Proust: A time machine with no destination

When I initially started reading the book, my first thoughts were of uncertainty. 

I deduced that the narrator was attempting to sleep but got drawn into a wormhole of memories, resulting in a sense of nostalgia coupled with anger over lost time (especially the loss of his mother’s goodnight kiss). 

However, this work may be ahead of its time in several ways. For example, the narrator’s depiction of the grandmother attempting to dissuade her husband from drinking cognac may be regarded as more than a mundane narrative. It provided insight into the grandmother’s affection and concern for her husband. One family member attempts to bother another, just like in a traditional family drama scene. Despite the fact that this was a difficult event at the time, the narrator’s nostalgia for the moment appears to be good. Positive emotions replaced an unpleasant memory.

M. Swann, a new character, is introduced later on. The narrator refers to him as an acquaintance, but the considerable length and thorough examination of the history of the family’s relationship with Swann points to a closer and “friendlier” relationship. M. Swann seemed to me like a mysterious, proud and tragic man with a superiority complex.

The narrator also portrays his hometown, Combray, in a wonderful and thorough way. While this book does not employ highly sophisticated language, it does appear to utilise extensive and intricate phrasing, making it a bit difficult to understand. What fascinated me was the narrator’s ability to easily shift between the past and present (which, to be honest, made it difficult to follow because I couldn’t tell whether I was in the present, the past, or somehow in the future).

Overall, this was an intriguing but difficult book for me, and I would not suggest it to someone who is trying to relearn how to read fiction (I am a nonfiction reader). However, I did love the book’s subtle comedy and depiction of family relationships. The description of the surroundings enabled me to imagine myself in the room and inside the narrator’s mind. The portrayal of a tough transition from childhood to adulthood was relatable especially as an international student who occasionally reminisces about home. Proust has perfectly captured the emotions of both the narrator and the reader! 

My question for this week is: Did you connect with any of the emotions experienced by the characters in this book?