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.

My favourite quote from this section was (loc:803/10944):

The Marquis de Palancy, his head turned sideways on his craning neck, his great round eye glued to the glass of his monocle, moved slowly around in the transparent gloom and appeared no more to see the public in the stalls than a fish that drifts by, unaware of the crowd of curious visitors, behind the glass wall of an aquarium. Occasionally he paused, venerable, wheezy and moss-covered, and the onlooker could not have told whether he was unwell, asleep, swimming, spawning or simply taking breath.

I especially liked the 'moss-covered' bit. The description almost sounded as if it was written by Mervyn Peake. I hope we see more of de Palancy.

I liked the phrase regarding Jupien where Proust says 'his face was inundated by his eyes'.

This was on kindle location 428/10944. BTW annoyingly this kindle version doesn't have real page numbers (as the previous volumes did) so I think I'll quote any future bits as above which should enable others to find roughly where it is in their own version.

Renato wrote: "Of course we learn and grow and adapt etc., but I think the core of who we are remains somewhat intact. I guess that's what makes his writing feel real to me. ..."

I think you're right here; rarely do we make large changes in our lives, instead we keep doing more or less the same but with different permutations.

And there are slight changes with the narrator's life and attitudes, which is a realistic portrayal of how we do change.

This week's reading felt a bit as if we we're going over old ground. The narrator is back in Paris stalking and obsessing over a (different) woman, he's going to the theatre to see La Berma and he still gets in a panic over his sleeping arrangements.

There are slight changes though. It's amusing that although the narrator appears to like La Berma's performance more than his first time, he seems to spend more time watching the other members of the audience, especially the Guermantes. If I remember correctly when he first went to see La Berma he was irritated by all the chatter and movement that went on around him; now he's engrossed by it.

At the theatre the narrator observes that the 'vulgar people' accused the nobs of not paying attention to the play and the nobs could understand it 'if only they had had minds.' Ha! Ha!

Renato wrote: "I wonder if this will have any future implications - as he himself wondered: "And in what depths of despair might this not some day plunge me, if it were the same with love?" - on his personality. As he seems to be such a sensitive person, I'm wondering if this will bring him insecurity issues and/or even trust issues.

What do you guys think? ."

I think you're probably correct Renato. I enjoyed this section of the reading where the narrator is becoming aware that people lie and are deceitful and that Françoise may not particularly like him. I liked the quote '...for in those days I supposed that it was through words that the truth was communicated to other people.'

I had a similar revelation recently at just how bitchy and deceitful people can be even towards others that are pleasant, helpful and friendly. I guess that they begrudge these people their goodwill.

Renato wrote: "Whoa! This is amazing and so creepy at the same time:

"I was genuinely in love with Mme. de Guermantes. The greatest happiness that I could have asked of God would have been that He should overwhe..."

I thought that was a great, although disturbing, quote too. It's what you'd expect a child would want, but not be able to express - but to come from someone who is an adult is strange...but honest!

And then we also have his stalking of Mme Guermantes, which is also quite creepy, especially when he continues even though he realises that she has noticed it and she probably doesn't like it.

Thanks for all the links Marcelita. Phew! It'll take a while perusing them all...

I find I can't read too much of Proust in a single block and therefore read in chunks of about 30 pages or so. This works out quite well with the scheduled 60/70 pages per week. Also being able to read other stuff between each week's material works for me as I find Proust's work very claustrophobic.

Stephen wrote: " Maybe I should take a break and read something else for a few days... "

It might be a good idea Stephen. I find I need a couple of weeks break between books.

In the last few pages two quotes appealed to me:

Then the concerts came to an end, the weather turned bad and my girls left Balbec, not all at once, as the swallows leave, but within the same week.

Altogether, I had derived little benefit from being in Balbec, for which reason I was all the more determined to come back one day. I felt I had spent too short a time there.

We get another one of Proust's comic scenes when the narrator is rushing along to see Albertine in her room at the hotel. He's imagining what delights are in store for him; he casually barges Françoise out of the way; he's excited by those pink cheeks; goes in straight for a kiss - uh oh! Albertine's having none of this and rings the bell. Thwarted!

Although the narrator admits that Andrée's hands are finer than Albertine's, Albertine's hands are fleshier and more sensual. The narrator also has a thing for pink cheeks; I'm with him over hands but not cheeks.

I was glad to see the return of the hawthorns in this week's reading.

I shall probably have to re-read this week's and last week's as I read most of it lying on my back on the floor with back-ache! ouch! What a lovely Easter...I probably missed a lot of stuff.

Renato wrote: "Just finished. Once again, really enjoyed an analogy: the last one, about Francoise opening the curtains."

I sometimes tire of Proust's analogies but that one's a good one.

Sometimes he makes a point that's reasonably clear and then uses an analogy that makes the original point unclear. Mind you they're usually inventive and often funny.

That's ok Susan, I'll allow you to disagree with me. :-)
The problem is that some want to read faster than the schedule whilst others want to go slower. Of course comments can be added to the discussion at any time and if a few want to read at a slower pace then it may be worth arranging amongst yourselves to arrange an alternative schedule.
I quite like the fact that the current schedule is about 60 pages a week, one volume every two months and all completed in a year. The weekly reading gives me time to go over stuff if required as well.

I've just finished now as well. I thought it ended with a bit of a whimper really, though I've rushed my reading a bit near the end....I'm not a naturally fast reader I guess.

Renato wrote: "I agree with you on this - I don't see how 'developing a photograph' can be so much better than 'being there and taking it', but I found this analogy very interesting! Maybe if he wasn't like this ..."

Yes and I was going to add on the end of my last message that that's probably why Proust was a writer and I'm not. :-)

I liked the 'pleasures are like photographs' quote as well, Renato. It's basically the opposite of what I experience though. Pleasures are only really pleasurable while I'm experiencing them. Remembering them is only a pale comparison. I guess I'm more like the 'gang of girls' than the narrator.

I'm only at the point where the narrator has actually met Albertine and, lo and behold he's disappointed; she doesn't live up to expectations. He was even getting bored of her before he actually went to the party. He really doesn't enjoy experiencing things first-hand, he either enjoys the anticipating future pleasures or reflecting upon past pleasures (that aren't really pleasurable).

I'm glad that the narrator's hotel room is no longer 'hostile'. :-)

As he had quite a lot to drink at the party I was expecting the narrator to have a terrible hangover that would last for a week. But no, a bit of a lie in and a few dreams and he seems fine.