Time for another reading group update. At this week's meeting, we discussed the second half of Swann in Love and a little bit about the last section of Swann's Way, Place-Names: The Name. In particular, we talked about the influence of art and music on Proust, his use of synesthesia as a device, the peculiarities of Swann, the constant redefinitions and revisions of characters found throughout Swann in Love, and the painful identification with Swann that many of us felt (for better or worse).
As far as music goes, check out this blog entry about Vinteuil's sontata. There's also this bit of information about the source of the sonata over at Temps Perdu. Lastly, we talked about the chronology of the novel and how it does get confusing. Have no fear as Temps Perdu also provides us with a rough chronology and some contextual thoughts.
The next meeting will be at the Strathcona Library on Wednesday, Feb. 22. See you then!
Here are the photos we talked about for those who want to take a closer look.
ReplyDeleteVermeer's "Vue de Delft" (the artists's home town). It was Proust's favourite painting and it's the one Swann claims to be studying:
http://loeuvredevermeer.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/johannes-vermeer-vue-de-delft-1660-61-huile-sur-toile-1175-x-98-cm-mauritshuis-la-haye1.jpg
A detail from Botticelli's "Events of the Life of Moses" fresco showing Zephora, whose appearance is compared to Odette's:
http://www.cyberlycee.fr/barthou/site-public/IMG/jpg/Botticcelli_Zephora-2.jpg
The cattleya flower that symbolizes S&O's sexual relations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattleya
Thanks, MC!
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