Scan barcode
grayjay's review
2.0
I found this volume a little more dull that previous volumes. Most of it consists of Marcel whingeing about Albertine. The narrator is truly a whiny baby who plays immature mind games with his mistress, and one wonders what things would look like from her perspective.
Summary including...spoilers?
Marcel is keeping Albertine in his home as a mistress. Although he is getting sock of her, he is extremely jealous that she might desire women so he keeps her activities restricted and has her followed.
Baron de Charlus organizes a concert at the Verdirins where his lover Morel plays the violin as part of a seset. The party is a huge success and many well-to-do guests attend. As guests are leaving, Charlus thanks them all and takes all the credit for the evening, neglecting to include Mme Verdurin or introduce her to anyone in her own home.
She becomes extremely angry and to get back at Charlus she has her husband tell Morel that Charlus keeps low company, has a bad reputation, and thinks of Morel as his servant in order to cause Morel to break off with him.
Marcel returns from the party and plays some mind games with Albertine. He senses she is losing interest in him, so in order to make her love him more, he pretends to break up her her and then when she appears very upset, her changes his mind.
Then she actually does leave and he tries, pathetically, to get her back by sending Saint-Loup with an exorbitant amount of money and offers of yachts and cars.
Then Albertine is killed in a horseback riding accident.
Summary including...spoilers?
Marcel is keeping Albertine in his home as a mistress. Although he is getting sock of her, he is extremely jealous that she might desire women so he keeps her activities restricted and has her followed.
Baron de Charlus organizes a concert at the Verdirins where his lover Morel plays the violin as part of a seset. The party is a huge success and many well-to-do guests attend. As guests are leaving, Charlus thanks them all and takes all the credit for the evening, neglecting to include Mme Verdurin or introduce her to anyone in her own home.
She becomes extremely angry and to get back at Charlus she has her husband tell Morel that Charlus keeps low company, has a bad reputation, and thinks of Morel as his servant in order to cause Morel to break off with him.
Marcel returns from the party and plays some mind games with Albertine. He senses she is losing interest in him, so in order to make her love him more, he pretends to break up her her and then when she appears very upset, her changes his mind.
Then she actually does leave and he tries, pathetically, to get her back by sending Saint-Loup with an exorbitant amount of money and offers of yachts and cars.
Then Albertine is killed in a horseback riding accident.
chachized's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
richard_f's review
3.0
Completed "The Captive". At times insightful, trivial, tiresome, revealingly descriptive & obsessed.
smay's review
Marcel Proust is the worst guy.
The Captive was a slog to get through and I couldn't read any more of his complaining about Albertine. The Fugitive was a lot better again thankfully, with less whining and more plot twists.
The Captive was a slog to get through and I couldn't read any more of his complaining about Albertine. The Fugitive was a lot better again thankfully, with less whining and more plot twists.
michaelwong's review
5.0
"...the fatal answer must then separate into two distinct elements, which I had arbitrarily united after the fashion of a novelist who blends together diverse elements borrowed from the reality in order to create an imaginary character, elements which, taken separately,-the name failing to corroborate the supposed intention of the glance-lost all meaning." p. 778-779
ferris_mx's review
3.0
The protagonist is a monster! I don't know whether that's intentional or not. He's the prototypical highly therapized "nice guy" who doesn't care about anyone else. One more volume and then I can make my final opinion.
sieramae's review
5.0
Volume IV and V have been completed — The end pages closed.
Looking back I can see the cities meet the plains, and the many paths that lead to the flowers budding on the water’s edge. His themes and motifs leave a more clear impression with each step. Yet, looking forward I feel like I’m watching the sunrise from the side of a mountain, instead of from the summit. There remains more to be seen from a vantage point not yet reached.
Like moments of rest during a long hike, I welcome pauses to reflect on the journey. I brought Proust with me, away from the cities to smell the flowers in the plains, towards the cold glacier streams in the Rockies. Along the way I thought of the friendships we made, the loves we cherished, and the regrets for those we have lost.
On these paths I have learned that reading Proust is less of a challenge than the act of remembering what was read. It’s okay not to remember all the details, forgetting is an inevitable part of the process.
With gratitude for the experience this far, I am ready to continue on with the ascent towards Time Regained. I accept the steep climbs, uneasy scrambles and unpredictable switchbacks along the way.
Looking back I can see the cities meet the plains, and the many paths that lead to the flowers budding on the water’s edge. His themes and motifs leave a more clear impression with each step. Yet, looking forward I feel like I’m watching the sunrise from the side of a mountain, instead of from the summit. There remains more to be seen from a vantage point not yet reached.
Like moments of rest during a long hike, I welcome pauses to reflect on the journey. I brought Proust with me, away from the cities to smell the flowers in the plains, towards the cold glacier streams in the Rockies. Along the way I thought of the friendships we made, the loves we cherished, and the regrets for those we have lost.
On these paths I have learned that reading Proust is less of a challenge than the act of remembering what was read. It’s okay not to remember all the details, forgetting is an inevitable part of the process.
With gratitude for the experience this far, I am ready to continue on with the ascent towards Time Regained. I accept the steep climbs, uneasy scrambles and unpredictable switchbacks along the way.