| Madame Proust: A Biography Contributor(s): Bloch-Dano, Evelyne (Author), Kaplan, Alice (Translator) |
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ISBN: 0226056422 ISBN-13: 9780226056425 Publisher: University of Chicago Press OUR PRICE: $27.23 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: October 2007 Annotation: Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" opens with one of the most famous scenes in literature, as young Marcel, unable to fall asleep, waits anxiously for his mother to come to his bedroom and kiss him good night. Proust's own mother is central to the meaning of his masterpiece, and she has always held a special role in literary history, both as a character and as a decisive influence on the great writer's career. Without knowing much about her, we think of her as the quintessential writer's mother. Now Evelyne Bloch-Dano's touching biography acquaints Proust fans with the real Jeanne Weil Proust. Written with the imaginative force of a novel, but firmly grounded in Jeanne and Marcel Proust's writings, "Madame Proust "skillfully captures the life and times of Proust's mother, from her German-Jewish background and her marriage to a Catholic grocer's son to her lifelong worries about her son's sexuality, health problems, and talent. As well as offering intimate glimpses of the Prousts' daily life, "Madame Proust "also uses the family as a way to explore the larger culture of fin-de-siecle France, including high society, spa culture, Jewish assimilation, and the Dreyfus affair. Throughout, Bloch-Dano offers sensitive readings of Proust's work, drawing out the countless interconnections between his mother, his life, and his magnum opus. Those coming to "In Search of Lost Time" for the first time will find in "Madame Proust "a delightful primer on Marcel Proust's life and times. For those already steeped in the pleasures of Proust, this gem of a biography will give them a fresh understanding of the rich, fascinating background of the writer and his art. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures - Literary Criticism | European - French |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2006101401 |
| Physical Information: 1.05" H x 6.3" W x 9.14" (1.33 lbs) 272 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - French |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time opens with one of the most famous scenes in literature, as young Marcel, unable to fall asleep, waits anxiously for his mother to come to his bedroom and kiss him good night. Proust's own mother is central to the meaning of his masterpiece, and she has always held a special role in literary history, both as a character and as a decisive influence on the great writer's career. Without knowing much about her, we think of her as the quintessential writer's mother. Now Evelyne Bloch-Dano's touching biography acquaints Proust fans with the real Jeanne Weil Proust. Written with the imaginative force of a novel, but firmly grounded in Jeanne and Marcel Proust's writings, Madame Proust skillfully captures the life and times of Proust's mother, from her German-Jewish background and her marriage to a Catholic grocer's son to her lifelong worries about her son's sexuality, health problems, and talent. As well as offering intimate glimpses of the Prousts' daily life, Madame Proust also uses the family as a way to explore the larger culture of fin-de-si cle France, including high society, spa culture, Jewish assimilation, and the Dreyfus affair. Throughout, Bloch-Dano offers sensitive readings of Proust's work, drawing out the countless interconnections between his mother, his life, and his magnum opus. Those coming to In Search of Lost Time for the first time will find in Madame Proust a delightful primer on Marcel Proust's life and times. For those already steeped in the pleasures of Proust, this gem of a biography will give them a fresh understanding of the rich, fascinating background of the writer and his art. |
Contributor Bio(s): Kaplan, Alice: - Alice Kaplan is the author of French Lessons: A Memoir, The Collaborator, The Interpreter, and Dreaming in French: The Paris Years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis, and the translator of OK, Joe, The Difficulty of Being a Dog, A Box of Photographs, and Palace of Books. Her books have been twice finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards, once for the National Book Award, and she is a winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She holds the John M. Musser chair in French literature at Yale. She lives in Guilford, Connecticut.Bloch-Dano, Evelyne: - Evelyne Bloch-Dano is the author of many books, including Madame Proust: A Biography, which is also published by the University of Chicago Press. |