French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. de Fallois, Introduction à la Recherche du temps perdu
Other Literary Studies
Introduction to “La Recherche du temps perdu”
Bernard de Fallois
éd. de Fallois
Publication date: 23/08/2018
Format: 140 x 220 mm
320 p. — EAN: 9791032102053
À la Recherche du temps perdu is one of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century. Proust has often been described as literature itself, just as Bach was music itself. Yet he still intimidates or disconcerts many readers. This Introduction was written specifically for them by one of the foremost authorities on his work, Bernard de Fallois, whom the scholarly academic journal Genesis hailed as a "proustian of paramount importance." But there is no need to be daunted. Far from seeking to overwhelm the reader with heavy erudition, Bernard de Fallois strives above all for transparency, conciseness, and clarity—qualities that, far from excluding depth, actually enhance it. He makes the essential knowledge needed to read this monumental work in its entirety accessible to everyone, allowing readers to appreciate its utter novelty and measure its grandeur, which goes hand in hand with a comedic genius rarely equaled since Molière.
This introduction is further complemented by a precious collection of maxims and reflections gathered from the pages of the Recherche. They serve as a reminder that our greatest novelist was also the ultimate successor to the moralists of the Grand Siècle.
In the early 1950s, Bernard de Fallois "discovered" Jean Santeuil and Against Sainte-Beuve. He published numerous articles on Proust's work.
Visit the publisher's website…
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P. Assouline dedicated a review to this book on his blog larepubliquedeslivres.com on December 5, 2018.
"Proust à la Fallois, a proustian of paramount importance"…
Following the death of Bernard de Fallois (1926–2018), rightful tributes were paid to the brilliant publisher he was and to the exceptional intuition that marked the final chapter of his career—even though it lay worlds apart from his literary comfort zone (namely, the international breakthrough of the young novelist Joël Dicker). Yet these tributes tended to overshadow his pioneering work on behalf of two writers he deeply admired: Georges Simenon, whose publisher and friend he was, and to whom he dedicated one of the very first monographs on his work in 1961 (Simenon, "La Bibliothèque idéale", Gallimard); and Marcel Proust. Not Proust's biography—a genre he had little taste for, at least regarding this author—but his work, and nothing but his work. Indeed, the first of his Seven Lectures is titled: "Is Proust's life really all that interesting?"… only to dismiss the question and focus entirely on the sole object of his thoughts: how this cathedral rose from the ground. It is an act of both exhumation and resurrection that Fallois accomplishes with true genius, guided by a mind that is lucid, pedagogical, well-informed, and acutely perceptive. […] Read more…
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Marcel Proust's monumental sequence of novels stands as a defining achievement of twentieth-century French literature. Yet the sheer scale of the work can often intimidate newcomers seeking to understand its complex structure and enduring significance. Bernard de Fallois approaches this literary landscape with an emphasis on clarity and accessibility, aiming to demystify the text without sacrificing depth. Rather than focusing on biographical details, the volume concentrates entirely on the internal architecture of the masterpiece, examining how the creation came into being through a dedicated study of the writing itself.
As a distinguished authority on the author, the critic brings decades of scholarly engagement to this pedagogical overview, complementing the main discussion with a collection of maxims drawn directly from the source material. These reflections connect the narrative tradition to the classical heritage of French moralists, highlighting dimensions present throughout the pages. Readers interested in approaching the monumental novel with greater confidence may find this concise manual a helpful companion. The text provides foundational knowledge to assist in navigating the complexities of the overarching masterpiece.
An article about this book can be read on nonfiction.fr…