Beschreibung:

PROUST, Marcel. Autograph letter signed ('Marcel') to Lucien Daudet ('Mon cher petit'), n.p. [Paris], n.d. [towards the end of August 1913] , explaining an apparent misunderstanding over his absence from the wedding of Daudet's sister, 'Je voudrais que ma réponse ne vous forçat pas à me récrire, à "dissiper des malentendus". Mais enfin puisque vous me dites "Je pensais vous voir au moment du mariage d'Edmée" comment puis-je ne pas vous dire que je n'ai reçu ni lettre de faire-part, ni annonce ou invitation d'aucune sorte'; assuring him that he is not reproaching him and there is no need to repeat his admiration and affection for him. Many times he almost bothered him over the fabrication of his book, for Lucien alone would know exactly what he wishes to know, 'Car nous avons ceci de spécial, que je suis la seule personne qui ait besoin de connaissances précises, de savoir exactement les choses dont je parle -- et que vous êtes la seule qui les sachiez'; continuing that, being full of self-doubt, he hardly dare suggest sending him the proofs of the first volume and wondering whether he will ever publish the other two; fearing that if Lucien sees the proof he may not read the final and improved version, but nonetheless offering if Lucien will give him a fixed address, to send the proofs, 'que vous pourrez à la rigueur perdre car je les aurai en double, mais que j'aime mieux que vous ne perdriez pas', 12 pages, 8vo . Writing of the proofs of Du Côté de chez Swann , Proust concludes by saying that he is afraid this is a 'roumestanerie' and will be a bore, particularly because the first volume alone if not negligible is still negligible in the context of the whole, which will give it its meaning. He sends greetings to Lucien's mother and other members of his family, and in a postscript describes a recent meeting with [Albert] Flament, the journalist whom he met previously at the Daudets. Lucien Daudet records that being on the point of leaving for Italy with his mother, he begged Proust to send him the proofs at once. On receiving them '[je] passai toute cette journée et une partie de la nuit à lire Swann ( Cahiers , V, 67). Copies had already been sent to the publisher, Grasset, but as the letter explains, Proust expected to make last minute alterations to the text. For publication, Daudet rephrased the opening sentence of the letter, so as to imply that an earlier letter had cleared up their misunderstanding. Kolb, XIII, 253; Cahiers , V (I).