A French Book Reading Resource

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MorkTheFiddle
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:24 pm

So, a sentence that begins on the page you are reading and ends sometime next week seems a bit much, does it. :) That's why I think A la recherche is more of an aural novel. When I listen to a decent recording, all I hear are words, and when they are read well, I hear the rhythms that string together the words into coherent and meaningful parts, and even if I am reading along, my eyes do not trip on the length of the sentences. Though I think you need a rest, if you want to try a listen, librivox and youtube are good sources. I do not want to suggest anyone in particular, because my mind and my ears may like some narrator whom your eyes and your ears do not. Bonne chance, mon vieux !
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:49 pm

MorkTheFiddle
Thanks so much for your suggestion. Actually it was your sharing of your beautiful comments, posted below, on Proust that made me aspire to reading him. However, to date I sense that although many are called, only few are chosen when it comes to fully grasp what you do from reading the author.

MorkTheFiddle
A la Recherche is a museum of Marcel Proust's life and thoughts, and Marcel is your docent. Part of the museum houses fiction based on Proust's life, part of it keeps his essays on the times, including about art and World War 1, and part of it is mostly idle talk. The docent is a bright, observant and seemingly well educated man. The fiction creates some lively characters. Swann and Odette and Françoise come immediately to mind. The mother of Marcel plays an important part in his life, though not so much in A la Recherche. The father plays a very minimal role, and some have made a great todo about that, but if memory serves, Marcel's brother plays no role at all and as far as I know there was never a rift between the two of them.

Here I have to admit that (a) I have not visited the whole museum. I have missed Sodom and Gomorrah and (b) some of what I did read and listen to occurred several years ago. The museum charges no admission and is never closed, so I could back as often and for as long as I liked.

While visiting the museum I often asked myself, "Why am I here? Have I not seen the most interesting parts?" But the last part, Le Temps retrouvé, holds some surprises. Characters you thought you were done with show up again. It's like running into an old friend you haven't seen in years at the mall.

Some of the people will stay forever in my mind. Marcel, Françoise, Swann, Odette, Baron Charlus. Others have already slipped away. Robert St Loup is on the way out, too.

If French Culture intrigues you, you should visit the museum. Don't be intimidated by the reputation of the novel as being difficult. It is not. For me at any rate, Celine's Voyage au bout de la nuit is more difficult, because of vocabulary. Again for me, the latter lacks the swinging rhythms that make A la Recherche easy and even a pleasure if you listen to it.

If French Culture does not intrigue you, then maybe read the first volume only. I think I read that's the part French students get assigned. Read that, then read more if you like. Otherwise, have a cognac, or maybe a madeleine, to celebrate and move on.
Most grateful to you as always.
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby luke » Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:27 pm

MorkTheFiddle wrote:So, a sentence that begins on the page you are reading and ends sometime next week seems a bit much, does it. :) That's why I think A la recherche is more of an aural novel. When I listen to a decent recording, all I hear are words, and when they are read well, I hear the rhythms that string together the words into coherent and meaningful parts, and even if I am reading along, my eyes do not trip on the length of the sentences. Though I think you need a rest, if you want to try a listen, librivox and youtube are good sources. I do not want to suggest anyone in particular, because my mind and my ears may like some narrator whom your eyes and your ears do not. Bonne chance, mon vieux !

I'm curious if the narrator at http://www.litteratureaudio.com/livre-a ... swann.html is one who would tickle your fancy. She sounds sophisticated, elegant, and French to me.

I too, find hearing a novel can be start a fire that will smolder a long time, even when marshmellows are far away and a hotdog is de rigueur.

Carmody, perhaps there is some very low pressure way to enjoy it bit by bit, or simply feel content that the search for lost time is not now for you in Proust.

I haven't read through your log yet, but curious how you've found Le Petit Nicholas or Le Petit Prince? Perhaps I should go back in your timeline. I found those two petits fresh and enjoyable, even though it's been decades since I was in a school or found a young friend who would teach me about life. (Well, I have one who is 34. He is young in years and loves me as young Leon Wirth did Antoine de Saint-Exupéry).
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:40 pm

Luke
She sounds sophisticated, elegant, and French to me.
I agree "wonderfully "sophisticated, elegant, and French to me."

Thanks.
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MorkTheFiddle
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Thu Jun 24, 2021 5:43 pm

luke wrote:I'm curious if the narrator at http://www.litteratureaudio.com/livre-a ... swann.html is one who would tickle your fancy.

Monique Vincens is one of my all-time favorite readers, professional or non-professional.
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Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:19 pm

I find 'Monique Vincens' absolutely magnificent; thanks so much!
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:21 am

People may be interested in this:

"Proust for Beginners” with Caroline Weber June 25 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT|
FREE.

Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/7917404469#success

Meeting ID: 7917404469
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:12 pm

It was helpful.
He obviously means many different things to different people.
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Carmody
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Re: A French Book Reading Resource

Postby Carmody » Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:17 pm

Du côté de chez Swann by Marcel Proust

Well, I have gotten half way through the book and regret that I have to put it down. My skill set is just not up to it.

I believe also that my frustration with it can possibly best be summarized when
MorkTheFiddle wrote: So, a sentence that begins on the page you are reading and ends sometime next week seems a bit much, does it.

However it is not just the ceaseless LONG sentences but also the LONG paragraphs that are for the most part one and a half pages long throughout the book.

I could write more about why I want to drop it but it is clear that it is well above my skill set and that I should withdraw quietly with the less said the better. Maybe at another time I can pick it up when I am closer to a real C1-C2 level.

Suffice to say that if members such as kanewai and Morkthefiddle speak glowingly of it then it really is a magnificent book but one where although many are called to read it but few have the skill set necessary to grasp it in its fullness.

I must add in closing that my failure to grasp this book has resulted in serious depression on my part and that it will take a few weeks to recover. I had great hopes in the reading of this book but in the end was defeated by it.

I wonder if anyone else has ever been defeated by a book; I hope not.
Last edited by Carmody on Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DaveAgain
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daveagain

Postby DaveAgain » Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:34 pm

Carmody wrote:I wonder if anyone else has ever been defeated by a book; I hope not.
I had several false starts with Catch 22, more recently the German edition of Theodor Mommsten's History of Rome was a step too far for me (annotated maps would have helped! :-) )
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