French novelist, literary critic, and essayist, Marcel Proust (1871–1922) was one of the most prominent authors of the twentieth century. This innovative edition features excerpts from In Search of Lost Time in their original French with the English translation en face.

Whereas many introductory guides to Proust’s novel attempt to follow the development of the narrative, this guide focuses on Proust’s approach to writing as an art, as well as the telling of changes brought by personal experiences as well as new inventions and historical events. Huge in volume, in its range of topics, in its many characters, and seemingly without a central plot, In Search of Lost Time requires steadfast attention and a discerning understanding not only of time, people and place, but also of the expressivity in language. This guidebook entices readers to either start or renew their interest in Proust by presenting short excerpts from A la recherche du temps perdu (1913-1927) gathered around ten topics: Proust’s Project; Literature and Writing; Memory and Time; Art; Love and Jealousy; Sodom and Gomorrah; High Society; Objects; The Dreyfus Affair; and World War I. By including bitesize extracts, this shorter edition allows readers time to focus attention on specific issues dealing with Proust’s project, allowing readers to discover Proust or discover Proust anew and removing some of the ambiguity from this notoriously complex author.

This accessible shortened edition of A la recherche du temps perdu is an invaluable text for students of French or comparative literature, as well as courses on translation and on literature and culture.