Week Two: Marcel Proust, "Combray"

I found the writing of this book very entrancing. The language and the long descriptions (just for the simple act of going to sleep!) lulled me into a feeling of peace and contentment. That said, I could only read it when my brain was fully focused because this seems like a novel where one can easily find themselves drowning in the amount of words that are written into a single sentence. 

In the introduction, the author described how tricky it is to translate texts such as these, where every word has a specific significance to the story and in the particular imagery that they are meant to portray. Certain words or sayings don't translate exactly from French to English because every language has its own unique complexities. This is indicative of the nuance that exists in each human language - it is what makes spoken word difficult but also what makes it beautiful. No one person will ever be able to experience the intricacies of every language that exists, but we do have the privilege of experiencing it for the languages that we grew up learning. 

There was one character in particular, the narrator's great-aunt, that I thought really stepped out of the pages and came alive. She is dignified, proud, a bit snobby and I have definitely met someone like her in real life. "Whenever she saw in others an advantage, however small, that she did not have, she persuaded herself that it was not an advantage but a detriment and she pitied them so as not to have to envy them." This quote truly sums up the kind of person that she is, someone who is proud but insecure, someone who looks down on others while at the same time is kind of jealous of what they have that she doesn't. Poor M. Swann really couldn't catch a break in her eyes! To be honest, based on the real person that she reminds me of, I would not want the narrator's great-aunt as a friend because she seems like the type of person to bring someone down for their accomplishments instead of celebrating their happiness with them. Despite this feeling, she did give off the sense of having a fiery personality which is what made her character interesting to read. I enjoy the fact that Proust's writing is relatable to us now, even across time, geography and experiences. 

Here is my question for everyone: Was there any one character so far that stood out from the others in terms of interest, relatability, likability or even dislike? If so, why?