Swann in Love

Description

When Charles Swann first lays eyes on Odette de Crecy, her beauty leaves him indifferent. Their paths continue to cross in the drawing rooms and theatres of Parisian high society, and the seeds of desire in Swann begin to flourish. What follows is a journey through self-delusion, jealousy and delirious fantasy, which will take Swann far from the sedate comfort of his society life. A standalone novella from Proust's monumental masterpiece, Swann in Love is a sublimely witty and poignant story of the illusions of love and desire. Full of the rich social satire and penetrating insight that distinguish Proust's style, it is the perfect introduction to one of the world's great novelists.

Marcel Proust was born in Auteuil in 1871. As a young man he became an eminent society figure, frequenting Paris's most exclusive salons. Following the death of his mother, Proust's already poor health began to deteriorate further, and he increasingly withdrew from society. He started writing In Search of Lost Time in 1908 and worked on its seven volumes until his death in 1922, spending the final three years of his life largely confined to a cork-lined bedroom.

'Surely the greatest novelist of the 20th century' - Sunday Telegraph 'One of the miracles of European literature' - Guardian