In Search of Lost Time - The Complete Seven-Book Series (eBook)

Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust, born on July 10, 1871, in Auteuil, France, is best known for his monumental work, 'In Search of Lost Time' - originally titled 'À la recherche du temps perdu.' This magnum opus is a seven-volume series written in French and is often hailed as one of the paramount achievements in modernist literature. Proust's narrative weaves through the themes of memory, time, and discovery, capturing the essence of the late 19th and early 20th century aristocratic French society through the eyes of the narrator. The expansive work delves into involuntary memory, exemplified in the famed 'madeleine episode' where a simple act of tasting a madeleine dipped in tea evokes profound recollections of the past. Proust's meticulous description and psychological insight contribute to his unique literary style, marked by long, intricate sentences and detailed, emotive analogies. His prose flows with a stream-of-consciousness technique that was revolutionary in its time. Proust's health was fragile due to asthma, which shaped his reclusive lifestyle and fed into his contemplative literary pursuits. Despite the challenges, he dedicated his life to the arts, influencing literature with his deep exploration of time and memory's subjective nature. Proust passed away on November 18, 1922, before the publication of the final volumes of his series, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate with and inspire readers and writers alike.