The National Library of France announced on Tuesday the acquisition, thanks to donations, of a copy of a novel by Marcel Proust on which the author had signed an exceptionally long and precious dedication, for 350,000 euros.
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: the lost manuscript of Proust soon to be published
The BnF launched this appeal for donations in November, to individuals, arguing the possibility of income tax reductions.
In total, 1751 donors came forward, aged “
from 19 to 98 years old
”, from “
all regions of France but also from abroad
”, including around ten “
major donors
”, and with “
an average donation of 131 euros
”, detailed the institution in a press release.
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Figaro:
"Rayon de soleil sur le balcon"
The acquired book is an edition on Dutch paper of “
Du cote de chez Swann
” (1913), the first volume of the novel “
In search of lost time
”, dedicated to a friend, Marie Scheikévitch.
Marie Scheikévitch inspired the Marquise Timoléon d'Amoncourt
The latter had told that one day in 1915 when Proust had confided in her his discouragement, she had declared herself impatient to know the fate of her characters.
Saying to him: "
Lend me your copy and I will summarize the rest for you
", he had written in pen, on eight pages, the plot of the two following volumes.
Fans of Proust will soon be able to read this dedication.
It "
will be digitized and its content freely accessible on Gallica, the digital library of the BnF, while waiting to be presented to the public during the exhibition that the Library will devote to Marcel Proust in the fall of 2022
", explained the Library. .
Marie Scheikévitch, who had made a discreet and effective promotion of Proust's first novel, inspired the novelist to characterize the Marquise Timoléon d'Amoncourt.
Un amour de Swann
by Volker Schlöndorff, in 1984, with Jeremy Irons, Ornella Muti, Alain Delon, Fanny Ardant ...
