you're not fluent in French and Latin then you'll be trying to determine what the translations are. My Vintage edition isn't very helpful, but the Penguin edition has them all in the notes. So I've included them below which others may find useful:

Spes mea - My hope
Exspectata non eludet - He will not disappoint
J'attendrai - I shall wait
Mesmes plaisirs du mestre - The same pleasures as the master
Sustentant lilia turres - The towers support the lillies
Manet ultima caelo - The end belongs to Heaven
Non mortale quod opto - I have the ambition of an immortal
Atavis et armis - By ancestors and by arms
Tantus ab uno splendor - Such brilliance coming from one person