As a first-time reader of Proust, I did not know what to expect from Combray. As I started reading, I…
Going into this novel, all I knew of it was that it is considered one of the major works of surrealism. Knowing very little about this concept, I searched it up in the context of literature. I primarily found it to refer to the attempt of an author to merge reality and imagination. If this […]
Posted in Blogs, Proust | Tagged with Imagination, Philosophy
Marcel Proust is an author who, despite the age of his works, portrays with great creativity the ever-present human condition–it is for this reason that his writing remains relevant. In his story “Combray,” readers are taken on a lucid journey not unlike a dream. The subjects ranging from childhood innocence to loves lost are made […]
For a lack of better introduction, this week’s reading reminded me of one solitary thing; the concept of deja-vu. I found that with the beginning of the chapter, the vivid imagery persisted and felt so increasingly reminiscent that I could no longer decipher whether the character was asleep or awake. I found myself making sense […]
Posted in Blogs, Proust | Tagged with affect, combray 1, deja-vu, effect, familiar, framing, mapping, power, the real
This is my first time reading Proust. What I liked about the reading was the power of his imagination that imbued his experiences. His imagination seems to constantly overpower his reality but he eventually manages to subsume his reality, which is often disappointing, into his imagination. Reading this novel is also a form of cultural […]
Posted in Blogs, Proust | Tagged with female archetypes
As the first text of the semester, it was definitely an interesting experience as it was, as I’m sure was the same for many, my first piece translated from a romance language. I can definitely agree with having difficulty reading through it, often going back through sentences and paragraphs to make sense of what I […]
Combray – Proust
Part 1 of Combray definitely left me confused. Although it was beautifully written and was clear on some aspects of the plot, I still found it very difficult to follow any kind of storyline. This may because, from my understanding, Marcel is going back and fourth from reality to dreams/memories. If that is the case then maybe I was not supposed to follow a direct plot and it was supposed to feel like it was jumping from one thing to another. I’m not sure which parts Marcel was awake and which were dreams. Since I do not feel like I understood the story a whole lot, I will speak on the few themes I did catch from my reading and some things I liked about it.
The first thing I noticed within the first page was the use of imagery. Throughout the entire book I was able to visualize exactly what the author was trying to describe. One major example of this is when he was describing the stained – glass windows. I thought it was beautiful when he was speaking about how the light shining through the glass changed at all different times of day creating different shapes and colours, giving the illusion of a different room even though it was the same one, providing a sense of unfamiliarity as the glass changes. Giving Marcel relief from bad memories that took place in that place.
Another part that I thought was very real and stood out to me was Marcels relationship with his mother. There is a sense of attachment to her and the goodnight kisses she would give to him before bed. He would listen for her and when she would leave he wished he could get another. When she took too long to come or the goodnight was not long enough, a major anxiety was caused. This showed insight into Marcels characters emotions and the relationship he has with his parents. He says that his father would not approve of this deep connection he has towards these goodnight kisses as it would hold him back from independence. When Swann would visit, his mother would not come give him a goodnight kiss resulting in sadness. I believe these types of experiences can easily be related to many peoples childhoods and positive or negative relationships with parents.
Overall I thought this book used amazing description and imagery to bring each sentence to life. Although I didn’t completely follow, it was still enjoyable to visualize the locations described and appreciate the moments of the book I did understand.
Combray – Proust
Part 1 of Combray definitely left me confused. Although it was beautifully written and was clear on some aspects of the plot, I still found it very difficult to follow any kind of storyline. This may because, from my understanding, Marcel is going back and fourth from reality to dreams/memories. If that is the case then maybe I was not supposed to follow a direct plot and it was supposed to feel like it was jumping from one thing to another. I’m not sure which parts Marcel was awake and which were dreams. Since I do not feel like I understood the story a whole lot, I will speak on the few themes I did catch from my reading and some things I liked about it.
The first thing I noticed within the first page was the use of imagery. Throughout the entire book I was able to visualize exactly what the author was trying to describe. One major example of this is when he was describing the stained – glass windows. I thought it was beautiful when he was speaking about how the light shining through the glass changed at all different times of day creating different shapes and colours, giving the illusion of a different room even though it was the same one, providing a sense of unfamiliarity as the glass changes. Giving Marcel relief from bad memories that took place in that place.
Another part that I thought was very real and stood out to me was Marcels relationship with his mother. There is a sense of attachment to her and the goodnight kisses she would give to him before bed. He would listen for her and when she would leave he wished he could get another. When she took too long to come or the goodnight was not long enough, a major anxiety was caused. This showed insight into Marcels characters emotions and the relationship he has with his parents. He says that his father would not approve of this deep connection he has towards these goodnight kisses as it would hold him back from independence. When Swann would visit, his mother would not come give him a goodnight kiss resulting in sadness. I believe these types of experiences can easily be related to many peoples childhoods and positive or negative relationships with parents.
Overall I thought this book used amazing description and imagery to bring each sentence to life. Although I didn’t completely follow, it was still enjoyable to visualize the locations described and appreciate the moments of the book I did understand.
