Brain Pain discussion

Week Ten – Mar. 19 – Mar. 25

Final Discussion of the novel as a whole

I finished the last 200 pages in one loooong evening and it was worth the trippiness! Marcel is like Wile E. Coyote pursuing the Roadrunner: he never seems to get what he wants--even when you think he's this close!!! I think he also mirrors for us our frustrations in finding what we think we want in life, be it that "pretty girl" or that gadget everyone else has. On a personal level, he may be a bit off and I'll explain later, but he does have good messages of the pains of growing up into who we need to be.

I finally returned the CDs for the final parts of Budding Grove to my library system this week, which was getting close to evicting me, I suspect, if the fines (rentals, is how I think of it!) I had to pay were any clue! (The packaging between parts 1 and 2 were messed up, and I had gotten the second part first.)

Although these recordings were abridged, I absolutely loved the experience and listened to the entire sequence at least twice. Then, the last package I received went on to the next volumes and part of the fourth, which I have listened to once.

After so many years of being seemingly unable to read it, I am afraid I now have ISOLT in my blood for the rest of my life. It may have become a standard by which other literature will be assessed in my mind. But, that is not its importance to me. It was the sensuousness embedded in the reflections on memory and on time that seemed its touchstone.

Still, I don't think I know how to discuss Proust's masterpiece. Maybe the next reading of it? (Which is miserable when one considers its length.)

Lily, I hear ya. I too have "perus'd the Proust" with two volumes down and maybe 4 or 5 to go, and it gets to you somehow. I may not always agree with his worldview, which does get cloudy when he talks about love, but he does get addicting. Think we'll read volume three for next year???

Edward wrote: "Lily, I hear ya. I too have "perus'd the Proust" with two volumes down and maybe 4 or 5 to go, and it gets to you somehow. I may not always agree with his worldview, which does get cloudy when he t..."

The Guermantes Way is theoretically on the list for this year if there is enough interest to continue on with the novel. I have a book on my shelf I've been waiting to read - Proust and Signs: The Complete Text - but I wanted to wait until we finish with Volume 3. It appears that one focal point of the Deleuze's book is the contrast between the Méséglise way (aka Swann's Way) and the Guermantes way. Shortly after (if) we finish The Guermantes Way, I would propose a reading of the Deleuze book. We could then continue on with the rest of the novel after that.

Let me know your thoughts about continuing on with Monsieur Proust...

Jim wrote: "I have a book on my shelf I've been waiting to read - Proust and Signs: The Complete Text - but I wanted to wait until we finish with Volume 3..."

I have that one, too. I had borrowed my library system's copy and it seemed interesting enough that, if I was going to invest enough time to read ISOLT, I wanted it, too. But, I haven't been been able to get back to it! Even retired, I haven't found a day stretcher.

(Personally, I'd probably prefer a break on ISOLT for the summer. There is a lawn and yard to enjoy and Red and Black coming up on another board. Also, although I'm not certain it's going to happen, it would certainly be fun to join or at least read the Joyce threads.)

Lily wrote: "(Personally, I'd probably prefer a break on ISOLT for the summer. There is a lawn and yard to enjoy and Red and Black coming up on another board. Also, although I'm not certain it's going to happen, it would certainly be fun to join or at least read the Joyce threads.)..."

I'm going to check in with Andreea about to see if/when she might like to continue with the novel. We could leave some breathing space and go back to Proust in a few months.