~MARCEL PROUST~
Ephemera Site
This is an informal site dedicated to publishing English translations of Marcel Proust's lesser known writings. Pieces and letters which, as far as I am aware, are not available in translation elsewhere. I am fully aware of my own limitations as a translator and these are certain to contain many errors, inaccuracies and misunderstandings. Please mail me with any constructive criticisms, corrections or improvements.
I have tried to approach my translations in a similar spirit to Proust's during his period of Ruskin translation. One of Marcel Proust's friends (Georges de Lauris) once commented that he "would have been hard put to it even to order a lamb chop in a restaurant in English". That pretty much sums up my fluency in French, but armed with a few dictionaries, a French grammar and a boundless love and respect for Proust's writing I offer up my clumsy tribute to the great man.
Since I first created these web pages volume 4 of Selected Letters has now been published. A small number of the letters here have now been included in Joanna Kilmartin's excellent translations, but the vast majority of the material below still remains untranslated elsewhere. Likewise Neugroschel's Short Stories. I will continue to add to these pages in the same spirit: this is a labour of love not of scholarship.
Proust's Articles
An attempt to list all of Proust's
articles and miscellaneous writings.
Les Nuages A juvenile
essay, probably dating from the school year 1885-1886, when
Proust was studying at his parents', unable to attend the Lycée
Condorcet due to ill health. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Causerie d'art dramatique Thoughts
on Horace and Corneille from the school review Le Lundi. From
Écrits de jeunesse, Institut Marcel Proust
International, 1991.
Causerie litteraire Thoughts
on Théophile Gautier from the school review Le Lundi. From
Écrits de jeunesse, Institut Marcel Proust
International, 1991. 
Pederastie Schoolboy verse. From Écrits de
jeunesse, Institut Marcel Proust International, 1991.
La Revue verte Motion written by Proust as the
secretary of La Revue verte, c.October 1888. From Essais
et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
La Revue lilas Piece
written by Proust for La Revue lilas c.1888 when Proust
was seventeen. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Glaukos A
youthful piece of homoeroticism. From Écrits de jeunesse,
Institut Marcel Proust International, 1991.
Impressions de théâtre Theatre review written by Proust for La
Revue lilas c.November 1888. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Sonnet en pensant à
Daniel Halévy
Schoolboy verse. From Écrits de jeunesse, Institut
Marcel Proust International, 1991.
Pâles, ainsi qu'on voit... A
youthful poem. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Poem about chrysanthemums A poem dedicated to Robert de Billy.
From the Kolb-Proust archive.
Gallerie Georges Petit Review of
the International Exhibition of Painting under the pseudonym De
Brabant. From Proust, Écrits sur l'art, GF Flammarion
1999.
La Mode Fashion
article under the pseudonym Étoile filante (Shooting Star). From
Proust, Écrits sur l'art, GF Flammarion 1999.
Pendant le Carême One of
Proust's earliest published articles, about the music hall singer
Yvette Guilbert. From Écrits de jeunesse, Institut
Marcel Proust International, 1991.
Un Conte de Noël
Article about a story by Louis
Ganderax published in Le Banquet, March 1892 and
reprinted in Chroniques (Libraire Gallimard, 1927).
L'Irréligion d'État Article first published in Le Banquet,
May 1892. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Tel qu'en songe Article about Henri de Régnier's poetry
published in Le Banquet, November 1892 and reprinted in Chroniques
(Libraire Gallimard, 1927).
Portrait de Mme *** Published
in Le Banquet, November 1892.
La Conférence parlementaire de la rue Serpente Published
in Le Banquet, February 1893. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Le Nez de Cléopâtre Review of
a novel, (Cleopatra's Nose) by Henri de Saussine. From Essais
et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Allégorie A piece
not published in Les Plaisirs et les Jours. Cahiers Marcel
Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Tuileries, Pensées,
L'Amité, Portraits Piece
from the period of Les Plaisirs et les Jours. Cahiers Marcel
Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Conversation
Piece from the period of Les
Plaisirs et les Jours. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés,
Gallimard, 1971.
À Madame Lemaire Poem
written by Proust in 1894. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Mensonges
Poem written by Proust in 1894,
set to music by Léon Delafosse. Includes an additional extended
version. With thanks to Pamela Ann Mellor who translated this.
A Matinée at
Montesquiou's Publicity
notice for a matinée to be held by Montesquiou. From
Kolb-Proust.
Montesquiou's Salon An account of a party held by Montesquiou. From
Kolb-Proust.
Dedication to Willie Heath Proust's
foreword to Les Plaisirs et les Jours which was not
included in Louise Varese's translation Pleasures and Regrets.
Portraits of Painters, portraits of Musicians These
poems were included in Les Plaisirs et les Jours but not
included in Louise Varese's translation Pleasures and Regrets.
With thanks to Pamela Ann Mellor who translated this.
Figures Parisiennes: Camille Saint-Saëns
Article first appeared in Le
Gaulois 14 December 1895. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Une fête litteraire à Versailles An early
society piece describing a literary event staged by Robert de
Montesquiou, under the pseudonym 'Tout-Paris'. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Preface to L'Indifferent
By Philip Kolb, NRF, Gallimard
1978.
L'Indifferent A short story pre-dating Les
Plaisirs et les Jours, first published in La Vie
Contemporaine March 1896. Rediscovered by Philip Kolb after
being forgotten for 80 years and published by NRF, Gallimard
1978.
Dans le monde An
unsigned society piece about Mme Lemaire's soirée. Cahiers
Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Lilas et aubépines From the
manuscript of Jean Santeuil. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes
retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Voici la semaine... A
manuscript of unknown date, not published in Proust's lifetime.
From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Silhouette d'artiste
Article appeared in the Revue
d'Art dramatique, January 1897 and reprinted in Chroniques
(Libraire Gallimard, 1927).
La Petite phrase From the
manuscript of Jean Santeuil. Cahiers Marcel Proust
3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Un duel
From the manuscript of Jean
Santeuil. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés,
Gallimard, 1971.
Robert de Flers Unsigned
article printed 1898 about one of Proust's great friends. From Essais
et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Lettres de Perse et
d'ailleurs This was a
collaboration between Proust and Robert de Flers on an epistolary
romance published in La Presse September to October
1899. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Dialogue
Possibly a continuation of Lettres de Perse, written
1899/1900 but not published in Proust's lifetime. From Essais
et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Le Salon de la comtesse Aimery de La
Rochefoucauld An early
society piece. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
John Ruskin Obituary of John Ruskin. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Pays des
aromates Review of Robert de Montesquiou's book.
From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
John Ruskin, His
Life and his Work Review of John Ruskin, sein Leben und sein
Wirken, by Marie von Bunsen, 1903. From Essais et Articles, Gallimard
1971.
Somnolence An unused
sketch about sleeping on atrain journey. Cahiers Marcel
Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Le Salon de Mme Lemaire
One of Proust's Salon articles for
Le Figaro under the pseudonym Dominique.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddall Article
about the Pre-Raphaelite painters. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Une
Miniaturiste du Second Empire: Mme Herbelin Article
about Mme Herbelin, the miniaturist artist. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Le Salon de comtesse Potocka One of Proust's Salon articles for Le
Figaro under the pseudonym Horatio.
Notules Review of Fernand Gregh's study of
Victor Hugo, Gil Blas, 14 December 1904, under the
pseudonym Marc Antoine.
Salons A brief
report of Proust's party on 6 March 1905 which may or may not
have been written by Proust.
Notes to Sur la lecture Footnote to the preface of Proust's translation
of John Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies.
Paris Life, The Comtesse
de Guerne One of
Proust's Salon articles for Le Figaro under the
pseudonym Echo.
Paris society: Salons An unsigned account of his own party. From
Kolb-Proust.
The Stones of Venice Review of
Mme Crémieux's translation of Ruskin's The Stones of Venice. The
only article published by Proust in the year after his mother's
death.
Les Éblouissements An extremely florid and flattering
review of Comtesse Anna de Noailles' book of poetry.
A Grandmother Figaro
article about Robert de Flers' grandmother. First printed in Le
Figaro, 23 July1907.
Obituary of Gustave de Borda First
printed in Le Figaro, 26 December 1907.
Carnets
Extracts from Proust's
notebooks, c. 1908. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes
retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
From the 'Goncourt Journal' A rather eccentric literary pastiche, in
the style of the Goncourt brothers.
In a dramatic review One of
Proust's Lemoine pastiches, in the style of Emile Faguet,
literary critic (1847-1916).
The Lemoine Affair, by
Michelet One of
Proust's literary pastiches, in the style of the French historian
Jules Michelet (1798-1874).
The Lemoine Affair, by
Henri de Régnier One
of Proust's literary pastiches, in the style of Henri de
Régnier, poet and novelist (1864-1936).
The Lemoine Affair, by
Gustave Flaubert One of Proust's literary pastiches, in
the style of novelist Gustave Flaubert.
The Lemoine Affair, by
Chateaubriand One of Proust's literary pastiches, in
the style of author Viscount François-René de Chateaubriand
(1768-1848). From Contre Sainte-Beuve, Pléiade 1971.
La
femme de chambre de la baronne de Picpus An early
version of the episode about Mme Putbus's chambermaid in Sodome
et Gomorrhe. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés,
Gallimard, 1971.
Soirée chez la Princesse
de Guermantes Earliest version of Le Bal de Têtes
episode from Le Temps retrouvé in manuscript Cahier
51, 1909. From Matinée chez la Princesse de Guermantes;
Cahiers du Temps retrouvé, Gallimard 1982.
Autour d'un livre: Le
Prince des Cravates Review of a book of 4 short stories by
Lucien Daudet, L'Intransigeant 21 September 1910.
Reynaldo Hahn An article
about Reynaldo Hahn, not published in Proust's lifetime. Written
between 1909 and 1914. From Essais et Articles,
Gallimard 1971.
Pelléas et Mélisande Pastiche
of Debussy's opera. From Contre Sainte-Beuve, Pléiade
1971.
Genesis of the opening lines of À la recherche
du temps perdu Sequence of several consecutive versions of the
opening lines from Proust's manuscript Cahiers. Bulletin
d'informations proustiennes #8, 1978.
Introduction to Bricquebec Background
notes to the following translation.
Bricquebec Translated from Bricquebec,
Prototype d'A l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, Richard
Bales, Oxford University Press, 1989. These are the original
corrected Grasset typescripts (composed 1911 - 1912) of the
Narrator's first stay at Balbec, in this version still called
Bricquebec/Criquebec.
Interview with André Arnyvelde Published
in Le Miroir, 21 December 1913. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Jacques-Émile Blanche Three
anonymous articles in which Proust shamelessly publicises his own
book under the guise of praising Blanche's literary criticism. Cahiers
Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Balbec A short extract from an early version
of A l'ombre de jeunes filles en fleurs. Translated from
a pre-publication article in La Nouvelle Revue Française
1 June1914, when volume II was still to be called Le Côte de
Guermantes.
The Death of Swann An unused
manuscript fragment from La Prisonière. Cahiers
Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
Cocteau pastiche Pastiche
of Jean Cocteau from Carnet 2 c.1915. Bulletin
d'informations proustiennes #12, 1981.
Réjane
Article about the actress
Réjane, first printed in Comoedia, 20 January 1920.
From Essais et Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Senancour, c'est moi Manuscript
written c.1920 comparing himself to Senancour. From Essais et
Articles, Gallimard 1971.
Le renouvellement du style Response to the enquiry "Sommes-nous en
présence d'un renouvellement du style?" was published in La
Renaisance, politique, littéraire, artistique 22 July 1922
and reprinted in Essais et articles, Gallimard 1971.
Une Tribune
Française au Louvre? Response to a question
posed by L'Opinion, published 28 February 1920 and
reprinted in Essais et articles, Gallimard 1971
Notebook of
a Bibliophile Citations in L'Eclair,
28 May 1922. Cahiers
Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés, Gallimard, 1971.
A Few Thoughts Manuscript of unknown date. Cahiers Marcel Proust 3, Textes retrouvés,
Gallimard, 1971.
Letters to Mme de
Noailles From
Corréspondance Générale vol2 Lettres à la Comtesse de
Noailles, Plon 1931. Translations of letters not included in
Selected Letters series or Letters of Marcel Proust,
Mina Curtiss. Letter numbers are from Plon, notes by Anna de
Noailles.
Letters to Mme Straus
From Corréspondance Générale Correspondance
avec Madame Straus, Plon 1936. Translations of letters not
included in Selected Letters series or Letters of
Marcel Proust, Mina Curtiss. Letter numbers and notes are
from Plon.
Letters to M. Émile
Straus From
Corréspondance Générale Correspondance avec Madame Straus,
Plon 1936. Translations of letters not included in Selected
Letters series or Letters of Marcel Proust, Mina
Curtiss. Letter numbers and notes are from Plon.
Letters to the de
Caillavets, R. de Flers & B. de Fenelon From Quelques Lettres de Marcel
Proust à Jeanne, Simone, Gaston de Caillavet, Robert de Flers,
Bertrand de Fenelon, Librairie Hachette 1928. Translations
of letters not included in Selected Letters series or Letters
of Marcel Proust, Mina Curtiss.
Letters and Dedications
to the Duc de Guiche
and Madame Hennessy. These are published translations; I have
included these because they are quite difficult to find. From The
Veiled Wanderer by Princess Marthe Bibesco, translated by
Roland Gant, The Falcon Press 1949. With some additional notes by
me.
Letter to Antoine
Bibesco From the Kolb
Proust Archive For Research www.library.uiuc.edu/kolbp/Letter.htm
Letters to Reynaldo Hahn A few letters from Lettres de Marcel
Proust à Reynaldo Hahn, Gallimard 1956.
Letters to Léon Yeatman From the Kolb-Proust archive.
Extracts from Miscellaneous Letters Taken from various sales catalogues
(some unpublished ?).
Book Dedications
From the Bibliothèque Nationale
Marcel Proust exhibition catalogue 1965, from Corréspondance
Générale Correspondance avec Madame Straus, Plon 1936
and the Kolb-Proust archive.
Notes to Nicolas Cottin & Céleste Albaret From the Bibliothèque Nationale Marcel
Proust exhibition catalogue 1965.
(Sketch by R. de Montesquiou)
Last updated 02/08/08 Chris Taylor the@yorktaylors.free-online.co.uk