NPPF - False Azure

[Paul Mackin]

The magical quality of azure also greatly affects the narrator of A la
recherche du temps perdu at the crucial point in the novel when he first
lays eyes on young Gilberte Swann:

"Her black eyes gleamed, and since I did not at that time know, and
indeed have never since learned, how to reduce a strong impression to
its objective elements, since I had not, as they say, enough 'power of
observation' to isolate the notion of their colour, for a long time
afterwards, whenever I thought of her, the memory of those bright eyes
would at once present itself to me as a vivid azure, since her
complexion was fair; so much so that perhaps if her eyes had not been
quite so black--which was what struck one most forcibly on first seeing
her--I should not have been, as I was, so especially enamoured of the
imagined blue." Swann's Way   p. 198

P.


On Wed, 2003-08-27 at 08:55, charles albert wrote:
> Stunning......but consistent....
> 
> 
> Great work!
> 
> 
> love,
> cfa
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Morris" <fqmorris at yahoo.com>
> To: "Pynchon List" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 8:44 AM
> Subject: NPPF - False Azure
> 
> 
> >
> > azure
> > \Az"ure\, n. 1. The lapis lazuli. [Obs.]
> >
> > http://www.linsdomain.com/gemstones/lapizlazuli.htm
> > Lapiz Lazuli is the Stone of Egypt
> > and has exists since before time began.
> > It is the connection between the physical plane
> > and the celestial one.
> >
> > http://www.francesjane.com/lapiz.html
> > Lapiz Lazuli is composed of lazurite, calcite, pyrite and diopside.
> Hardness: 5
> >
> >
> > Lapis Lazuli's Metaphysical Properties are: It is a stone said to have
> existed
> > since before "time was born," assisting one in gaining admission to the
> domain
> > of the unknown mysteries of the sacred texts and the esoteric ideas and
> > enhancing the wisdom to understand the information. It further allows one
> to
> > gain access to, and to explore, the esoteric planetary knowledge. It helps
> to
> > stimulate emotional, mental, and physical purity and clarity, supporting
> one's
> > courage in activities culminating in the advancement toward universal
> wisdom.
> >
> > A stone for acquiring wisdom and esoteric knowledge. Stone of protection.
> > Regarded as a heavenly stone in ancient times for its apparent unearthly
> > quality. It completely refreshes the spirit and creates a pure, ethical
> > atmosphere. Healing: Bones, heart, eyes.
> >
> >
> >
> > http://www.jewelguru.com/info/lapizlazuli.htm
> >
> >  Lapis Lazuli, the blue rock loved by the ancients, from Mesopotamia, to
> Egypt,
> > to Persia, to Greece and Rome. The ancient city of Ur has a thriving trade
> in
> > lapis as early as the fourth millennium B.C.
> >
> > The name is international, from the latin, lapis, which means stone, and
> from
> > the Arabic, azul, which means blue.
> >
> > When lapis was first introduced to Europe, it was called ultramarinum,
> which
> > means beyond the sea. Ground lapis was the secret of the blue in
> ultramarine,
> > the pigment which painters used to paint the sea and the sky until the
> > nineteenth century. Lapis was also popular in inlays. The Romans believed
> that
> > lapis was a powerful aphrodisiac. In the Middle Ages, it was thought to
> keep
> > the limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy and fear.
> >
> > Lapis is a dark blue microcrystalline rock composed primarily of the
> mineral
> > lazurite. It often sparkles with golden pyrite inclusions.
> > Lapis lazuli is still mined at the deposits of the ancient world in
> > Afghanistan. Lapis is also mined in Chile. Small quantities are also
> produced
> > in Siberia, in Colorado in the United States, and in Myanmar.
> >
> >
> > __________________________________
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> >
> 
>