The publication by Gallimard of the earliest manuscript of what would become ‘In Search of Lost Time’ lays bare the autobiographical origins of Proust’s key themes, including his feelings about his Jewishness
Rediscovered early texts offer fresh insights from an author who created his masterpiece in self-isolation
Marcel Proust. ‘In the last years of his life, toiling incessantly on the vast text, Proust rarely left the cork-lined cocoon of his bedroom.’ Photograph: Culture Club/Getty Images
Marcel Proust. ‘In the last years of his life, toiling incessantly on the vast text, Proust rarely left the cork-lined cocoon of his bedroom.’ Photograph: Culture Club/Getty Images
Wed 17 Mar 2021 14.41 EDT
Last modified on Wed 17 Mar 2021 16.03 EDT
A year ago, as the reality of Covid lockdown hit home, evangelists for the work of Marcel Proust spotted a window of opportunity. Domestic confinement had eliminated the usual distractions, and pandemic reading lists invariably carried a namecheck for Proust’s monumental seven-volume classic, In Search of Lost Time. A significant uplift in online sales was duly reported.