One Year In Search of Lost Time ~ 2015 discussion

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The Fugitive > Week I ~ ending October 24

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message 1: by Jacob (last edited Oct 17, 2015 12:31PM) (new)

Jacob (jacobvictorfisher) | 112 comments "I at last remembered certain summer days which we found too hot at the time, and where it is only after the event that we extract from their alloys the pure, hallmarked gold and the indelible lapis lazuli" (~25%).


message 2: by Teresa (last edited Oct 20, 2015 02:03PM) (new)

Teresa And here it is in the Moncrieff:

"I recalled it at length exactly, without adding to it now any suffering, rather, on the contrary, as we recall certain days in summer which we found too hot while they lasted, and from which only after they have passed do we extract their unalloyed standard of fine gold and imperishable azure."


message 3: by Sue (new)

Sue | 67 comments Moncrieff is definitely not of the "less is more" persuasion.


message 4: by Teresa (new)

Teresa Sue wrote: "Moncrieff is definitely not of the "less is more" persuasion."

Certainly not in this passage. ;) I thought the same, Sue, though while reading his translation (and that's all I've read for Proust), I do find that it flows.


message 5: by Sue (new)

Sue | 67 comments Teresa wrote: "Sue wrote: "Moncrieff is definitely not of the "less is more" persuasion."

Certainly not in this passage. ;) I thought the same, Sue, though while reading his translation (and that's all I've read..."


Obviously, we are both enjoying Proust a lot; coming from different translations hasn't disrupted our ability to discuss the books with each other at all.


message 6: by Simon (last edited Nov 15, 2015 05:21PM) (new)

Simon (sorcerer88) | 176 comments MKE:
"I recalled it at last exactly, no longer injecting it with suffering, but rather, on the contrary, as we recall certain days in summer which we found too hot while they lasted, and from which only after they have passed do we extract their unalloyed essence of pure gold and indestructible azure.

(p. 656, Kindle Edition)"

boy, it's hard to find the MKE quotes from the Penguin/Moncrieff ones sometimes. I was trying "summer days" and "days of summer", but of course they had to make "days in summer" out of it... ;)

i'm almost at this goal by the way.

In this section, I find it especially perplexing how the narrator can go from one extreme emotion to the next so easily. The lesser form is "when Albertine is there, i'm bored, when she isn't, i'm jealous and suffering", and now it's "one moment ago, my life has no meaning except endless suffering if Albertine won't come back, but now that my letter will certainly bring her back,

immediately I changed my mind; I hoped that Albertine would not return, but I wanted the decision to come from her, so as to put an end to my anxiety,
(p. 617)


Even the lesser form, but especially this makes me question the narrator's emotional maturity.

And the big event (big plot spoiler from this section):
(view spoiler)


message 7: by Teresa (new)

Teresa I've been questioning the narrator's emotional maturity for some time now. ;)

Unfortunately, I saw a spoiler online for the big event; but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have seen it coming either.


message 8: by Sue (new)

Sue | 67 comments Have to agree about his level of emotional maturity (or lack of same). And I didn't see that event coming either!


message 9: by Renato (new)

Renato (renatomrocha) | 34 comments Oh he's still a child waiting for mother to kiss him goodbye... will he ever outgrow that? lol


message 10: by Sue (new)

Sue | 67 comments Renato wrote: "Oh he's still a child waiting for mother to kiss him goodbye... will he ever outgrow that? lol"

not likely :-)


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