Marcel PROUST and the publication of “On the side of Swann”.

Marcel Proust (1871.1922)

Autograph letter signed to Baroness Aimery Harty of Pierrebourg.

Seven pages in-8°. Slnd [shortly before July 10, 1913]

Kolb, Volume XII, pages 225 to 228.

“The general title of my two volumes is: In Search of Lost Time. The first volume is called “On the Swann Side” Everyone finds this title horrible. But I'm too tired to change. »

Exceptional and long autograph letter signed, addressed by Marcel Proust to his friend Baroness Aimery Harty of Pierrebourg, writer under the pen name of Claude Ferval.

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In the sprawling correspondence of Marcel Proust, the play of worldliness occupies a preponderant place; truly literary and more intimate letters are all the more desirable.

Mother-in-law of Georges de Lauris, one of Marcel Proust's comrades whom he met in 1903 and who was a valued advisor for the writing of what would become Contre Sainte-Beuve, Marguerite de Pierrebourg (1856-1943) was initially a painter before turning to writing. Her first novel was distinguished by the French Academy and from 1912 she became president of the Prize for the Happy Life (future Fémina Prize), thus occupying an important place in Parisian literary life. Marcel Proust frequented her salon and consulted her on literary questions.

She was notably one of the witnesses to the difficult gestation of the first volume of In Search of Lost Time. Refused by Fasquelle, the Nouvelle Revue française then Ollendorff – despite the friendly recommendations of friends, first and foremost Louis de Robert – this first volume was confusing by its subject and worrying by its volume. Proust finally agreed to split it into several volumes, forcing him to rewrite certain chapters. The title was also the subject of criticism from the author's friends, in particular from the first of his correctors and promoters, Louis de Robert, who found the phrase On the side of Swann "inconceivable because it is so ordinary".

It is in this difficult context – both exhausted and almost fatalistic – that Proust addresses his friend, first congratulating her on a recent biography then noting the importance of his correspondent's childhood memories, a way of “time regained”: “  I did not imagine that Catholicism had played such a big role in your childhood, I did not know that you were so attached to the memory of processions (I say this with sympathy because I am exactly such). Don't you know about Louise de la Vallière the Carmelite by Reynaldo Hahn? Mendès' libretto was weak, but the music was both of the times and always. »

Then, emphasizing the importance of the role of advisor to his correspondent (" were not you, I believe the only person, from whom I once asked advice for an edition of my pastiches. And the ill will of the publishers prevented me from execute it ."), he addresses with humor the difficulties encountered for the publication of the first volume of the Research :

“ For the book that I am finishing I would like to have your advice […] . I had to, my book having nearly 1,500 pages (and pages without a blank, with an enormous number of lines), put it into two volumes under different titles, like people who have a tapestry too big for their apartment and are forced to cut it in two. But now that I have corrected the proofs of the first volume which has approximately 680 to 700 pages, I am told that no one will ever read a book of this length . »

He claims not to be concerned with success but with being read, admitting that he is ready to accept other modifications if this proves necessary:

« No consideration of success could (and I proved it by my struggle with my publishers) make me decide to modify the division of this work (already different from what I wanted). But if it's not about success, but about being read. If my work really must remain unknown, then I would perhaps resolve to produce either a first volume of 500 pages, or three small volumes of 200 which would be sold at the same time, in a sort of case. If you see an opinion to give me on this without getting tired of answering me, tell Georges, who never writes to me again, what you think about it and he also tells me what he thinks about it (the book will lose moreover a lot to this division but finally if we must not read it in the first case, it is still better that it is then recomposed in the memory of the readers).  »

Discretion with Grasset, the publisher of the volume (on behalf of the author), is requested from his correspondent then he makes this admission, moving in that he confesses to fatigue and even despondency: “ The general title of my two volumes is: In Search of Lost Time. The first volume is called “On the Swann Side” Everyone finds this title horrible. But I'm too tired to change. »

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Full text :

“Madame, I cannot tell you the grateful emotion that your letter caused me. I am so ill at the moment that I am deferring from speaking to you at greater length about this touching figure that you have preserved and saved; what a moving thing art is since its last judgment can thus resuscitate the one who waited under its slab (“Hinc Surrectura”, says the tomb), and since in its mysterious chemistry it knows how to make one appear at the same time through the the other the soul of the model and the soul of the painter, of the two Friends who crossed the distance of centuries to meet each other. Who will say which one took the first steps, the facilitator in search of a deserving and disdained dead woman into whom to transfuse her life, or the soul in need of a new incarnation who came to solicit her, obsess her dream and attempt her brush.

I did not imagine that Catholicism had played such a big role in your childhood, I did not know you were so attached to the memory of processions (I say this with sympathy because I am exactly such). Don't you know about Louise de la Vallière the Carmelite by Reynaldo Hahn? Mendès' libretto was weak, but the music was both of the times and always. You see that I am talking to you about your book in spite of myself. I just wanted to tell you that if you really care a little about what I think, which makes me very proud, I assure you that nothing is more reciprocal. Besides , were you not, I believe, the only person from whom I once asked advice for an edition of my pastiches. And the publishers' ill will prevented me from carrying it out.

For the book that I am finishing, I would really like to have your advice and you should tell Georges to write it to me, adding his own. I had to, my book having nearly 1,500 pages (and pages without a blank, with an enormous number of lines), put it into two volumes under different titles, like people who have a tapestry too big for their apartment and are forced to cut it in two. But now that I have corrected the proofs of the first volume which has approximately 680 to 700 pages, I am told that no one will ever read a book of this length .

No consideration of success could (and I proved it by my struggle with my publishers) make me decide to modify the division of this work (already different from what I wanted). But if it is not a question of success, but of being read, if my work really must remain unknown , then I will perhaps resolve to produce either a first volume of 500 pages, or three small volumes of 200 that we would sell both, in a sort of case. If you see an opinion to give me on this without getting tired of answering me, tell Georges, who never writes to me again, what you think about it and he also tells me what he thinks about it (the book will lose moreover a lot to this division but finally if we must not read it in the first case, it is still better that it is then recomposed in the memory of the readers).

But Georges, who knows my publisher (Grasset), should not speak to him about this hesitation, because I have not submitted it to him and will only speak to him about it if I decide, which will be very hard for me.  The general title of my two volumes is: In Search of Lost Time. The first volume is called “On the Swann Side” Everyone finds this title horrible. But I'm too tired to change.

I'm glad George didn't see me. I lost so much weight that he wouldn't recognize me. Farewell Madam and thank you again for giving me encouragement that I perhaps took too literally by allowing me to write you these last pages and please accept my respectful and admiring tributes. Marcel Proust. »