Marcel Proust In pictures and documents

Edited by Proust's great-grand-niece, the keeper of his estate, this homage to the life and work of the literary giant is a handsome treasury of family photographs, manuscripts, letters, notes, and other documents from family collections and national archives, many previously unpublished, with transcriptions provided in English. Reproduced here, for example, is the questionnaire the author answered at age 13, which was evidently a harbinger of his future aspirations: "Where would you like to live? In the land of the ideal, or rather my ideal." Along with more recent photographs, select excerpts, and biographical text by Naturel (Proust and the Literary Act: Receiving and Creating), the book explores, if reductively, the people and settings fictionalized in Remembrance of Things Past (or In Search of Lost Time), and other writings. For example, pictured here is the venerable 15th-century church of Saint-Jacques, which became the beloved Saint-Hilaire in Search. Proust still has a mystifying presence in these glossy photographs, from the emaciated student among his more sturdy classmates, to, conversely, the spirited dandy suavely posing for photographer Otto. Arriving on the heels of the centennial of Swann's Way, this is an accessible volume of memorable pictures, words, and other odds and ends. 350 photos and illus. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this handsome volume, Marcel Proust's great-grand-niece and "keeper of his estate," and Naturel (secretary, Society of Friends of Marcel Proust; Proust and Flaubert) have created an enchanting, informative, and beautiful book in which both the elusive author and the resounding themes of his body of work come alive. Rare, illuminating documents from Proust's life are paired with vivid photographs of the author and his family and friends. The items became available when Mante-Proust inherited them; many are now on view at the Marcel Proust Museum in Illiers-Combray, France. Naturel's insightful text is paired with relevant excerpts from Proust's writings. She uncovers many of the inspirations for Proust's characters and paints an in-depth portrait of his family members and personal excursions. VERDICT Avid re-readers of the never-ending novel will find that this detailed book is perhaps best savored while munching a madeleine over tea.-Lara Jacobs, Brooklyn, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.