As a gay man, Proust had a habit of falling in love with straight guys.
Albertine, the woman Proust obsess about in his novel In Search for Lost Time was based on his secretary… Alfred Agostinelli whom he showed with gifts
When Mr. Agostinelli expressed an interest in flying, Proust bought him a plane. Agostinelli died flying it.
In Search for Lost Time was turned down by all the publishers he submitted it to, Proust finally self-published the book.
One of Paris’ biggest publishers, Andre Gide, said that turning In Search for Lost Time down was the worst mistake he ever made.
Adrian Proust, the author’s father and a noted doctor, was the first to write a book about his sickly son. Dr. Proust specialized in sicknesses which have no physical cause and couldn’t understand why his asthmatic son was always sick, despite smoking cigarettes to control his attacks.
Marcel Proust never had a job.
When getting a job at the Mazarin Library, Proust took leave of absence before starting his first day and never returned.
Proust loved to give extravagant presents and died in poverty, despite inheriting much money from his parents.
Proust wrote The End to the last book of In Search for Lost Time on November 18, 1922. He died the same day.
Zohar – Man of la Book
Man of la Book
A father, husband, avid reader, blogger, software engineer & wood worker who is known the world over as a man of many interests and to his wife as “an idiot”.
