Proust on Art and Literature

What presumption to comment on Proust's brilliant, varying and carefully considered points of view! He is the Einstein of literature, always observing phonemena from specific points of view and then calibrating the exact differences between them. Nothing is fixed and immutable; he allows us to learn his theory of relativity in human relations, art movements, and most spectacularly, in the evolution of literature. He teaches us a certain humility in seeking truth in any field.

I'm going to assume that anyone interested in this book is already very familiar with, or has already read, A la reserche du temps perdu. If you have not, I would highly suggest you start with Proust's novel before moving along to insight on his thinking and/or writing. Truthfully, this book doesn't give away that much information about Proust the man, but contains a great deal on Proust the artist. Many of the essays contained within were published in the journals of the day, especially Le Figaro and La Revue Blanche, and are therefore written in a public style, carefully considered, analysing different topics from a mainly objective stance. In other words, this book documents less his private life and thoughts, which one may find in the many volumes of his correspondences, than his public, artistic life. This is worth mentioning because 'Contre Saint-Beauve' is one giant critique - an inadequate word - of the notion that an artist's biographical life is at all related to his artistic life. 'Contre Saint-Beauve' is an ethos that he developed several years earlier than his novel, though it plays a large part in the novel (and was not published until long after his death). This philosophy is partially explained in the later volumes of 'In Search Of Lost Time' when the narrator ruminates on Vinteuil's genius. Indeed, many of the characters and scenes in Proust's later novel find their early beginnings in a strange series of sketches that pop up throughout this essay. It was probably one of Proust's last stabbings at an academic or literary career, before he began his work on Swann's Way, but it proved to be very fertile ground. Now, it's true that I originally bought this book for 'C S-B' alone, but I was very pleased to find that there were around two dozen other essays included. None of them match the length or depth of Saint-Beauve, but many of them are still very beautiful and incisive ('The Wane of Inspiration' is a particular favorite). Aside from a handful of random Proustian musings, the other essays deal with specific writers like Stendhal, Goethe and Tolstoi, or specific painters like Monet, Chardin and Rembrandt, or other such important figures of the era (even Robert de Montesquieu). In brief, this book is definitely reserved for those who are already very familiar with 'In Search of Lost Time,' for much of the main essay is profoundly related to the novel, and much of the prose seems to be working towards the style he would later adopt. This book reveals very little of his personal life (see his theories in 'C S-B'), and stands independently as art. See Tadie for biography and Alain de Botton for general introductions.

Fascinating read for anyone who enjoyed "A la recherche du temps perdu" and wants to delve deeper into Proust's work. The opening chapters of "Contre Sainte-Beuve" read like a dry run for "Du cote de chez Swann": many of the same subjects are explored but without the familiar narrator's voice from the novel. I'm not an expert on the accuracy of the translation but the English reads well while being recognizably Proustian. Recommended.

The essays that are translated here are well known by Proustian scholars, but when they were translated in this edition they were new for the American readers. A good translation of a eternal text