•1:04 PM
"And sometimes to a sky and sea uniformly grey a touch of pink would be added with an exquisite delicacy . . . this 'Harmony in Grey and Pink.'" — Marcel Proust, Within a Budding GroveAfter a chat with my best pal Kara, I've definitely decided to re-read Proust. I read Remembrance of Things Past in my late teens/early twenties (it's a looooonnnnnnng series), but when I mentioned this fact to my future mother-in-law back when Patrick and I were dating, she opined that one couldn't really understand Proust until one was at least forty years old.
Well, I hit the big 4-0 last November, so I've been contemplating for months that perhaps it was time to see whether Mother was right. Last week, Kara mentioned that another mom we both know is going to tackle the French giant, so I'm going to give her a call and see if we can offer each other support along the Guermantes way.
Anyone want to join me? I'm reading the 1981 Moncrieff/Kilmartin translation, which is now out of print. I've linked on the side bar the nearest approximation I could find. Maybe after we're done, we'll read this and see whether our experiences compare. Let me know!
Other things I need to start this week: the tomato, melon, and cucumber seeds!
2 comments:
I've never tried to tackle Proust...you've made me want to put in the effort! I've been wanting to start in on a good reading 'project' - this sounds like a great candidate!
I also wanted to say thanks for your comment on my rant of a post...it is definitely good to know that I'm not alone in my feelings. I really appreciate you taking the time to encourage me. Hope your night is wonderful, Christie
Wouldn't it be wild to find distant relatives through the blogosphere? :) I'm definitely hoping to get more information together about the family tree...do you have any particular website that you think is helpful in doing something like this? I know that there are several options, and I just have no idea if one is better than another. I'll be grateful for any starting-out tips you may have. And, yes, I couldn't resist the Proust book after your post! :) I've talked my best friend into reading it, too...I'd love to figure out a way to talk about it between all of our blogs. Perhaps we can post our thoughts as we go along? A Proust palooza of sorts...let me know what you think!