And whether that's a word or not it's not one that I thought I would be using about this particular book.
Like M Murray I am a little confused as to why it is so gripping. There are certainly more instances of the narrator saying things like 'as we shall see' and 'as will become clear': it feels like he is bracing for a complete meltdown at some point in the near future.
Also there's the fact that he is named as Marcel for the first time and so there is now a genuine confusion of writer and narrator, the novel informed by but not necessarily a representation of real life. Er, I think I might have just disappeared in a bubble of my own pretension.
But there is also the continuing saga of Charlus and the somewhat gratifying thought that Albertine might actually be having some fun whilst she's in Paris, albeit entirely off-page, and understandably without MP in tow.
Hoping to be off Cap by the weekend and into Fug by early next week. Foolishly we're going to the Grand National at the weekend and even more foolishly we're driving so no reading time for me on Saturday. How dashed inconvenient.
Pip pip!
Sometime, late of an evening in March 2007, a regrettable decision was taken. As a consequence of this decision three friends, Dr Andrew Murray, Mr William Garrood (Member of Surrey CCC) and Dr Alexis Haynes would competitively read Marcel Proust's masterpiece A La Recherche du Temps Perdu. The aforementioned Proustanauts were later joined in their endeavour by Mr Elliot Smith, who, aided in part by a bout of pneumonia, promptly overtook them all. The saga continues...
4 comments:
You're both very good. I've largely given up for the week and am re-reading Dune. I'm taking both Cap/Fug and Regained on holiday, and will pound them into submission on the massive train journeys we have to deal with.
Have fun at the Grand National
Yes - I was previously led to believe by malicious sources that the narrator is never named explicitly. There's the silly bit where he says something along the lines of "my dear X, such that if I were to have the same name as the writer than she would have said my dear Marcel" but later on there's that very clearly addressed note to Marcel.
I'm taking a quick break, before pressing on with Fug tomorrow - much joy! Enjoy the National - have a flutter on an appropriately-named nag - may I suggest Le Duc?
Ah! Excellent tip, I shall wager and report back. I fear a surge from M Garrood could prove decisive in our own little band's race to the post...
I wouldn't put too much faith in the excellence of my tip, but two quid each way at 66/1 sounds like a bargain.
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