Through Sunday, 13 Jan.: Swann's Way

[Elizabeth]

The young Narrator's disappointment in the "lady in pink" is very reminiscent of Austen's "Northanger Abbey." Young Marcel expects--being old to realize that this is not "a nice lady" something haggard, dramatic, and--well, gothic. Instead, he says she disappoints him because her dress, her manners, her kindness to him, are the exact equivalent of his totally respectable Parisian cousins. It's hilarious.

[Elizabeth]

...Let us not forget Dior's classic remark: "My dream is to save them from nature."

[Marcelita]

Nick wrote: "The Morris column Marcel must have run up to in eager anticipation of shows still exists, across the road from the family home in Paris at 9 Boulevard Malesherbes. Cause I am a geek, I took a pictu..."

After looking at vintage posters on the Morris columns...I heard this passage:

"Every morning I would hasten to the Morris column to see what new plays it announced. Nothing could be more disinterested or happier than the day-dreams with which these announcements filled my imagination, day-dreams which were conditioned by the associations of the words forming the titles of the plays, and also by the colour of the bills, still damp and wrinkled with paste, on which those words stood out." MP (WBG)

I imagined the narrator looking at this poster (Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet.)
http://www.prints.muchafoundation.org...#

And then, attending the play...and seeing "Berma" duel with Laertes! (Sarah Bernhardt doesn't move like a 55 year old.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp_v_d...#

[Aloha]

Marcelita wrote: "Nick wrote: "The Morris column Marcel must have run up to in eager anticipation of shows still exists, across the road from the family home in Paris at 9 Boulevard Malesherbes. Cause I am a geek, I..."

I love Mucha! Added that to my Pinterest Poster. Thanks, Marcelita.

[Marcelita]

Aloha wrote: "BTW, the ML "Arabian Nights" is "Mile et une Nuits", which is "a thousand and one nights", which is a better term fitting with time than "Arabian Nights.""

After reading somewhere that the tales in the "Thousand Nights and a Night" used foreshadowing, I searched and found Sir Richard Francis Burton's 1885-1888 book. His life needs a screenplay.

"'The Book of The Thousand Nights and a Night'
With Introduction Explanatory Notes on the Manners and Customs of Moslem Men and a Terminal Essay upon the History of the Nights.

Translated and edited by Richard Francis Burton.
First edition of 1885-8 in ten volumes.
Supplemental edition in six volumes bound in seven parts.
Printed by the Burton Club For Private Subscribers Only."

http://burtoniana.org/books/1885-Arab...

For your Kindle:
http://ia700301.us.archive.org/5/item...

Curious about his 1853 decision to make the Hajj disguised as a Muslim?
http://burtoniana.org/

[Aloha]

Thanks, Marcelita, for the links. It's great that we are rediscovering these fascinating facts and people.

[ReemK10 (Paper Pills)]

Marcelita wrote: "Aloha wrote: "BTW, the ML "Arabian Nights" is "Mile et une Nuits", which is "a thousand and one nights", which is a better term fitting with time than "Arabian Nights.""

After reading somewhere th..."

You're an amazing researcher!!! Thanks for the links!

[J.A.]

How funny you guys are discussing Arabian Nights. I just recently listened to a fascinating podcast about its history and how some of the most famous stories were not part of the original but probably written by the French translator. Originally, the audience was the French court and not children. Here's the link for those interested: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...

[Marcelita]

J.A. wrote: "How funny you guys are discussing Arabian Nights. I just recently listened to a fascinating podcast about its history and how some of the most famous stories were not part of the original but proba..."

Bravo!
Uhm, which version would I read?
I am going to post in the Lounge, as the passage is from S&G.