Translated by Moncrieff and Kilmartin, revised by Enright
As a reader, Proust’s In Search of Lost Time raises two fundamental concerns. The first, the challenge of making it through to the end, and the second, that the end will not be attained before the beginning has faded. In a book which dwells on memories and the mechanism of memory there is surely some irony there.
As a blogger, In Search of Lost Time is likely to constitute one of those huge epic reads that defy description. (She says optimistically.) Beginning discretely with Swann’s Way, volume one of six (physical volumes), does not render the task of description markedly easier, although I almost feel it would be worth the effort as an aide memoire for my future edification.
Emma (Bookaroundthecorner) and Max (Pechorin’s Journal) make similar protestations regarding the scope of Proust and the futility of trying to compress him, although they go some way towards negating these sentiments with a collection of insightful and compelling commentaries. However, I am not going to do that.
Rambling observations follow…
While the following excerpt does not contain a sample of Proust’s most challenging sentences it does illustrate one of the difficulties of reading Proust. The quick succession of ideas and images crammed into one breath, which may force a re-read, and perhaps another re-read, before the decision is made that the sentence is either satisfactorily absorbed or the attempt must be abandoned.
‘If the lantern were moved I could still distinguish Golo’s horse advancing across the window-curtains, swelling out with their curves and diving into their folds. The body of Golo himself, being of the same supernatural substance as his steed’s, overcame every material obstacle – everything that seemed to bar his way – by taking it as an ossature and absorbing it into himself: even the doorknob – on which, adapting themselves at once, his red cloak or his pale face, still as noble and as melancholy, floated invincibly – would never betray the least concern at this transvertebration.’
The vivid evocation of the magic lantern image suggests stories distorted by the circumstances against which they are viewed, but as the paragraph continues Proust’s imagery becomes more fluid, more organic, more reciprocal.
Whilst the writing of Proust is uniformly complex in terms of sentence structure, the narrator’s tone varies notably between his recollection of his childhood and his recall of Swann’s love affair, as related to him. The sometimes whimsical imagery of the former contrasts sharply with the didactic pronouncements of the latter.
Dr Cottard comes in for some cutting criticism:
‘Since he was completely lacking in the critical faculty on which he prided himself on everything, the refinement of good breeding which consists in assuring someone whom you are obliging, without expecting to be believed, that it is really you who are obliged to him, was wasted on Cottard, who took everything he heard in its literal sense.’
But Proust indulges in gentler humour, too. The wonderful aunts who are supposed to thank Swann for a case of wine…
‘…in their horror of vulgarity, had brought to such a fine art the concealment of a personal allusion in a wealth of ingenious circumlocution, that it would often pass unnoticed even by the person to whom it was addressed.’
Which indeed proves to be the case in a very funny scene.
While I was reading this volume the impossibility of attempting to summarise Proust was brought home to me by several facetious parties. The Python sketch to which they were referring is embedded below, and treats Proust with a degree of irreverance which readers may find distressing…
11 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
I read this years ago and never got further but must try and read all six at some point ,I like his style I remember othwer than that I don’t remember a lot ,all the best stu
Interesting that you should remember style above content, and probably quite significant. But the six volumes are a big reading commitment… I guess you just have to take it one volume at a time
I’m glad you decided to read it.
Reading you, it seems it has been a difficult moment and that you were relieved to turn the last page.
In the end, did you like it ?
I think I made the observation elsewhere that while the individual sentences make the reading difficult there is the element of self-recognition (which Max talks about) that creates a page turning quality. So yes, I did like it, but it was at the back of my mind that it is only the first of six… From what I have heard the following volumes are more difficult and in that sense there was some relief to have at least read one.
Good for you Sarah! Which translation are you using?
Thanks Lisa, but I won’t be celebrating until I have read the whole lot!
I read Swann’s Way in the Moncrieff revised by Kilmartin and Enright. In one of Emma’s posts she illustrates the pros and cons of the two obvious English translations, which left me agonising over which to read. Happily the Moncrieff turned up in a charity shop and the decision was made for me. I did wonder about chopping and changing between the translations, but I like Moncrieff and will probably stick with it now.
“However, I am not going to do that.” That line did make me laugh. It wasn’t true though.
I often have to reread sentences or paragraphs. The ideas do sometimes rush on, the connections so fluid and rapid, that it does become a challenge. A good one though.
The circomlocution section was superb.
Brilliant Monty Python sketch. They never did know how to write endings did they though?
Max – it was the eccentricity of the narrator’s plethora of aunts and other assorted relatives and hangers on (I had some difficulty unpicking the relationships and finally decided it wasn’t important) that hooked me at the beginning. Delightfully observed.
The challenge is a good one: given plenty of time and the right frame of mind. I haven’t picked up Proust in about a week, awaiting more auspicious circumstances.
Hm. The ending of the Python sketch does fall a bit flat. Recently rewatched The Quest for the Holy Grail. Still feels inspired, but ends rather abruptly when they apparently couldn’t be bothered to continue!
Thanks for the Monty Python – I’ve just finished Swann’s Way and tried to blog about it and had to just do what Python often did – finish as you could go on and on. You picked three great excerpts – I had marked so many it was overwhelming.
My post is
here if you’re at all interested. I see you’ve also posted on Budding Grove but I’ll wait until I’ve finished it before reading your post. Have you started the next volume?
Hi Séamus.
Thanks for the link. As you will see, I enjoyed your review.
Proust is overwhelmingly quotable, perhaps. I have finished the third volume but haven’t been able to knuckle down to writing anything, rather dismayed that I haven’t marked quotes with stick-its. How will I find anything now?
Sodom and Gomorrah is the hardest test to date, and I have faltered if not failed. I hope I haven’t failed…