One Year In Search of Lost Time ~ 2015 discussion

"The procedure is similar - thought the reverse of theirs - to that of those liars who, by editing their activities when recounting them to a mistress or simply to a friend, imagine that neither one nor the other will at once see that the sentence spoken (as in the case of Cahn, Kohn, Kuhn) is an interpolation, is of another species from those making up the conversation, that it has a false bottom" (~59.64%).

To me, beside the slightly tiresome saloon socialities, there were a lot of great general observations and musings about the characters in this part.

Proust the Neuroscientist again:

because I was now detached from them. From them, that is to say, from myself. We desire passionately that there should be another life in which we would be similar to what we are here below. But we do not reflect that, even without waiting for that other life, but in this one, after a few years, we are unfaithful to what we have been, to what we had wanted to remain immortally.
(p. 258)

Talking about the end-of-history illusion (again), how we mistakenly think we will never (or less than in reality) change ourselves, like this excellent short TED talk shows:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_...

I also liked this musing about noses (though i'm not sure you can actually see stupidity in a nose):

This nose of M. de Cambremer’s was not ugly, but rather a little too beautiful, too strong, too vain of its own importance. Hooked, polished, shiny, spanking new, it was quite prepared to make up for the spiritual insufficiency of his gaze; unfortunately, if the eyes are sometimes the organ in which intelligence is revealed, the nose (whatever their intimate solidarity and the unsuspected repercussions of one feature on the others), the nose is generally the organ in which stupidity exhibits itself the most readily.
(p. 310)

I found much of the salon talk tiresome as well. And in this volume I've been so happy (relieved?) when the focus isn't on that.

I agree about the nose, but I put it down to literary exaggeration. ;)

I found this hilarious:

It melted my heart that the Verdurins should have sent to meet us at the station. I said as much to the Princess, who seemed to think that I was greatly exaggerating so simple an act of courtesy. I know that she admitted subsequently to Cottard that she found me very enthusiastic; he replied that I was too emotional, required sedatives and ought to take to knitting.

Haha, yes. The part before confused me at first, Marcel saying he loves the Verdurins. That seemed unlikely to me. I think this is simply the intoxication, and Marcel doesn't really care about the Verdurins that much.

In this very elevated spot, the air had become of a keenness and purity that intoxicated me. I loved the Verdurins; that they should have sent a carriage for us seemed so kind as to be touching. I would have liked to kiss the Princesse. I told her I had never seen anything so beautiful.
(p. 295)

Simon wrote: "Haha, yes. The part before confused me at first, Marcel saying he loves the Verdurins. That seemed unlikely to me. I think this is simply the intoxication, and Marcel doesn't really care about the ..."

I agree. He's in love with the setting, if anything. And as you say, it's intoxicated him, causing him to believe he loves all that goes with it -- for the moment.

Simon wrote: "Haha, yes. The part before confused me at first, Marcel saying he loves the Verdurins. That seemed unlikely to me. I think this is simply the intoxication, and Marcel doesn't really care about the ..."

Here is an excellent French article, describing the model for "Raspelière."
The author (a great Proustian) includes letters and the passage you have sited.

"Proust in Trouville: In the footsteps of Proust in Normandy"
BY ARMELLE BARGUILLET HAUTELOIRE JULY 5, 2014
http://voyages.ideoz.fr/proust-trouvi...
English: (may not work, due to Cookies)
https://translate.google.com/translat...

My favorite webpage translation app (for my iPad) is "Web Translator." It cost a few dollars, but I can bookmark sites that I return to frequently.

Read Armelle's Proust articles: http://interligne.over-blog.com/artic...
English:
https://translate.google.com/translat...