Critics rightfully consider Marcel Proust one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century. Most admirers of Proust's talent are familiar with only one of his novels - In Search of Lost Time. But this work alone would have been enough for the name of the French writer to be forever inscribed in the history of world literature.
From the biography of Marcel Proust
One of the most famous classics of world literature was born on July 10, 1871 in the suburbs of Paris. The father of the future writer was a doctor and taught at the medical faculty. He went to great lengths to create a cure for cholera. Marcel's mother came from a stockbroker family.
Until the age of nine, Proust's childhood was cloudless. He knew no need or hardship. The parents loved their son and tried to give the boy a good upbringing. But soon Marcel felt unwell. He quickly began to develop asthma, which subsequently haunted him all his life.
At the age of eleven, Marseille was assigned to study at the Lyceum Condorcet. Here he became friends with Jacques Bizet and joined the environment of art salons. Involvement in the work of creative teams affected the formation of Proust's personality.
After graduating from the Lyceum, Marseille becomes a student at the Sorbonne, where he studied at the Faculty of Law. However, Proust never completed his studies. He remembered all the time about the salon life that attracted him. Life there, as it seemed to the future writer, flowed much stronger and was brighter than within the walls of the university.
In 1889, Marseille spent about a year in the army. At the end of the army stage of his life, Proust decides to found, together with his friends, his own magazine, called "The Feast".
Information about Proust's personal life is full of contradictions. It is believed that the French writer had a penchant for homosexuality and even at one time participated in the maintenance of a brothel for people of non-traditional sexual orientation.
Marcel Proust: the path to literature
As a writer, Proust first tried his hand in 1894. But his first literary experiments went unnoticed for a wide range of readers. For about four years, Proust worked on his first novel, Jean Santeuil. But the book was never finished.
Regardless of failures, Marseille continues his literary experiments. Soon he presents to the public the first collection of short stories, calling it "Joy and Days". Proust's work was greeted with hostility. The work of the young author was not very flattering.
Proust could not be called an amateur and master of political intrigue. However, it is known that the writer, along with other celebrities, took part in the so-called "Dreyfus Affair".
In 1903, Marcel's father passed away, and two years later his mother died. Proust withdraws into himself and actually leads the life of a recluse. Personal experiences were added to the physical suffering that asthma that overwhelmed Proust caused. During this period, Marseille successfully translated foreign literature.
Great recluse
During his seclusion, Proust set about writing his most famous work. This masterpiece was named “In Search of Lost Time”. The first version of the book was completed by 1911. It had three parts. The work was published under the title "Interruptions of the Senses". The writer had difficulty finding a publisher for his essay. Ultimately, Bernard Grasse took over the publication of the book. But he put forward a condition: the book must be shortened.
A year later, Proust publishes Towards Swann. This work, which became one of the books of the above cycle, did not escape criticism. The writer was not criticized for the indigestible style.
In 1919, Marcel Proust received the prestigious Goncourt Prize for the next part of the cycle, called "Under the canopy of girls in bloom." This book was considered one of the finest works of its time.
In 1922, the writer fell ill with bronchitis, which turned into pneumonia. Proust's body could not cope with a serious illness. The famous French writer passed away on November 18, 1922.
