Reinvogorating This Group

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Reinvogorating This Group

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1normanbr
Mar 2, 2009, 2:36 am

This group seems to be dormant.

Would anyone like to reinvigorate it?

Putting together a compilation of the books of Marcel's library (similar to that, say, of Thomas Jefferson) might be an interesting way to start.

Any comments?

Norman

2skoobdo
Mar 3, 2009, 12:22 am

Have you read the playwright, Harold Pinter's- The Proust Screenplay which was never filmed but adapted for the stage( theater). The Pinter's adaptation of Proust's 7 volumes - "In Search of Lost Time" or " Remembrance of Things Past" was superb, and it is actually a "starter" to the actual reading of the Proust's epic of 7 volumes of the novel, "In Search of Lost Time". The adaptation gives a reader a general overview of the whole novel. To reinvigorate this group, "Proust" is to start the first part, " Swann's Way" and followed by the next 6 volumes of the epic novel.

To those who have read the books, re-reading the books for the second-time (for better comprehension and reading's enjoyment),to start all over again -never really reading the novel and those attempt to read for the first time can participate in this group for anyone who are eager to make commentaries, criticism, reviews and opinions about any one of the seven volumes of the novel. ( This is only my suggestions)

3skoobdo
Mar 3, 2009, 12:33 am

Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time is really an "autographical" novel about relationships, Parisian's high soceity in the 18th century, Proust's homosexuality and the novel's character's relationship stories. Proust was a " long and winding" writer by being too detailed and "winding" in his prose writing.Can we really bear to tolerate his writing's style? Yes, maybe I can tolerate by reading a few pages in a day and try to analyse what he was trying to tell us.

4skoobdo
Modificato: Mar 3, 2009, 1:19 am

First Volume: Swann's Way - Marcel Proust.
Go to:
http://www.sparknotes.com

search: Swann's Way

for summaries and commentaries - free online

5kjellika
Mar 7, 2009, 5:06 pm

#3
"... reading a few pages in a day and try to analyse what he was trying to tell us."

I'm reading In Search of Lost Time (ISOLT), and I started on my Norwegian edition ('På sporet av den tapte tid', 7 volumes, about 3,660 pages) in July 2008. I read 10 pages a day - and so it will take exactly one year to finish it - but I'm not analysing very much. I love Proust's style and his slowly going story, his characters and his writing on literature, music and art. And "his" women, so far Gilberte and Albertine. Well, I'm not sure if I REALLY like those two girls, but I like Proust's way of describing and "characterizing" them.

I'm now halfway through volume 4 Sodom and Gomorrah, which contains much about homosexuality. I guess the title of this volume alludes to the contents. Or...??

6normanbr
Mar 13, 2009, 6:15 pm

I am a newcomer to ISOLT and Marcel.

I am currently about one-quarter of the way through Volume II and enjoying the reading I have done thus far.

I'm pleased to see others are interested in this group and, hopefully, we can breathe some air back into it.

7kjellika
Mar 14, 2009, 6:00 am

> 6

Is your volume 2 titled In the Shadow of Young Girls In Flower or The Budding Grove?
I wonder why there are two English titles for this volume.

In Norwegian there's only one title (as far as I know): "I skyggen av unge piker i blomst" (= 'In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower').

8normanbr
Mar 14, 2009, 10:26 pm

> 7

My Volume II is entitled, "Within a Budding Grove."

I have a feeling the difference in titles is due to the translation into different languages, pretty much like the overall title of the novel; one being, "Remembrance of Things Past" and another being, "In Search of Lost Time."

9kjellika
Apr 2, 2009, 5:46 am

Volume 4 Sodom and Gomorrah was difficult to concentrate on now and then. So many names, characters and places. I'm hoping volume 5 (The prisoner) is a lighter read.
Are the narrator and Albertine going to get married.............???

10rebeccanyc
Apr 2, 2009, 7:48 am

In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower is a more literal translation of the French title and was used in the recent multi-translator version; Within a Budding Grove was the translation used by earlier translators. In Search of Lost Time is also a more literal translation than "Remembrance of Things Past."

Good luck with "The Prisoner." I found it and the next book (combined in my edition), "The Fugitive," the hardest to read, but others disagree with me.

11rebeccanyc
Apr 2, 2009, 7:49 am

In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower is a literal translation of the French title and was used in the recent multi-translator version; Within a Budding Grove was the translation used by earlier translators. In Search of Lost Time is also a literal translation than "Remembrance of Things Past."

Good luck with "The Prisoner." I found it and the next book (combined in my edition), "The Fugitive," the hardest to read, but others disagree with me.

12jveezer
Apr 11, 2009, 10:51 am

I just found this while reading The Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda:

Tiene más hojas un peral
Que Buscando el Tiempo Perdido?

Does a pear tree have more leaves
than Remembrance of Things Past?

th

13jveezer
Apr 11, 2009, 10:53 am

I just found this "question" while reading Neruda's The Book of Questions:

Tiene más hojas un peral
Que Buscando el Tiempo Perdido?

Does a pear tree have more leaves
than Remembrance of Things Past?

Was Neruda a reader of Proust? Things that make me go hmmmmm...

14zip_000
Modificato: Giu 18, 2009, 6:28 pm

I finished book 6 (or book 5 depending on how it is divided) last week - The Fugitive. I would definitely disagree that it was the hardest, in fact, I finished it much more quickly - and enjoyably - than The Prisoner or The Guermantes Way.

I found The Guermantes Way to be the most difficult...or rather the most boring. The other books seemed filled with incredible writing and really amazing ideas and ways of looking at things. With that one, I was just constantly bored. Now, it's possible that I was just not reading it at a time that was conducive to Proust reading. I do plan on going back and rereading at least Swann's Way since it's been so long - only about 4 years I guess - since I read it.

The differences in titles in the English editions is due to a - I would say - frumpy translator. "Within a Budding Grove" seems so much more puritanical than "In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower". He altered "Sodom and Gomorrah" to "Cities on the Plain". And to me most repulsively, changes "The Fugitive" to "The Sweet Cheat Gone". Ugh; that somehow makes my skin crawl. I can't say anything regarding the quality of the translation - the only one that I read in the older translation was Swann's Way. When I reread it in the newer translation - which will likely be many years from now - then maybe I'll be able to make some sort of comment.

15jveezer
Giu 18, 2009, 8:05 pm

I've only read the old Moncrieff(?) translation. I've just about found all the new translations by Viking books and plan to wade into them at some point.