Beschreibung:

PROUST, Marcel. Autograph letter signed ('Votre Marcel') to Lucien Daudet, n.p. [Paris], n.d. [early September 1913] , acknowledging with great warmth Lucien's kindness in immediately reading the proofs and writing to him about his book, 'Et peut-être n'en a-t-elle jamais eu de plus grand, de plus prodigieux que cette lecture et cette lettre immédiate ... Dire que dans l'amour, quand on aime et qu'on n'est pas aimé (c'est la forme sous laquelle je connais habituellement ce sentiment) on fait mille calculs pour se persuader que la femme (ou l'homme!) n'ont pas pu naturellement vous écrire encore, quelque désir qu'ils en aient. Et que quand quelqu'un veut faire quelque'chose de sublimement gentil, il peut par retour du courrier vous écrire dix pages qui en condensent, en exaltent, en magnifient, en stylisent, en approfondissent cinq cents'; explaining that he plans to alter the last pages of the book, and declaring that he would be proud if Madame Daudet wished to read a few pages, and discussing at length Lucien's comments on various points in the text, welcoming with pleasure ('une joie profonde ou plutôt beaucoup de joies diverses') Lucien's proposal to write a review of the novel, also writing of the rejection of a piece by various newspapers and journals and of problems with reviewers, and thanking Lucien again, 20 pages, 8vo . In this long letter, Proust reveals important aspects of the scheme of his novel, the first volume of which was now in its final form. Taking up Daudet's comments on certain points, he justifies his descriptions of flowers in the text. 'Pour des fleurs j'ai, je vous assure, beaucoup de scrupules ... Mais ayant trouvé dans la Flore de Bonnier que les eglantines ne fleurissaient que plus tard, j'ai corrigé et j'ai mis dans le livre "qu'on pourrait voir quelques semaines plus tard etc" ', and discusses further the precise details he needs on the flowering seasons of certain flowers, asking Lucien also about the American oak. Replying to his observation that the book has a peculiar social significance and reverberations ('j'accepte ce double compliment'), he explains that the significance of almost everything he has read so far will only be apparent later on, including the discussion of place-names. Moreover, characters will be seen in different lights at different times ('Ainsi j'ai trouvé plus frappant de montrer d'abord Vinteuil vieille bête sans laisser soupçonner qu'il a du génie, et dans le deuxième chapître de parler de son sublime sonate'). Anticipating the marriage of Mlle Swann to Saint-Loup, whom Lucien will meet in the second volume, he confesses 'Je vous dis tout célà, mon cher petit, pour vous donner ma plus intime confidence, vous dévoiler d'avance tous mes pauvres petits secrets'. Turning next to Daudet's proposed review and musing on where it might be placed, he mentions that if Calmette were agreeable, since the book is dedicated to him, Le Figaro [of which Calmette was editor] would be the most natural place. A reference in the last paragraph of the letter to his ill-health and overwhelming unhappiness appears to refer to his increasing jealousy of Alfred Agostinelli ( Selected Letters , III, 204). For publication of the letter Lucien Daudet suppressed the words in parenthesis '(ou l'homme)' in the passage on love quoted above. Kolb, XII, 256; Cahiers , V (II).