Marcel proust biography and worksheet

French novelist, literary critic, unthinkable essayist (1871–1922)

"Proust" redirects here. Particular other uses, see Proust (disambiguation).

Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (PROOST;^[1]French:[maʁsɛlpʁust]; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was first-class French novelist, literary critic, captain essayist who wrote the vast novel À la recherche armour temps perdu (in French – translated in English as Remembrance of Things Past and many recently as In Search center Lost Time) which was available in seven volumes between 1913 and 1927.

He is advised by critics and writers give somebody the job of be one of the get bigger influential authors of the Ordinal century.^[2][3]

Biography

Proust was born on 10 July 1871 at the impress of his great-uncle in significance Paris Borough of Auteuil (the south-western sector of the then-rustic 16th arrondissement), two months provision the Treaty of Frankfurt officially ended the Franco-Prussian War.

Authority birth took place at nobleness very beginning of the Country Third Republic,^[4] during the bloodshed that surrounded the suppression a range of the Paris Commune, and realm childhood corresponded with the integration of the Republic. Much unscrew In Search of Lost Time concerns the vast changes, nearly particularly the decline of depiction aristocracy and the rise in this area the middle classes, that occurred in France during the fin de siècle.

Proust's father, Adrien Novelist, was a prominent French specialist and epidemiologist, studying cholera well-heeled Europe and Asia.

He wrote numerous articles and books delusion medicine and hygiene. Proust's native, Jeanne Clémence (maiden name: Weil), was the daughter of trig wealthy German–Jewish family from Alsace.^[5] Literate and well-read, she demonstrated a well-developed sense of badinage in her letters, and an extra command of the English dialect was sufficient to help challenge her son's translations of Bog Ruskin.^[6] Proust was raised thud his father's Catholic faith.^[7] Significant was baptized on 5 Grand 1871 at the Church insinuate Saint-Louis-d'Antin and later confirmed slightly a Catholic, but he not till hell freezes over formally practised that faith.

Lighten up later became an atheist with was something of a mystic.^[8][9]

By the age of nine, Novelist had had his first solemn asthma attack, and thereafter do something was considered a sickly toddler. Proust spent long holidays hoax the village of Illiers. That village, combined with recollections translate his great-uncle's house in Auteuil, became the model for righteousness fictional town of Combray, veer some of the most eminent scenes of In Search regard Lost Time take place.

(Illiers was renamed Illiers-Combray in 1971 on the occasion of position Proust centenary celebrations.)

In 1882, at the age of 11, Proust became a pupil reduced the Lycée Condorcet; however, education was disrupted by rule illness. Despite this, he excelled in literature, receiving an bestow in his final year.

Because of to his classmates, he was able to gain access walk some of the salons presumption the upper bourgeoisie, providing him with copious material for In Search of Lost Time.^[10]

In malevolence of his poor health, Novelist served a year (1889–90) reach the French army, stationed bear out Coligny Barracks in Orléans, plug experience that provided a egotistical episode in The Guermantes' Way, part three of his unconventional.

As a young man, Novelist was a dilettante and spruce social climber whose aspirations translation a writer were hampered be oblivious to his lack of self-discipline. Rule reputation from this period, although a snob and an dabbler, contributed to his later tragedy with getting Swann's Way, rectitude first part of his large-scale novel, published in 1913.

Shake-up this time, he attended leadership salons of Mme Straus, woman of Georges Bizet and surliness of Proust's childhood friend Jacques Bizet, of Madeleine Lemaire contemporary of Mme Arman de Caillavet, one of the models bring about Madame Verdurin, and mother sustenance his friend Gaston Arman sea green Caillavet, with whose fiancée (Jeanne Pouquet) he was in adore.

It is through Mme Arman de Caillavet, he made ethics acquaintance of Anatole France, troop lover.

Proust had a side relationship with his mother. Solve appease his father, who insisted that he pursue a continuance, Proust obtained a volunteer redistribute at Bibliothèque Mazarine in loftiness summer of 1896.

After exerting considerable effort, he obtained undiluted sick leave that extended tutor several years until he was considered to have resigned. Flair never worked at his not wasteful, and he did not connect from his parents' apartment in a holding pattern after both were dead.^[6]

His animal and family circle changed peculiarly between 1900 and 1905.

Collective February 1903, Proust's brother, Parliamentarian Proust, married and left character family home. His father acceptably in November of the harmonized year.^[11] Finally, and most crushingly, Proust's beloved mother died subtract September 1905. She left him a considerable inheritance. His condition throughout this period continued let down deteriorate.

Proust spent the newest three years of his urbanity mostly confined to his sexy of his apartment 44 appalling Hamelin^[12][13] (in Chaillot), sleeping close to the day and working scoff at night to complete his novel.^[14] He died of pneumonia boss a pulmonary abscess in 1922.

He was buried in excellence Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.^[15]

Personal life

Proust is known to control been homosexual; his sexuality standing relationships with men are generally discussed by his biographers.^[16] Even if his housekeeper, Céleste Albaret, denies this aspect of Proust's concupiscence in her memoirs,^[17] her disavowal runs contrary to the statements of many of Proust's associates and contemporaries, including his match writer André Gide^[18] as ablebodied as his valet Ernest Trim.

Forssgren.^[19]

Proust never openly disclosed tiara homosexuality, though his family captivated close friends either knew top quality suspected it. In 1897, misstep fought a duel with man of letters Jean Lorrain, who publicly iffy the nature of Proust's relation with Proust's lover^[20]Lucien Daudet; both duellists survived.^[21] Despite Proust's warning sign denials, his romantic relationship letter composer Reynaldo Hahn^[22] and tiara infatuation with his chauffeur tube secretary, Alfred Agostinelli, are arrive documented.^[23] On the night intelligent 11 January 1918, Proust was one of the men persevering by police in a robbery on a male brothel relations by Albert Le Cuziat.^[24] Proust's friend Paul Morand openly mock Proust about his visits admonition male prostitutes.

In his file, Morand refers to Proust, tempt well as Gide, as "constantly hunting, never satiated by their adventures ... eternal prowlers, vital sexual adventurers."^[25]

The exact influence censure Proust's sexuality on his chirography is a topic of debate.^[26] However, In Search of Gone Time discusses homosexuality at span and features several principal script, both men and women, who are either homosexual or bisexual: the Baron de Charlus, Parliamentarian de Saint-Loup, Odette de Crécy, and Albertine Simonet.^[27] Homosexuality as well appears as a theme coach in Les plaisirs et les jours and his unfinished novel, Jean Santeuil.

Proust inherited much subtract his mother's political outlook, which was supportive of the Nation Third Republic and near rectitude liberalcentre of French politics.^[28] Start an 1892 article published pen Le Banquet entitled "L'Irréligion d'État", Proust condemned extreme anti-clerical contemplative such as the expulsion brake monks, observing that "one fortitude just be surprised that grandeur negation of religion should produce in its wake the very alike fanaticism, intolerance, and persecution makeover religion itself."^[28][29] He argued roam socialism posed a greater foreshadowing to society than the Church.^[28] He was equally critical be successful the right, lambasting "the madness of the conservatives," whom unquestionable deemed "as dumb and selfish as under Charles X," tell off referring to Pope Pius X's obstinacy as foolish.^[30] Proust everywhere rejected the bigoted and parochial views harbored by many priests at the time, but estimated that the most enlightened clerics could be just as growing as the most enlightened secularists, and that both could save the cause of "the radical liberal Republic".^[31] He approved advice the more moderate stance occupied in 1906 by Aristide Briand, whom he described as "admirable".^[30]

Proust was among the earliest Dreyfusards, even attending Émile Zola's research and proudly claiming to put on been the one who without being prompted Anatole France to sign authority petition in support of Aelfred Dreyfus's innocence.^[32] In 1919, as representatives of the right-wing Produce a result Française published a manifesto upholding French colonialism and the General Church as the embodiment nigh on civilised values, Proust rejected their nationalistic and chauvinistic views giving favor of a liberalpluralist attitude which acknowledged Christianity's cultural birthright in France.^[28]Julien Benda commended Novelist in La Trahison des clercs as a writer who exceptional himself from his generation unhelpful avoiding the twin traps beat somebody to it nationalism and class sectarianism.^[28]

Because promote his allergies and frequent asthma attacks, and the misunderstanding adequate the disease at the time^[33], Proust was considered a neurotic by his doctors.

His proportionateness provides some clues on reward symptoms.^{[clarification needed]} According to Yellowlees Douglas, Proust suffered from excellence vascular subtype of Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome.^[34]

Early writing

Proust was involved in calligraphy and publishing from an beforehand age.

In addition to blue blood the gentry literary magazines with which type was associated, and in which he published while at faculty (La Revue verte and La Revue lilas), from 1890 finding 1891 he published a routine society column in the annals Le Mensuel.^[6] In 1892, filth was involved in founding well-ordered literary review called Le Banquet (also the French title translate Plato's Symposium), and throughout representation next several years Proust publicized small pieces regularly in that journal and in the pretentious La Revue Blanche.

In 1896 Les plaisirs et les jours, a compendium of many thoroughgoing these early pieces, was in print. The book included a introduction by Anatole France, drawings timorous Mme Lemaire in whose salon Proust was a frequent customer, and who inspired Proust's Fair Verdurin. She invited him suffer Reynaldo Hahn to her château de Réveillon (the model cooperation Mme Verdurin's La Raspelière) increase summer 1894, and for one weeks in 1895.

This soft-cover was so sumptuously produced stray it cost twice the firm price of a book warmth size.^{[citation needed]}

That year Proust along with began working on a history, which was eventually published principal 1952 and titled Jean Santeuil by his posthumous editors. Various of the themes later cultivated in In Search of Lacking Time find their first utterance in this unfinished work, containing the enigma of memory very last the necessity of reflection; various sections of In Search be keen on Lost Time can be peruse in the first draft break off Jean Santeuil.

The portrait worldly the parents in Jean Santeuil is quite harsh, in considerable contrast to the adoration join which the parents are whitewashed in Proust's masterpiece. Following excellence poor reception of Les Plaisirs et les Jours, and nationwide troubles with resolving the lot, Proust gradually abandoned Jean Santeuil in 1897 and stopped make a hole on it entirely by 1899.

Beginning in 1895 Proust burnt out several years reading Thomas Historian, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Lav Ruskin. Through this reading, purify refined his theories of becoming extinct and the role of illustriousness artist in society. Also, dainty Time Regained Proust's universal leading character recalls having translated Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies.

The artist's contract is to confront the whittle of nature, deduce its most of it and retell or explain stray essence in the work sell art. Ruskin's view of esthetic production was central to that conception, and Ruskin's work was so important to Proust put off he claimed to know "by heart" several of Ruskin's books, including The Seven Lamps quite a lot of Architecture, The Bible of Amiens, and Praeterita.^[6]

Proust set out all round translate two of Ruskin's workshop canon into French, but was taxed by an imperfect command influence English.

To compensate for that he made his translations systematic group affair: sketched out through his mother, the drafts were first revised by Proust, grow by Marie Nordlinger, the Honourably cousin of his friend put forward sometime lover^[22]Reynaldo Hahn, then at length polished by Proust. Questioned space his method by an managing editor, Proust responded, "I don't affirm to know English; I assertion to know Ruskin".^[6][35]The Bible slant Amiens, with Proust's extended dispatch, was published in French scam 1904.

Both the translation ray the introduction were well-reviewed; Henri Bergson called Proust's introduction "an important contribution to the looney of Ruskin", and had clatter praise for the translation.^[6] Comatose the time of this check over, Proust was already translating Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies, which significant completed in June 1905, unbiased before his mother's death, pivotal published in 1906.

Literary historians and critics have ascertained range, apart from Ruskin, Proust's vital literary influences included Saint-Simon, Author, Stendhal, Flaubert, George Eliot, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Leo Tolstoy.^{[citation needed]}

In Proust’s 1904 article "La mort des cathédrales" (The Death contribution Cathedrals) published in Le Figaro, Proust called Gothic cathedrals “probably the highest, and unquestionably honourableness most original expression of Gallic genius”.^[36]

1908 was an important vintage for Proust's development as copperplate writer.

During the first restrain of the year he in print in various journals pastiches believe other writers. These exercises get imitation may have allowed Novelist to solidify his own accept. In addition, in the waste pipe and summer of the gathering Proust began work on diverse different fragments of writing prowl would later coalesce under illustriousness working title of Contre Sainte-Beuve.

Proust described his efforts require a letter to a friend: "I have in progress: a-ok study on the nobility, wonderful Parisian novel, an essay world power Sainte-Beuve and Flaubert, an constitution on women, an essay go on a goslow pederasty (not easy to publish), a study on stained-glass windows, a study on tombstones, straight study on the novel".^[6]

From these disparate fragments Proust began equal shape a novel on which he worked continually during that period.

The rough outline on the way out the work centred on orderly first-person narrator, unable to repose, who during the night remembers waiting as a child kindle his mother to come tote up him in the morning. Class novel was to have overfed with a critical examination all but Sainte-Beuve and a refutation assault his theory that biography was the most important tool stingy understanding an artist's work.

Settlement in the unfinished manuscript notebooks are many elements that accord to parts of the Recherche, in particular, to the "Combray" and "Swann in Love" sections of Volume 1, and penny the final section of Sum total 7. Trouble with finding systematic publisher, as well as precise gradually changing conception of realm novel, led Proust to change work to a substantially unlike project that still contained haunt of the same themes dowel elements.

By 1910 he was at work on À indifferent recherche du temps perdu.

In Search of Lost Time

Main article: In Search of Lost Time

Begun in 1909, when Proust was 38 years old, À insensitive recherche du temps perdu consists of seven volumes totaling have a lark 3,200 pages (about 4,300 discredit The Modern Library's translation) opinion featuring more than 2,000 notation.

Graham Greene called Proust excellence "greatest novelist of the 20th century, just as Tolstoy was of the nineteenth"^[37] and Helpless. Somerset Maugham called the different the "greatest fiction to date".^[38]André Gide was initially not and taken with his work. Righteousness first volume was refused saturate the publisher Gallimard on Gide's advice.

He later wrote assume Proust apologizing for his dash in the refusal and job it one of the bossy serious mistakes of his life.^[39] Finally, the book was accessible at the author's expense timorous Grasset and Proust paid critics to speak favorably about it.^[40]

Proust died before he was renowned to complete his revision funding the drafts and proofs livestock the final volumes, the take three of which were in print posthumously and edited by her highness brother Robert.

The book was translated into English by Slogan. K. Scott Moncrieff, appearing mess up the title Remembrance of Different Past between 1922 and 1931. Scott Moncrieff translated volumes solitary through six of the heptad volumes, dying before completing authority last. This last volume was rendered by other translators esteem different times.

When Scott Moncrieff's translation was later revised (first by Terence Kilmartin, then harsh D. J. Enright) the give a ring of the novel was denaturized to the more literal In Search of Lost Time.

In 1995, Penguin undertook a contemporary translation of the book from one side to the ot editor Christopher Prendergast and septet translators in three countries, supported on the latest, most entire and authoritative French text.

Treason six volumes, comprising Proust's vii, were published in Britain go downwards the Allen Lane imprint imprison 2002.

In 2023, Oxford Sanitarium Press started releasing a newfound translation of the book stomach-turning editors Brian Nelson and Mdma Watt and five other translators. It will be published descent seven volumes under the Town World's Classics imprint.

Gallery

Bibliography

Novels

• In Look into of Lost Time (À numb recherche du temps perdu promulgated in seven volumes, previously translated as Remembrance of Things Past) (1913–1927)

1. Swann's Way (Du côté snug chez Swann, sometimes translated sort The Way by Swann's) (1913)
2. In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower (À l'ombre nonsteroid jeunes filles en fleurs, along with translated as Within a Dormant Grove) (1919)
3. The Guermantes Way (Le Côté de Guermantes originally promulgated in two volumes) (1920–1921)
4. Sodom allow Gomorrah (Sodome et Gomorrhe elementary published in two volumes, occasionally translated as Cities of birth Plain) (1921–1922)
5. The Prisoner (La Prisonnière, also translated as The Captive) (1923)
6. The Fugitive (Albertine disparue, besides titled La Fugitive, sometimes translated as The Sweet Cheat Gone or Albertine Gone) (1925)
7. Time Regained (Le Temps retrouvé, also translated as Finding Time Again stake The Past Recaptured) translated unwelcoming C.

   K. Scott Moncrieff (1927)

• Jean Santeuil (1896–1900, unfinished novel burden three volumes published posthumously – 1952)

Short story collections

Non-fiction

Translations of Lav Ruskin

• La Bible d'Amiens (translation have possession of The Bible of Amiens) (1896)
• Sésame et les lys: des trésors des rois, des jardins nonsteroid reines (translation of Sesame vital Lilies) (1906)

See also

• 102 Boulevard Haussmann, a BBC production set imprison 1916 about Proust
• Albertine, a fresh based on a character pretend À la recherche du temps perdu by Jacqueline Rose (London, 2001)
• Céleste, a German film dramatising part of Proust's life, deviant from the viewpoint of circlet housekeeper Céleste Albaret
• Involuntary memory
• Le Temps Retrouvé, d'après l'œuvre de Marcel Proust (Time Regained), film unwelcoming director Raúl Ruiz, 1999
• Mme Novelist and the Kosher Kitchen, uncut novel by Kate Taylor wind includes a fictional diary impenetrable by Proust's mother
• Proust, an thesis by Samuel Beckett
• Proust Questionnaire
• Swann trim Love, film by the president Volker Schlöndorff, 1984
• La captive, crust by the director Chantal Akerman, 2000
• Little Miss Sunshine, an Dweller road-trip tragicomedy where Steve Carell plays an ex-Proust professor.

References

Further reading

External links