So, I have just finished reading Proust’s Combray. In my opinion, I would say that this is a compelling novel that is relatively complicated and dense at times. It was not one of my favourite books. Nevertheless, there were many different aspects to the novel in which I found interesting, thought-provoking, and allowed me to pose different questions and takes on the book.

One of the most salient events that grabbed my attention (partially thanks to the lecture that helped clarify this) was the in-depth section in which the narrator longs for his mothers kiss. Assuming you’ve read Combray, but this description goes on for quite a while, and in very descriptive detail. For example, the narrative recalls how when M. Swann would come over in the evenings and for dinner, mamma would not kiss him goodnight, instilling great sadness within him (Proust, 1928/1992). Some time after this account, the narrator want’s to send his mother a letter so that she can come and see to him before sleep. During this moment, especially when M. Swann is dining with the narrator’s parents, I think that the decision to communicate with his mother is a rather risky one. Alongside the narrator’s obsession with his mother, I found that another common theme within the novel was the thought put into the way that people present themselves. During the narrators decision to send a note or not to his mother, he considers what M. Swann will think of him if he interrupts his visit (Proust, 1928/1992). Furthermore, the narrator’s family does not think of speaking about certain aspects of Swann’s personal life in front of him, but do so with ease once he is gone. If the narrator’s family were to be critical of Swann’s actions and life in front of him, that could prove to be a very disrespectful and inappropriate character. Something that I thought of when considering the importance characters place on the presentation of character was ‘is this theme consistent with the cultural norms of people during the time in which Combray was written?’ 

I want to go back to the narrators obsession with his mother and her kiss, because it was something that stood out to me so consistently. In relation to that, there was reference to how the narrator’s father strongly opposed such actions like receiving a goodnight kiss from mamma. Through this event in the novel, the theme of family and its role and influence on the narrator. The narrators family is a very salient part of the novel, especially due to the fact that the first part of Combray is a flash back to when the narrator was young, so the adults were a part of his upbringing quite a lot. Although it was a minor reference, I recall reading a line that had to do with the narrator claiming his father had a superior mind in comparison to his father (page 12 of the copy of Combray in which I read). Furthermore, there were certain references to the anxiety that his encounters with his family members (especially his father) gave him. I wonder how exactly the subject of anxiety was dealt with and perceived by the first or original audiences of Combray; how does the presence of fragility, confusion, and sometimes sadness sit with readers, if there is a certain expectation for men? 

Lastly, I found that the narrator’s perspective and accounts were a bit unreliable. I think this because there were certain parts of the novel in which the point of view switched from first person to third person omniscient. Furthermore, the novel switched from present to flashback every once in a while, which I found a bit confusing to follow (although I tried!!). My final question I want to leave blog readers is this: Did Proust intentionally or unintentionally write the narrator as unreliable? Or is the presence of an unreliable narrator a product of creating literature? Ah, the thoughts that riddle my mind after reading this novel.

Until next time,

Abi Franceschetti

I hope you enjoy the meme that sort of relates to Combray lol.

Reference:

Proust, M. (1992) In Search Of Lost Time Volume 1 Swann’s Way. Translated by C. K Scott Moncrieff, T. Kilmartin. New York: Random House, Inc.