Page: 691
Pages read since last post: 389
Days reading Proust: 74 (23,7,44)
Other books read: 0
Books about Proust bought in charity shops: 1 (P.Rose, A Year of reading Proust)
I have finally finished this. It feels as if it has lagged tremendously, but it hasn't been that long. Anyway, I enjoyed this very much. There is a real feeling of plot, though not quite as tight and fast moving as we were promised in early volumes. Still, this does feel to me the first volume that we can say is more than a string of vignettes, and I am grateful for that.
I don't have much to add to the comments from others, except to point that the interminable salon scenes remain for me fascinating and good fun, and it is worth noting (for you that are thinking about this) that many of the aristocracy are made up. Some of the references are true true. The princes of Ligne for example are famous (and there was a rather good book about one of them that I read recently). Similarly the house of Parma and the issues around the Napoleon nobility against the Bourbon are also historically as well as literarily fascinating.
In the light of Alexis' total failure to read and / or post and Elliot's massive lead, I think there is no real need to wait too long. I intend to start on the 29th after I have read all the short books outstanding in my life.
Roll on Sodom and Gomorrah.
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3 comments:
Well done sir. I agree, despite our grumbles, it was the most plot-driven volume so far, and the comedy was sharper. The next volume is allegedly the funniest of the lot, possibly due to more antics from Charlus - Elliot can confirm/deny this. Anyway, I agree, no need to hang about - Sodomy on the 29th it is.
There is a looming question - more of a pressing issue for Elliot than Will or I at present (and not at all for Alexis). Gentlemen, for blog/coordination purposes do we consider The Captive/The Fugitive as one volume or two?
I suggest the following:
1. In terms of coordinating starts, it is one volume, which we all begin on one day.
2. However, each reader is allowed a discretionary penalty-free break (the Proust clock being stopped) between the two parts - such that it functions as two for scoring purposes.
I think this is for the best - it's a huge volume if taken as one or a couple of shorties if two. A break would be good and should, naturally, be penalty-free, but there's no need to hang around waiting for the others to complete Part 1 should you wish to crack on with it.
All very sound and sensible re: The Captive/The Fugitive (is there a Tommy Lee Jones character?).
Am feeling slightly bereft - after so long spent at home alone with M Proust the idea of waiting another two weeks before starting book five seems a ridiculous one.
Can you believe it I am actually missing the verbose fellow and his endless neuroses? Sigh.
Still, it will give me a chance to finish the tome on London I ill-advisedly picked up at the same time as the last volume. Will post when further along with it, but it's a fascinating account of how the city expanded during the nineteenth century. Best tackled map in hand. Hmm, this seems to be a theme with my other reading of late...
Andrew, M. Charlus is what kept me going through the duller parts of S&G, he is one of the most extraordinary characters I've ever come across.
Fnarr fnarr...
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