Proust-crastination

#proustcrastination
… in Rivebelle 🕰🤒⛱

📗 E x c e r p t 🖋

For some time now, Bergotte’s words – in which he expressed his conviction that, despite what I claimed, I was destined above all to savour the pleasures of the intellect, had given me hope regarding what I might do in the future – a hope that was dashed every day by the boredom I felt at sitting down at a desk to begin a critical study or a novel. “After all,” I told myself, “perhaps the pleasure one derives from writing is not the infallible criterion of a fine piece of writing; perhaps it is merely an incidental element that is often added to it, but the absence of which cannot be held against it. Perhaps certain masterpieces were composed whilst yawning.” My grandmother allayed my doubts by telling me that I would work well and with joy if I were in good health. And, as our doctor had deemed it prudent to warn me of the serious risks to which my state of health might expose me, and having laid out for me all the health precautions to follow to avoid an accident, I subordinated all pleasures to the goal—which I considered infinitely more important than them—of becoming strong enough to realise the work that I might be carrying within me.

— “In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower”, 1919,
published by @quarto_livres, 1999, pp. 636–637

#marcelproust #RTP #àlombredesjeunesfillesenfleurs #letempsperdu #proustcrastination featuring a still from Raoul Ruiz’s marvellous and ingenious film, “Finding Time Again” (1999) #proustagram