Edition critique du cahier 40 de Marcel Proust (N. A. F. 16680)
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Abstract EN:
This critical edition presents one of proust's roughbooks which corresponds to the beginning of le cote de guermantes i. The transcription of the proustian manuscript is accompanied by footnotes concerning our presentation of the text and by explanatory notes at the end of the volume, to which the reader is referred to by means of arabic numerals. Besides, it is preceded by a study on the making of the novel (68 pages). The aim of the study is to say when this roughbook was written and to describe the appearance of the novel at this stage of the writing. Roughbook 40 was written in june - july 1910 approximately. At that time, proust was working on the organisation of the narrative in which we see the hero enter the aristocratic society of the faubourg saint-germain. From the fragments already written in other roughbooks, the writer tried here to give an overall structure to this part of his novel. The main theme is the hero running after mme de guermantes whom he falls in love with. Wishing to approach her, he goes to the opera house where he can observe her from a distance, uses tricks in or- der to find himself on her way and even goes away from paris to see montargis, his friend and mme de guermantes's nephew, who could help him to meet her. Proust took great pains to set up the process of progressive delusion. He achieved it only in 1912 by shifting away the content of roughbook 40 and placing it before the scene of the matinee at mme de villeparisis's salon. According to the new plot, which will remain that of the novel published in 1920, the hero will acquire learning through successive experiences consti- tuting all the different stages in the development of the novel's action.
Abstract FR:
Cette edition critique presente un des cahiers de brouillon correspondant au recit par lequel debute le cote de guermantes i. La transcription du manuscrit proustien proprement dite est accompagnee des notes infrapaginales relatives a l'etablissement du texte et, a la fin du volume, des notes d'ordre encyclopedique auxquelles le lecteur est renvoye a l'aide du chiffre arabe. Une etude genetique de 68 pages la precede, qui determine la date ou ce brouillon a ete etabli et reconstitue, d'apres son contenu, l'etat du roman que l'auteur etait alors en train d'ecrire. La redaction du cahier 40 peut etre situee vers juin - juillet 1910, au moment ou proust travaillait a la "mise en ordre" (cahiers 39 a 43) du recit consa- cre a l'incursion du heros dans le faubourg saint-germain. A partir des fragments epars deja ecrits ailleurs, l'ecrivain cherche ici a donner une structure d'ensemble a cette partie de son oeuvre. Le principal fil conducteur est la poursuite de mme de guermantes dont le heros est tombe amoureux. Voulant se rapprocher d'elle, ce der- nier est amene a se rendre a l'opera ou il peut la contempler de loin, a deployer sa ruse pour la croiser sur son chemin et meme a s'eloigner de paris afin de gagner l'appui de montargis, son ami et le neveu cher a mme de guermantes, qui pourrait le presenter a elle. C'est non sans peine que proust a reussi a mettre en place le sche- ma de la desillusion progressive. Il y est parvenu seulement en 1912 en deplacant le contenu du cahier 40 pour l'inserer avant la scene de la matinee chez mme de villeparisis. Selon ce nouvel ordre du recit, qui restera celui du roman publie en 1920, l'apprentis- sage du heros s'accomplit par etapes successives qui constituent les maillons indispensables au deroulement de l'action romanesque.