{"id":10227,"date":"2021-07-14T15:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T13:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stolb01web.ddns.net\/wordpress\/?p=10227"},"modified":"2023-10-16T16:31:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T14:31:59","slug":"le-14-juillet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stolb01web.ddns.net\/wordpress\/?p=10227","title":{"rendered":"le 14 juillet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

That is today. La f\u00eate nationale fran\u00e7aise<\/em>. The 14th<\/sup> of July, or Bastille Day <\/a>as I have always called it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming just after the 15oth<\/sup> anniversary of the birth of Marcel Proust<\/a> , on 10th<\/sup> July, 1871, I use this proximity and this day to rekindle a too long dormant fascination with the great French writer. See it as my own<\/em> personal gesture of admiration for La Grande Nation<\/em> (as the Germans call it – and not always with affection!).<\/p>\n\n\n

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pub. Other Press, 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the arts pages of a German newspaper last week (FAZ<\/em><\/a>); a collection of snippets from those who have, at some time or other, turned to Proust – and, with various degrees of success. One, Louis Begley<\/a>, succeeded as a young man where others failed, and later was enriched not only in a literary sense but also in that Proust led him to the love of his life. Begley took the opportunity to do a little promotion in this regard for his wife, Anka Muhlstein. In celebration of Proust’s anniversary, Penguin Random House have released a special paperback edition of her 2012 book<\/a> Monsieur Proust’s Library<\/em> which explores the literary influences of one who was to on and so profoundly influence other writers, and up to this day. The synopsis on the publisher’s website insinuates this to be a light – and encouraging – read, for those who persist in their struggle. <\/p>\n\n\n

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My copy of the Penguin Classics six volume edition of “In Search of Lost Time”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And I am in need of some encouragement, for as you may have guessed, as Begley succeeded so have I failed. It is to be clearly discerned from the condition of the spines of the paperback volumes of In Search of Lost Time<\/em> (or perhaps I should use the French title \u00c0 la Recherche du temps perdu<\/em>; as I remember even the translation of the title is forever a matter of heated debate) standing on my bookshelf that, generously speaking, I made it half way through – though I am relatively sure I didn’t make it to the end of The Guermantes Way<\/em>. When? Twenty years ago? Is that possible? What precisely happened I don’t know; distracted, presumably put to one side, then packed away – as life, and my place in it, moved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, a few days ago I caught a very nice discussion on the Times Literary Supplement’s<\/em> weekly podcast (always informative listening) with Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of Exeter <\/a>and Proust expert, Adam Watt. Embedded below, and to be found about 4 minutes in or, in Spotify reckoning, at approximately -48:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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