Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Virginia Woolf Read Proust

In the twenties, that most fertile period in English (and French) literature, Virginia Woolf read Proust.  She probably read him in French.  I cannot imagine reading those endless sentences and paragraphs en Francais, but of course well-educated writers of that time would have little difficulty.  Strangely enough, the beginning of the work reads rather easily in French.  Go figure.


Here is an interesting account of  Virginia's reading.


How Virginia Woolf read Proust  

Monday, February 08, 2010

Difficulties with Reading Proust

The great work is temporarily stalled on my nightstand.  Proust in Pictures has languished since Christmas.  I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which scared the bejesus out of me, and started The Girl Who Played With Fire which also seems pretty scarey. 


Too many projects afloat.  Need to give 4 more Toastmaster speeches between now and June.  Just finished a revision class.  Trying to finish my novel.  Need to send out more queries.  We have a huge slide scanning project on the home front.  Big Love, Damages and The Good Wife occupy my TV time, as does the Food Channel.  And I need to learn Word Press.  What would Proust do?  He'd finish his novel.  I don't go out into society much, but of course, the occasional foray is sometimes required.  Winter is progressing much too quickly.  Spring and the call of the garden will soon arrive. 


We had wild turkeys in the yard, necesssitating a trip to PETCO for some cracked corn.  


Here is someone else who is having his own Proust troubles.  A fellow reader, or non-reader. 


http://whatwouldproustthink.blogspot.com/2010/02/first-anniversary.html


Nonetheless, I am determined to forge on, if I could only get by the freaking parties until the last party, the best by far. 


Odette