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Madeleine Swann and Marcel Proust?

LudovicoLudovico
in SPECTRE Posts: 15,229
Discuss the possible connection. His À la recherche du temps perdu starts with a madeleine, and he wrote Du côté de chez Swann. Coincidence? I don't think so. I have never liked Proust much, even though I recognize he is a great writer. But nevertheless, it is telling that one of the Bond girls for SPECTRE is named after two of his novels. it might be saying a lot about her character.

Comments

  • darren_blacksmithdarren_blacksmith
    Posts: 678
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    There are places I remember !.
  • YtterbiumYtterbium
    Posts: 269
    Or maybe just the screenwriter lacking imagination to come up with an original French name. Just to say, in France, we have very few Madeleine and Swann (exactly like the name of her character in Mission Impossible : very few Sabine Moreau in France)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    darren_blacksmith wrote: »
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?

    I think so. Unlikely it is a coincidence. Had her family name been anything else, then yes. But with Swann, and written with a double n.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Ludovico wrote: »
    darren_blacksmith wrote: »
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?

    I think so. Unlikely it is a coincidence. Had her family name been anything else, then yes. But with Swann, and written with a double n.

    I agree. I wonder if there is a connection. I never read anything by Proust, I'm afraid. Perhaps I should pick up one of these two :-?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    A sip of tea and a bite of a petite madeleine cause memories to come flooding for the narrator in Swann s Way. Definitely no coincidence (do they even exist?). Great observation, @Ludovico.
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    Ludovico wrote: »
    darren_blacksmith wrote: »
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?

    I think so. Unlikely it is a coincidence. Had her family name been anything else, then yes. But with Swann, and written with a double n.

    Just like the Dracula angle with OHMSS, I think you are on to something.
  • leas_moleleas_mole love is the promise of suffering
    Posts: 574
    OK, how about this for coincidence. Short version - Jean Schlumberger was a publisher and was offered Marcel Proust : À la recherche du temps but turned it down because his publishing company had only just started. Jean Schlumberger is Léa's great great grand uncle.

    Long version:-
    A few days ago I read an article about Léa which mentioned Schlumberger and Marcel Proust. The article was written before she was cast in SPECTRE and was originally in Spanish. This what I found.

    [url="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean Schlumberger"]Jean Schlumberger[/url] was famous for refusing [to publish] the manuscript of a certain Marcel Proust : À la recherche du temps perdu. Jean's brother Marcel Schlumberger also happens to be Léa's great great grandfather. If you click on Jérôme Seydoux's name you will see Léa's name. The French wiki has more information than the English version.

    Extract from a thesis on Jean Schlumberger
    Therefore, when Proust offered them the multi-volume A la recherche du temps perdu, they were obliged to refuse it without even opening the enormous manuscript. Its publishing would have threatened the survival of their little company. Schlumberger explains that “lorsque, en 1913, Proust nous offrit A la recherche du Temps perdu, nous dûmes écarter, sans même les ouvrir, les blocs de ses manuscrits, la publication d’un ouvrage s’annonçait en huit ou dix tomes risquant d’écraser notre naissante maison” [“when, in1913, Proust sent us A la recherche du Temps perdu[Remembrance of things past], we had to reject it without even opening it – the volumes of manuscript; the publication of the work in eight or ten volumes would risk overwhelming our budding house”

    *cue spooky music* :-SS
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    Amazing, @leas_mole!! =D> =D> =D>

    I think you hit the bullseye b-(
  • Suivez_ce_parachuteSuivez_ce_parachute
    Posts: 2,015
    Lea Seydoux´s family is so important in France you can link her to Many things ;) For instance, the Jean Dujardin OSS117 movies are produced by her grand-uncle !
  • leas_moleleas_mole love is the promise of suffering
    Posts: 574
    I was curious to discover the link between Proust and Schlumberger. I was very surprised to learn that Léa's ancestors were so well known. I already know about her dad Henri and her grandfather Jérôme as they are often mentioned in articles about her.

    I doubt the writers would delve into Léa' family tree to find the Proust reference. Quite a coincidence!
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    leas_mole wrote: »
    I doubt the writers would delve into Léa' family tree to find the Proust reference. Quite a coincidence!

    I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps she suggested the name... ;)
  • chipstickschipsticks NOT on TheDanielCraigForum where they think know Daniel Craig personally and Léa and Monica are ugly
    edited December 2014 Posts: 560
    Léa aka Madeleine Swann seems to be having fun on vacation while taking her role very seriously :)) (her IG btw)


    leaseydoux_genuine

    James, come and save me!!! 2h

    10848322_634749883314585_291445940_n.jpg

    http://websta.me/p/884882926329328773_1328362748
  • leas_moleleas_mole love is the promise of suffering
    Posts: 574
    Proust link confirmed by Seydoux

    'Her name is, of course, a nod to Marcel Proust. In Proust’s Swann’s Way, the opening book of Remembrance Of Things Past, the madeleine sponge cake has the potential to evoke powerful memories. The name has been chosen deliberately for this film.'

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    leas_mole wrote: »
    Proust link confirmed by Seydoux

    'Her name is, of course, a nod to Marcel Proust. In Proust’s Swann’s Way, the opening book of Remembrance Of Things Past, the madeleine sponge cake has the potential to evoke powerful memories. The name has been chosen deliberately for this film.'

    Well, I am right about one thing:-)
  • leas_moleleas_mole love is the promise of suffering
    Posts: 574
    Ludovico wrote: »
    leas_mole wrote: »
    Proust link confirmed by Seydoux

    'Her name is, of course, a nod to Marcel Proust. In Proust’s Swann’s Way, the opening book of Remembrance Of Things Past, the madeleine sponge cake has the potential to evoke powerful memories. The name has been chosen deliberately for this film.'

    Well, I am right about one thing:-)
    I am sure you are right about a lot of things!

    Now we need to find out what memories Madeleine Swann will evoke :)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    leas_mole wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    leas_mole wrote: »
    Proust link confirmed by Seydoux

    'Her name is, of course, a nod to Marcel Proust. In Proust’s Swann’s Way, the opening book of Remembrance Of Things Past, the madeleine sponge cake has the potential to evoke powerful memories. The name has been chosen deliberately for this film.'

    Well, I am right about one thing:-)
    I am sure you are right about a lot of things!

    Now we need to find out what memories Madeleine Swann will evoke :)

    Let's see if I'm right about Blofeld and the villain's scheme, then I think I may be psychic.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 6,021
    Does that mean that she will speak in very, very long sentences ? (How many here will get that joke, I don't know).
  • Campbell2Campbell2 Epsilon Rho Rho house, Bending State University
    Posts: 299
    Wait for it! :)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    Gerard wrote: »
    Does that mean that she will speak in very, very long sentences ? (How many here will get that joke, I don't know).

    It just means she is going to talk a lot about her life. Maybe use the story Domino says in TB about the cigaret pack?
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    I'm not sure if it is the right thread to mention it, but it occured to me that Lea Seydoux is maybe one of the most literally looking Bond girls of recent years. I mean that she has a sort of unusual, even flawed beauty like many of the Bond girls from the novels.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I'm not sure if it is the right thread to mention it, but it occured to me that Lea Seydoux is maybe one of the most literally looking Bond girls of recent years. I mean that she has a sort of unusual, even flawed beauty like many of the Bond girls from the novels.

    I agree with this. (sorry for bumping an old thread, but I'm about to start reading Swann’s Way and I remembered about this thread)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    It's ok I'm quite proud of this thread.
  • chipstickschipsticks NOT on TheDanielCraigForum where they think know Daniel Craig personally and Léa and Monica are ugly
    Posts: 560
    Ludovico wrote: »
    It's ok I'm quite proud of this thread.

    great thread
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I haven't read the any leaked material and I tried to stay away from spoiler as much as I could, but if I'm right this is a huge spoiler. I just realized that
    the name of the novel is "In Search of Lost Time" and Bond's last word to his wife were "We have all the time in the world". Now, with all these talks that SPECTRE might be somewhat of a remake of OHMSS, with the OHMSS theme in the trailer, the snow sequences and the Bond girl being the daughter of the head of a criminal organisation, could this mean that Swann and Bond will get married at the end of the movie?
  • SasSas
    Posts: 50
    Ludovico wrote: »
    It's ok I'm quite proud of this thread.

    And so you should :D
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,916
    timmer wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    darren_blacksmith wrote: »
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?

    I think so. Unlikely it is a coincidence. Had her family name been anything else, then yes. But with Swann, and written with a double n.
    Just like the Dracula angle with OHMSS, I think you are on to something.
    Interesting discussion prior to the release of Spectre.

    What is the Dracula connection to On Her Majesty's Secret Service?
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    RichardTheBruce wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    darren_blacksmith wrote: »
    Interesting. Possible connection between 'Remembrance of things past' and the plot synopsis saying: "A cryptic message from Bond's past.." ?

    I think so. Unlikely it is a coincidence. Had her family name been anything else, then yes. But with Swann, and written with a double n.
    Just like the Dracula angle with OHMSS, I think you are on to something.
    Interesting discussion prior to the release of Spectre.

    What is the Dracula connection to On Her Majesty's Secret Service?

    https://www.mi6community.com/discussion/10105/ohmss-and-dracula/p1
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