Slow Reading

With so few pages left in Du Côté de Chez Swann, I should be dedicating more time to finishing it. Unfortunately, this has often been my trouble with older books. Nevertheless, Noms de Pays has definitely been enjoyable reading. It has developed well. The ending should be surprising if not entertaining. Gilbert has been introduced as a character. I didn't expect it to happen so soon in the Researches. Proust is a great writer with a rich vocabulary and quite elaborate sentence structure. This doesn't surprise me, though, as his reputation definitely prepared me for the reading. Nevertheless, it is very hard reading in the French. What has struck me amongst other things would be how easily his style can be seen as stream of consciousness and Freudian. Although a contemporary of Proust, Freud only met him once in passing along with Stravinsky and Picasso at a dinner at the Ritz in May of 1922 shortly before his death in November of the same year. However, he must have been cognizant of his writings.

Another look at the Aubepins

Here's another photo of the Hawthornes behind the Christmas Tree Shop in Falmouth, Ma. They are the larger trees behind the foreground bushes. After cutting the vines, I found that I had some rather noticeable scratches on my arms due to the very large and sharp thorns on them. No wonder that they have been left to the wild!!!

Inspiration

Someone planted a grove of Hawthornes (Aubepins) behind the Big Kappy's Liquor Store and the Christmas Tree Shop in Falmouth. Unfortunately it has been left to the wilds as no one seems to have been taking care of it for years. It also has become a homeless, alcoholics' hang out. I decided to do some community service and went down there and cut the vines back yesterday. Of course, the thorns left their mark on my arms. Once I optain a good photo of the grove, I'll include it. However, the first entry to this blog has a photo taken from this grove. What struck me was how much orderly the Aubepins of Proust are compared to these American ones which have gotten so little care. This compares to those planted up at Alewife in Cambridge.

Symbolism

La mer moutonne, a common phrase in everyday French found in the pocket LaRouse used symbolically in Proust's Nom de Pays on P.378 of Du Cote de Chez Swann, Folio Classique, Gallimard

>>les apôtres moutonnants et camus<<
Camus defined as >>court et plat, en parlant de nez<<
After thinking about the symbolist aspects of Proust's writing that I have read, I realized that this would be an excellent example i.e. using the adjective >>moutonnant<< or sheep-like for the white caps seen in the rough waters of Bretagne. The usual use of sheep would be to describe something peaceful, meek, and quiet. A flock of sheep reflected in the counting sheep method of curing insomnia certainly doesn't bring up ideas of turbulent seas, yet as in the picture, it fits.

The beginning.

Starting this blog isn't easy. I've been reading Proust for the past three years and finally finished Combray. I'ld like to write some essays on the way Proust used the Aubepin (Hawthorne) as a symbol in this volume. However, I already started Noms de Pays, the next volume in his works. It has fascinated me enough to keep me from the Aubepin project.