I find reading digitally really challenging sometimes and tend to read but not actually absorb all the themes the narrator is trying to convey. I kept that in mind as I started to read this, I put away all other distractions and just read which was a really nice change. I found the beginning a little confusing to keep track of what’s happening, although, I found this read really kept me engaged. I was intrigued by the narrator’s detail reflecting upon their memories considering sometimes memories lose detail over time. Maybe that was purposeful of the author to showcase the significance of these moments? The part that clicked for me was on page nine when the narrator said “generally I would not try to go back to sleep right away; I would spend the greater part of the night remembering our life in the old days, in Combray at my great-aunt’s house…” (pg.9). I think this part clicked because this is where the setting switches to the narrator living in his memories with his family, while before that it was briefly mentioned such as on-page six, “immediately, I would say to myself: ‘Why, I went to sleep in the end even though Mama didn’t come to say goodnight to me’…” (pg.6). Now, rereading the part after completing the whole thing, I understand the importance of this memory highlighting the relationship between the narrator and his Mama.
Throughout this read, the theme of relationships really stood out to me. Of course, the narrator and his mother and father, but also the grandmother and her sister really stood out to me. This relationship stood out to me due to the great-aunt interfering with her sister’s marriage by intentionally trying to make her frustrated by giving the husband liqueurs. It also stood out to me how the author detailed the grandmother’s reaction to smiling to conceal her emotions. Now, the relationship between the son and his mother showcased emotional attachment to their ritual of a goodnight kiss. I found the passage where the narrator is told by his mom to not get caught still awake by his father really shocking. I wasn’t expecting the father to react calmly and argue that he was more worried about his son being upset/anxious rather than worrying about this as a habit like his mother did.
I was also intrigued by the passage about the garden. Is there a correlation between why the father would send his son to read in his room when it rained too much and the father’s interest in the weather? The grandmother on the other hand argued that “especially that boy, who so needs to build up his endurance and willpower” (pg.11) leads me to wonder why the father didn’t believe the same position considering the novel was written in the early 1900s.
Yeah, the stuff about the weather, and people’s different reactions to it, is funny… and gets funnier in Part II, when we are introduced to Aunt Léonie and the narrator’s friend, Bloch. What’s at issue, in part, is how people react or respond to nature. But there’s also something here about inside and outside. (Aunt Léonie always stays inside but is fascinated by what’s going on outside, for instance.)
hey arielle, I really like your take on re-reading the text for it to sink in. It’s interesting because generally we think we should understand something the first time around but in reality, it takes multiple approaches for understanding to take place. Even if we recall a memory, in a way, we are returning to it or ‘re-reading’ it. Perhaps it’s intentional or just a really great coincidence that Proust wrote it in this way that fuller clarity comes from returning to the past. As the narrator/protagonist most likely ran their past memories over and over again in their head (as is what usually happens when someone overthinks circumstances in as great detail as he does).
Hi Arielle!
I also find it hard to focus when I’m reading digital books, but despite the slow beginning, I felt involved in the narrative as well.
Although it is true that memories lose detail over time, I related to the narrator’s way of retrieving memories. I often find that smells, tastes, and images take me back to my childhood and remind me of past memories. I find that, for me, memories either disappear or are very vivid, even in terms of details.
Loved reading your blog post, by the way. It was super interesting!