Group Read: Proust Volumes 5 & 6 : The Captive and The Fugitive

Here is the thread for In Search of Lost Time, volumes 5 & 6, by Marcel Proust.

Our previous threads can be found here:

Volume 4 http://www.librarything.com/topic/264809
Volume 3 http://www.librarything.com/topic/258050
Volume 2 http://www.librarything.com/topic/250359
Volume 1 http://www.librarything.com/topic/245011

Still reading the Prendergast translations. This one is by Carol Clark, who does not take the same purist approach to Proust's sentences as the translators of volumes 1 and 4 did, so it's easier to follow. There are a few jarring anachronisms and one hideous translation of a French music hall performance into cockney, but overall it's a readable translation. The Captive has been renamed The Prisoner, The Prisoner and The Fugitive

Can't get a touchstone to point to this translation, so have put a link.

Finished The Prisoner and having a break before starting The Fugitive. I feel as though I'm on the home stretch now, with only 700 pages or so to finish the last two volumes.

Marcel is at his worst in The Prisoner. He has secreted Albertine in his parent's flat while they are away, and keeps her hidden from his friends. After her revelation at the end of volume 4about living with Vinteuil's daughter and the daughter's friend, which made Marcel mad with jealousy and determined to keep Albertine away from any woman who might be a lesbian Marcel tries to control who Albertine sees, where she goes and how she spends her time. When he feels secure in her affection, he loses interest in her and decides he no longer loves her, but whenever he becomes aware that she has lied and has another life apart from him, his jealousy, which he equates with love, revives. There are many, many pages of Marcel reflecting on his relationship with Albertine. He's such a mixture of good and bad qualities, and seems to be at his worst with Albertine. This section harks back to Swann's obsession with Odette.

Charlus plays an important role in this volume. He has lost all circumspection, and his behaviour and conversation are blatantly queenly, which is problematical to French society which has to pretend to be unaware. There is a very funny description of Charlus sailing down the street, surrounded by street urchins. He has become a regular at the Verdurins' salon, where his self-absorption and tactlessness cause drama.

You are on a roll! How good. I do envy you. I have a hard time reading about the salons in Sodom and Gomorra but I don’t want to give up. So I am progressing slowly!

Started The Fugitive. Marcel is carrying on at great length about Albertine. I hope he gets out of the house soon, because I'm getting a bit annoyed with him.

>5 pamelad: Glad you're carrying on! I am doing a sort of big reading project with a group this month so I'm hesitant to start the next volume of Proust (The Prisoner is up next for me), but I'm hoping to start it by mid-November. I'm sort of thinking I'll read the next two right in a row and then finish up with the last volume in January - I'm usually up for a harder book at the beginning of the year.

Looking forward to hearing how this volume goes for you!

Finished The Fugitive. In the first two-thirds or so of the book Marcel was ruminating on his relationship with Albertine. This bit was heavy going, but Marcel finally left the flat and went to Venice. In the last third some old friends returned, among them Gilberte, Sainte-Loupe, Jupien and his niece, Legrandin, Morel, and various members of the Guermantes clan. There were two unexpected weddings and Marcel returned to Combray. Sainte-loupe has undergone quite a character change, or perhaps he is revealing facets of his character that used to be hidden. The pace of the last third was much faster and there were obvious gaps, so it's no surprise to read that it was constructed from notes.

I don't think it would hurt to skim the first section. It's quite repetitive.

In a couple of weeks I'll start the last volume.

I've set up a thread for the last volume here.

Thank you! I've starred it so I can keep up with your reading. I'll be there myself at some point . . .

I've started volume 5. I have two other books going that I'm almost done with and then this will by my priority.

Marcel at his nuttiest. Enjoy!

I've finished volume 5! It took me a while to get back into it, but I ended up getting sucked back in. Marcel's control over Albertine was upsetting - it made me wonder who she really is/what her motivations were. Did she just want the comfort of having a luxurious home for a while and was willing to put up with Marcel's craziness? Was she at least partially in love with Marcel - an abused woman who didn't know how to leave? I was soooooo happy that in the end she's the one who leaves before the narrator kicks her out.

The narrator's sad view of "love", i.e. possession and jealousy and conceit, make me sad for him. I hope that Proust himself knew a deeper love than that before he died.

I'm planning to carry on with The Fugitive.

Congratulations on finishing The Captive.

Perhaps Albertine was hanging on in the hope that Marcel would marry her. He may have seemed like her best bet for a comfortable life, until he became unbearable. Albertine struck me as a kind-hearted young woman who wanted everyone to be happy, but had no great emotional depth. Nor did it seem that Marcel's emotions had depth - tempestuous, but shallow.

>13 pamelad: I think that Marcel's view colored my view of Albertine more than it did for you. I definitely fell for the narrator's view of her as deceptive and emotionally shallow, but I agree that in reality she was probably just a simple, kind woman who was intrigued by the intellectual, artistic young man who fell for her. And yes, Marcel's emotions especially surrounding love are extremely shallow and youthful.

I've started The Fugitive and there is an actual spoiler here! I suppose that's exciting because there has been so little action. I was shocked that Albertine died. She seemed like the picture of health and life that the narrator wished for so I was really surprised when she died. At first I thought it was some sort of extended fantasy that the narrator was having - (it's not, right?).

I'm envisioning having Proust be my only book until I finish the whole thing now. The end is in sight!

I am now about 1/3 of the way through The Captive. Marcel is increasingly creepy as this series progresses!

>15 leslie.98: yes, isn't he? Those parts about him watching (and whatever else, ew) Albertine while she sleeps are so gross.

I found these two volumes (5 and 6) to be pretty different from the rest. There are a couple big events where something actually happens and I felt they moved a little faster. Except for the parts where they don't . . .

I assume since Proust didn't have time for his final edits and revisions that must have made a difference from what the final product would have been.

Yuck -- if he was presented slightly differently, he could be a stalker or psychopath!