Short summary - Albertine disparue - Marcel Proust - Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust

French literature summaries - 2021

Short summary - Albertine disparue
Marcel Proust - Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust

Man does not know himself. Françoise's words caused Marcel such unbearable pain that he decided to return Albertine by any means. He learned that she was living with her aunt, in Touraine. He sent her a falsely indifferent letter, at the same time asking Saint-Loup to influence her family. Albertine was extremely unhappy with Robert's rude intervention. An exchange of letters began, and Marcel could not stand it first - he sent a desperate telegram with a plea to come immediately. He was immediately brought a telegram from Touraine: his aunt reported that Albertine had died, falling from a horse and hitting a tree. The torment of Marseille did not stop: Albertine had to break not only in Touraine, but also in his heart, and it was necessary to forget not one, but countless number of Albertines. He went to Balbec and instructed the head waiter, Aimé, to find out how Albertine behaved while living with her aunt. His worst suspicions were confirmed: according to Aimé, Albertina repeatedly made lesbian connections. Marcel began to interrogate Andre: at first the girl denied everything, but then admitted that Albertine had cheated on Marcel both with Morel and with herself. During the next meeting with André, Marcel happily felt the first signs of recovery. Gradually, the memory of Albertine became fragmentary and ceased to hurt. External events also contributed to this. Marcel's first article was published in Figaro. At the Guermantes, he met Gilberte Swann - now Mademoiselle de Forschville. After the death of her husband, Odette married her old admirer. Gilberte became one of the richest heiresses, and in the Saint-Germain suburb they suddenly noticed how well-bred she was and what a lovely woman she promised to become. Poor Swann did not live to see his cherished dream come true: his wife and daughter were now accepted from the Guermantes - however, Gilberte got rid of both her Jewish surname and her father's Jewish friends.

But a full recovery came in Venice, where Marcel was taken by his mother. The beauty of this city had a life-giving force: these were impressions similar to Combre, but much brighter. Only once did the dead love start up: Marcel received a telegram in which Albertine informed him of her upcoming wedding. He managed to assure himself that he no longer wanted to think about her, even if she somehow miraculously survived. Before leaving, it turned out that Gilbert had sent the telegram: in her fanciful painting, the capital "F" looked like a Gothic "A". Gilberte married Robert de Saint-Loup, who was said to have stepped on the path of family vice. Marcel didn’t want to believe it, but soon had to admit the obvious. Morel became Robert's lover, which greatly outraged Jupien, who remained loyal to the baron. At one time, Saint-Loup told Marcel that he would marry his Balbeque girlfriend if she had a good fortune. Only now did the meaning of these words become completely clear: Robert belonged to Sodom, and Albertine belonged to Gomorrah. The young couple settled in Tansonville - the former estate of Swann. Marcel came to such memorable places to console the unfortunate Gilberte. Robert advertised his connections with women, wanting to hide his real inclinations and imitating this uncle, Baron de Charles. Everything changed in Combre. Legrandin, now related to the Germans, usurped the title of Count de Meseglise. Vivona seemed narrow and ugly to Marcel - was it really this walk that gave him such pleasure? And Gilberte unexpectedly admitted that she fell in love with Marcel at first sight, but he pushed her away with his stern look. Marcel suddenly realized that the true Gilbert and the true Albertine were ready to surrender to him at the first meeting - he ruined everything himself, he “missed” them, unable to understand, and then frightened with his exactingness.