Within a Budding Grove – Part 1

I am a failure at Marcel Proust. Although I did get through part 1 of Swann's Way and kind of enjoyed it (but missed part 2),I gave up Part 1 of Within a Budding Grove at about the 3/4 mark. Reading it felt like being trapped in a room with a person who could not, would not, stop talking--a constant......more

"Amb prou feines imaginava que aquella substància estranya que residia en la Gilberte i que irradiava cap als seus pares, cap a casa seva, que em feien ser indiferent a tota la resta, que aquella substància podria ser alliberada, emigrar a un altre ésser" "Perquè mentre el nostre cor conté d'una mane......more

17th Aug 2015: I've now returned in earnest to Remembrance of Things Past - getting stuck into Within a Budding Grove: young Marcel being in unrequited love, and again... sigh... so much is evoked from my heart - it's as if he has was drawn on my own experiences - again. I thought at one point it wo......more

Tarina jatkuu suoraan Paikannimet: Nimen tapahtumista. Nimetön päähenkilö on edelleen ihastunut Gilberteen. Hänen rakkautensa tiellä on esteitä, jotka katoavat, vain että uusia tulee tilalle. Proust on edelleen parhaimmillaan piikitellessään ihmisten turhamaisuutta ja pinnallisuutta. Niin de Norpois......more

Much of Within a Budding Grove Part 1 I found dull and tedious. The highlights for me were the descriptions of the Swanns' life at home and how they entertained their guests and the descriptions of Madame Swann, her toilette and the variety of colourful crepe de chine wrappers she wore at home (whic......more