Pages for November

11/4:  Consistent charm of Mme Swann’s heterogeneous drawing-room (153). Princess Mathilde (157). Gilberte’s unexpected behavior (161).  Lunch at the Swanns’ with Bergotte (164).

11/12:  The gentle white-haired bard and the man with the snail-shell nose and black goatee (165). A writer’s voice and his style (168). Bergotte and his imitators (169). Unforeseeable beauty of the sentences of a great writer (170). Reflecting power of genius (174).

Within a Budding Grove (vol II p 158 ff) November Notes 2010

"I felt the surprise that one feels on opening the correspondence of that Duchess d'Orléans who was by birth a Princess Palatine... [Elizabeth-Charlotte, p157]

p 158 | "... her Württemberger mother..."
"... so typically Second Empire..." [1852-1870]

p 158 | "... had she known Musset..." [Alfred de Musset, French writer, 1810-1857]

p 159 | The Czar and Czarina went to Les Invalides in October 1896, covered by the New York Times

p 160 | ~~ Compèigne...

~~ Alpilles....  emeralds of the Grand Canal...

[...leave cards upon these Royalties...p1xx;]  More information about calling cards. This describes what men do, but using women's cards was probably similar.

... anniversary of her grandfather's death...

[Jewish custom] .... The final period of formal mourning is avelut, which is observed only for a parent. This period lasts for twelve months after the burial. During that time, mourners avoid parties, celebrations, theater and concerts. For eleven months of that period, starting at the time of burial, the son of the deceased recites the mourner's Kaddish every day. After the avelut period is complete, the family is not permitted to continue formal mourning; however, there are some continuing acknowledgments of the decedent. Every year, on the anniversary of the death, family members observe the deceased's Yahrzeit (Yiddish, lit. "anniversary"), when sons recite Kaddish, and all mourners light a candle that burns for 24 hours.

“What difference can it make to me what people think? I think it’s perfectly absurd to worry about other people in matters of sentiment. We feel things for ourselves, not for the public. Mademoiselle has very few pleasures; she’s been looking forward to going to this concert. I am not going to deprive her of it just to satisfy public opinion.”   (Gilberte begins to sound like her mother here; )

Proustiennes at play