What struck me most while reading “Combray” – other than the fact that I had to reread several sentences before they computed in my brain – was the perspective of the narrator, and the way the memories were framed through the lens of a child. The way Proust writes definitely puts the reader in the narrator’s shoes, whether through the description of the scenery and the flowers – I’m also wondering if Proust himself loved flowers, because there were lots of descriptions on all of those walks – or through the description of everyday life. Some of the characters’ little bits of dialogue stuck out to me because I felt like I could see them playing out in everyday life, especially the short exchanges between the narrator’s parents or the family’s gossip about the neighbors. 

The writing felt almost so realistic at times that I wondered whether this was a recollection about Proust’s own life, or if he based characters off of real people, before coming to the conclusion that the narrator was, rather, a fictional character. After watching the videos, this made me think about the relationship between art and real life – how it can sometimes blur the lines and how good writing can put you in the shoes of the character or at least make you think about their perspective on the world. 

That being said, it did take me a long time to get through “Combray” and to try to follow along with all the different characters being mentioned, but I actually really enjoyed the writing style because it was very descriptive and provided insight into the characters that made them feel fleshed out and more “human” in a way. I tend to drag my own sentences on, so reading sentences and paragraphs that were essentially streams of consciousness was comforting in a way. It felt familiar. 

The narrator as an adult looking at his memories as a child was a really unique point of view to examine time, memory, and family dynamics. I felt like I didn’t fully track how everyone was connected, particularly the neighbors or Swann’s family/love life, but I also felt like the narrator was in the same boat at times – trying to track how everything was connected and just beginning to form his own opinions about life at Combray and how he fit into the swing of things. 

Also, side note, but some of the descriptions/encounters with the female characters were… interesting. I don’t know how to describe it very well but some of it rubbed me the wrong way – specifically on page 80 where he talks about the woman being there to enrich the lives of men. Just an observation but maybe something other readers noticed as well. 

One question/topic for discussion that interested me would probably be what people’s observations were about the narrator. What traits did he have (curiosity, etc) that made the story more/less compelling to read through his eyes? What did you think about the story being told, at first, through the eyes of a younger narrator? 

My memorable quote: “You have a lovely soul, of a rare quality, an artist’s nature, don’t ever let it go without what it needs” (70-71).

That’s all for now!

Peace,

Maia