A la recherche du temps perdu

November 18 marks the 100^th anniversary of the death of Marcel Proust, French novelist, essayist and critic.

Born in 1871 in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, Proust was a sickly child who grappled with illnesses which beset him from the age of nine until the end of his life. Despite having his education disrupted due to his physical infirmity, young Marcel showed great interest and talent in literature.

Proust’s involvement with the literary and artistic scene in Paris slowed after the turn of the 20th century. After his parents passed away and his brother married, Proust’s health worsened and he became increasingly reclusive. He began to devote all of his literary prowess toward his magnum opus, A La Recherche du Temps Perdu. He was best known for this 3200 page masterpiece, the longest novel in human history, semi-autobiographical and written in a stream of consciousness style.