Swann's Way: Swann in Love: Mildred Krebs: 10/02/09
I'm on my 14th week of reading Swann's Way (Du côté de chez Swann). I'm up to page 420.

The last two weeks (or sixty pages) I have been reminded (to the point of laughing a few times) of Keeping Up Appearances. Now that the focus of Odette and Swann's relationship seems to be on the Verdurins' meddling my thoughts are on another favorite of mine, Remington Steele.

In the first season of Remington Steele, Laura Holt had two employees, a fellow detective named Murphy Michaels and a secretary named Bernice Foxe. Together they tried to keep the identity stealing "Mr. Steele" out of trouble while reaping the benefits to the business by having him around.

The Verdurins originally see Charles Swann in a similar light. He brings notoriety and the attention of very important people. At the same time though he's prone to cause trouble. His attention on Odette seems amusing and harmless as she's a bit of a trouble maker herself. They don't really expect anything to come out of it just as Murphy and Bernice don't think Laura will be attracted to this stranger who has single handedly turned her life upside down and inside out.

When near the end of the first season the show started to take a new direction and there was an obvious sexual tension between Laura and Mr. Steele (as she always calls him) Murphy and Bernice had served their purpose as characters. The show stopped being an ensemble and was more a screwball mystery-comedy. Mildred Krebs, an older character was brought in to act as a foil for their on again, off again relationship.

In Swann's Way the relationship of the Verdurins to Swann and Odette has started to change. They actively meddle in their romance now. They try to bring them together. Then they change their mind, horrified at seeing them as a couple, and try to split Swann and Odette apart. So I'm collectively calling the Verdurins the Mildred Krebs of Swann's Way.

Previous posts: Lisa's First Word, Baby Mine, I Sing the Body Electric, The Lady in Pink, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Caturday, Cherry Blossoms, Marge Simpson, Liana Telfer, Bender in Love, Margaret Dumont, Hyacinth Bucket, Rose.

books | fiction | Marcel Proust | 1913

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