Genesis of the opening lines of À la recherche du temps perdu
1. Cahier 3
In previous times I had like everybody else the
peacefulness of waking up in the middle of the night, of savouring for an
instant the darkness the silence, some dull creaking, as might an apple in
the bottom of a wardrobe called up for a moment into a dim consciousness
of its position, [etc...]
2. Cahier 5
At that period I was already ill and could no
longer go to bed and sleep other than during the day. But I could remember
how, for a time, following close together, it is very remote now, if I
awoke in the middle of the night, it was not for very long and only to
enter into consciousness for a moment.
3. Cahier 5
At that period I was already ill and could no
longer be in bed and sleep, other than during the day. But the time was
not yet so distant - and I nourished the illusion of seeing it soon return
- where being at one with my bed and my room I slept the night and woke up
just in time to become conscious of the darkness of the room, of its
silence and its dull creaking, as might a jar of preserves or an apple in
the bottom of a wardrobe where it rested on a shelf, called up for a
moment into a vague consciousness. Often what had awakened me would be to
have dreamed that my old uncle [etc...]
4. Cahier 1
In the period I wish to speak about, at the
time I was already ill and was no longer able to sleep, nor even to be in
bed, other than during the day. But the time was not so very distant (and
I was still able to hope that it would return) when I used to get into my
bed at ten o'clock in the evening, and in spite of waking up briefly a few
times slept until the next morning. Often, my lamp scarcely extinguished,
I fell asleep so quickly [etc...]
5. Cahier 1
At the time of that morning that I want, I do
not know why, to fix in my memory, I was already ill, I stayed up all
night, went to bed in the morning and slept in the day. But then still
very recently for me was a time that I hoped to see return and which today
seems to have been lived by a different person when I used to get into my
bed at ten o'clock in the evening...
6. Cahier 8
At the time of that morning that I would like
to fix in my memory, I was already ill, I was obliged to spend the whole
night up, and only went to bed in the day. But then the time was not so
very distant, and I hoped that it would return, when I used to get into my
bed at ten o'clock in the evening and, after several more or less brief
dreams, slept until the next morning. Sometimes, my lamp scarcely
extinguished, [etc...]
7. Cahier 9
At the period of that morning that I would like
to fix in my memory, I was already ill, I was obliged to spend the whole
night up, and only went to bed in the day. But then the time was not so
very distant, and I still hoped that it could return, when every evening I
used to go to bed early and, after several more or less lengthy dreams,
slept till morning. Sometimes, my candle scarcely out, [etc...]
8. First typescript of SWANN
As above (Cahier 9), crossed out and
replaced with:
For a long time I went to bed early. Sometimes, my
candle scarcely out, [etc...]
9. Printed text
For a long time I went to bed early. Sometimes,
my candle scarcely out, [etc...]
From Bulletin
d'informations proustiennes No 8, 1978. Genèse de l'incipit
de La Recherche, Claudine Quémar, p10 - 11.
Separate manuscript fragment. Collection of Pedro Corrêa do Lago.
For a long time I went to bed early. For a number of years, during the evening when I had just got into bed I read a few pages of a Treatise on Monumental Archaeology that I kept at the side of my bed; then often my eyes would close so quickly [...]
I wanted to put the book down (which was usually a treatise on archaeology) that I still imagined I had in my hands [...]
Crossed out insertions on
first proofs March 1913, NAF 16753.