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I’m not gonna lie, guys… this was a tough one to get through 🙁 Though after finishing the reading and watching the lecture, I can see how the difficulty and challenge in understanding Proust are part of the Modernism era. The start of Swann’s Way jumped back and forth between narration and memories, which seemed to have no correlation to... read full post >>

With it being such a long time since I’ve read what I think can be counted as literature, I had hoped the Introduction would give me some clarity and guidance. However, I was intimidated by its very first sentence (╥‸╥) Everything it referenced as being so well known within contemporary Western culture were things I […] read full post >>

In a novel, I find that I tend to look for easy reading – something that I can pass my time with, and enjoy my time while it’s also quite light to read. I look for a setting and perspective. Contrarily, Proust’s novel immediately dived into the narrator discussing his dreams, which had me questioning, […] read full post >>

Hi everyone! While reading “Combray”, I realized that the main thing I struggle with when reading older literature is the specific way that they often construct sentences, especially figures of speech. It feels very convoluted to me, and I find it challenging to keep track of where sentences began in the first place. Often, there […] read full post >>

I would be lying if I said that picking up Swann’s Way wasn’t a daunting act, one requiring an immense commitment of attention and patience, coupled with silent confusion. Proust’s writing, known for its expansive sentences, intricate reflections, and a kind of obsessive nostalgia, was hardly near the top of my TBR list. And yet, […] read full post >>

Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I shall open today's reflections with a quote: "I told myself I would have time to think of what to do" (Proust, 43). In fact, this is what I mistakenly thought when I assumed the first of these entries ... read full post >>

Hello all, and welcome back to the cottage. I shall open today's reflections with a quote: "I told myself I would have time to think of what to do" (Proust, 43). In fact, this is what I mistakenly thought when I assumed the first of these entries ... read full post >>

Marcel Proust’s “Combray” was definitely not an easy piece of literature to read, though I eventually found it to be more interesting than expected. At the beginning of the novel, I was already confused about whether he (Proust) was afraid to sleep or if it was a pleasurable activity. Overall, I believe Proust’s style of […] read full post >>

So.., this was very confusing at first and very different than what i am used to reading. In the beginning the reading felt dense and really challenging to navigate. The sentences were long and they were kinda non-linear, alot of the times i just didn’t know where Proust was going with his thoughts especially when […] read full post >>

Reading ‘Combray’ has left me confused but quite intrigued. I’ve only read up to the first part (page 48), and it took me a bit to figure out what was even going on. The narrator (whom I assume is Proust himself) keeps switching between past and present, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if he’s […] read full post >>