Reading ‘Combray’ has left me confused but quite intrigued. I’ve only read up to the first part (page 48), and it took me a bit to figure out what was even going on. The narrator (whom I assume is Proust himself) keeps switching between past and present, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if he’s remembering something or if it’s happening in real time. It somehow feels like Proust is trying to show how memory actually works in real life—that memories tend to overlap and ‘bleed’ into one another instead of being neatly organized for the reader’s convenience.
What really stood out to me was his relationship with his mother. Although I acknowledge that the narrator was still very young, he seemed very dependent on her and her goodnight kisses. The moment where he waits in the hallway for his mother is probably my favorite one so far. It shows how intense his need for her is, but also how aware he already is of that need. It’s like he’s old enough to see his own vulnerability but too young to control it. It somehow made me feel quite sad for him as well, as at the end of the day, he was just a child after all.
I also noticed how much Proust’s writing focuses on small details—like sounds, smells, or textures—and how those bring memories back. I thought the part about the madeleine and tea (even though I only got up to the first part) was really cool. The act of eating a cake seems quite insignificant at first, but it opens up this whole world of memory for him. It reminds me of how random objects or topics can trigger certain memories to play in my head, as well.
Overall, I’m still not totally sure what to make of the book, but I like how it depicts childhood feelings and memories. I also love how descriptive and ‘dreamy’ his writing feels. As someone who barely even remembers her own childhood, I somehow feel nostalgic reading about his. My discussion question would be: Is Proust’s attachment to his mom meant to show something universal about childhood, or is it more about his personality specifically?