CHRONOLOGY

1871

Born, on July 10th, at Auteuil in the Paris suburbs, at the home of his uncle, is Marcel Valentin Louis Eugène Georges Proust, son of Adrien Proust, a distinguished professor of medicine, and Jeanne-Clémence Weil. The father is Catholic, the mother Jewish.


1872 The Proust family takes up residence in the fashionable boulevard Malesherbes (Paris 8^e).


1878-86 The family takes holidays at Illiers (now Illiers-Combray) in the département of Eure-et-Loir.


1882-89 Marcel attends the Lycée Fontanes (renamed Lycée Condorcet in 1883); is often in poor health.


1888 Studies under philosophy teacher, Alphonse Darlu.


1889-90 Performs military service at Orléans.


1890-95 Studies law and political science; receives licence en droit and
license ès letters (1895).


1891 Co-founds a short-lived literary journal, Le Banquet; actively contributes to this and other journals.


1894 Dreyfus affair begins.


1895 Begins a novel, Jean Santeuil (unfinished).


1896 Publishes Les Plaisirs et les jours, a collection of stories, essays and miscellaneous pieces.


1897 Becomes increasingly enthusiastic about the work of English writer John Ruskin.


1898 Emil Zola publishes "J’accuse".


1900 Ruskin dies. Proust begins translating and annotating selected works of Ruskin; takes two trips to Venice. moves, with his family, to rue de Courcelles.


1902 Travels to Belgium and Holland; views Vermeer’s View of Delft.


1903 Proust’s father dies.


1904 Translates Ruskin's La Bible d’Amiens.


1905 Proust’s mother dies; extended, deep mourning.


1906 Moves to 102, boulevard Haussmann; tramslates Ruskin's Sésame et les lys.

1907-14 Summers at Cabourg, on the Normandy coast.


1908 Writes and has published pastiches of other authors; begins what comes to be known known as Contre Sainte-Beuve.


1909 Contre Sainte-Beuve , originally conceived as an essay, transforms into a novel.

1910 Attends the Ballets russes; has his bedroom lined with cork.


1911 Titles the novel he is working on, Les Intermittences du cœur. manuscript exceeeds 700 typewritten pages.


1912 Is unsuccessful in finding a publisher for Du côté de chez Swann.


1913 Du côté de chez Swann is published by Grasset, largely at Proust’s own expense; the general title of the novel is changed to A la recherché du temps perdu.


1914 A version of the second volume of A la recherché du temps perdu. is being set up in proof when the outbreak of war stops the printing presses.


1914-18 Proust vastly expands the novel, notably with respect to the character Albertine.


1915 Publication rights to A la recherché du temps perdu are transferred from Grasset to Gallimard.


1918 A l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs is published


1919 Proust is awarded the Prix Goncourt, France’s highest literary prize, for L'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs; moves from 102, boulevard Haussmann, first to the rue Laurent-Pichat, then to what will be his final residence, 44, rue Hain.


1920 Proust is named Chevalier de la légion d’honneur.   Le Côté de Guermanets I is published.


1921 Extracts from A la recherché du temps perdu are published in La Nouvelle Revue francoise and other journals.. Proust visits a Paris exhibition of Dutch paintings, including View of Delft. Le Côté de Guermanets II – Sodome et Gomorrhe I is published.


1922 Sodome et Gommerhe II is published. Proust develops bronchitis, then pneumonia. he dies on November 18th; is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery on November 22nd..


1923 Sodome et Gomorrhe III – La Prisonnière. is published.


1924 Albertine disparue is published.


1927 Le Temps retrouvé is published.


1952 Jean Santeuil is published.


1954 A version of Contre Sainte-Beuve is published.

1871	Born, on July 10th, at Auteuil in the Paris suburbs, at the home of his uncle, is Marcel Valentin Louis Eugène Georges Proust, son of Adrien Proust, a distinguished professor of medicine, and Jeanne-Clémence Weil. The father is Catholic, the mother Jewish.
1872	The Proust family takes up residence in the fashionable boulevard Malesherbes (Paris 8^e).
1878-86	The family takes holidays at Illiers (now Illiers-Combray) in the département of Eure-et-Loir.
1882-89	Marcel attends the Lycée Fontanes (renamed Lycée Condorcet in 1883); is often in poor health.
1888	Studies under philosophy teacher, Alphonse Darlu.
1889-90	Performs military service at Orléans.
1890-95	Studies law and political science; receives licence en droit and license ès letters (1895).
1891	Co-founds a short-lived literary journal, Le Banquet; actively contributes to this and other journals.
1894	Dreyfus affair begins.
1895	Begins a novel, Jean Santeuil (unfinished).
1896	Publishes Les Plaisirs et les jours, a collection of stories, essays and miscellaneous pieces.
1897	Becomes increasingly enthusiastic about the work of English writer John Ruskin.
1898	Emil Zola publishes "J’accuse".
1900	Ruskin dies. Proust begins translating and annotating selected works of Ruskin; takes two trips to Venice. moves, with his family, to rue de Courcelles.
1902	Travels to Belgium and Holland; views Vermeer’s View of Delft.
1903	Proust’s father dies.
1904	Translates Ruskin's La Bible d’Amiens.
1905	Proust’s mother dies; extended, deep mourning.
1906	Moves to 102, boulevard Haussmann; tramslates Ruskin's Sésame et les lys.
1907-14	Summers at Cabourg, on the Normandy coast.
1908	Writes and has published pastiches of other authors; begins what comes to be known known as Contre Sainte-Beuve.
1909	Contre Sainte-Beuve , originally conceived as an essay, transforms into a novel.
1910	Attends the Ballets russes; has his bedroom lined with cork.
1911	Titles the novel he is working on, Les Intermittences du cœur. manuscript exceeeds 700 typewritten pages.
1912	Is unsuccessful in finding a publisher for Du côté de chez Swann.
1913	Du côté de chez Swann is published by Grasset, largely at Proust’s own expense; the general title of the novel is changed to A la recherché du temps perdu.
1914	A version of the second volume of A la recherché du temps perdu. is being set up in proof when the outbreak of war stops the printing presses.
1914-18	Proust vastly expands the novel, notably with respect to the character Albertine.
1915	Publication rights to A la recherché du temps perdu are transferred from Grasset to Gallimard.
1918	A l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs is published
1919	Proust is awarded the Prix Goncourt, France’s highest literary prize, for L'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs; moves from 102, boulevard Haussmann, first to the rue Laurent-Pichat, then to what will be his final residence, 44, rue Hain.
1920	Proust is named Chevalier de la légion d’honneur. Le Côté de Guermanets I is published.
1921	Extracts from A la recherché du temps perdu are published in La Nouvelle Revue francoise and other journals.. Proust visits a Paris exhibition of Dutch paintings, including View of Delft. Le Côté de Guermanets II – Sodome et Gomorrhe I is published.
1922	Sodome et Gommerhe II is published. Proust develops bronchitis, then pneumonia. he dies on November 18th; is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery on November 22nd..
1923	Sodome et Gomorrhe III – La Prisonnière. is published.
1924	Albertine disparue is published.
1927	Le Temps retrouvé is published.
1952	Jean Santeuil is published.
1954	A version of Contre Sainte-Beuve is published.