La presonera

In a claustrophobic atmosphere, the narrator keeps Albertine virtually shut away as he struggles to overcome his jealousy

In order to keep her away from the temptations in Balbec, the narrator takes Albertine to Paris and lives with her at his mother's house, taking advantage of the fact that the latter is in Combray. As a result, they both live under the same roof, with no other company than the maid Françoise. All the feelings arising from his jealousy over the supposed love affairs that Albertine may have with other girls come to light in this volume. Almost as if it were a judicial investigation, the narrator subjects the girl to a series of interrogations in which he constructs an entire theory of possession, falling in love, jealousy, captivity...

Meanwhile, the Baron de Charlus organises a soirée at the Verdurins' home, to which he invites aristocratic women who are delighted by the success of the event, and congratulate him and not the real hostess, Madame Verdurin. The latter immediately takes her revenge by embarrassing the baron in front of his social circle and persuades the violinist Morel, with whom he continues to have a relationship, to end it.


To mark the centenary of In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust’s most emblematic novel, we offer you seven recitals (one for each of the seven volumes that make up the work) based on Josep Maria Pinto’s translation and selection of texts. The sessions directed by Jordi Bosch will be accompanied by piano and violin.

Proust’s novel was written between 1908 and 1922, and with James Joyce’s Ulysses, was the cornerstone of the new narrative of the twentieth century, and irreversibly transformed the way time, space and own self are narrated from what himself named 'involuntary memory'.

You can also attend in person at the Espai Lliure the seven performances of this show on the first day of broadcast.