From The Smithsonian:
Almost 100 years after his death, fans of Marcel Proust will be getting a new book from the late French writer. Publisher Editions de Fallois announced that it will release nine unpublished novellas and short stories by the literary master and author of the epic seven-volume novel In Search of Lost Time this fall.
Agence France-Presse reports that the pieces were originally composed by Proust in his early 20s for inclusion in his first book, Plaisirs et les Jours (Pleasures and Days), a collection of poems and short stories first published in 1896. But for some reason, Proust decided to cut these nine works from the book.
The pieces were discovered by Bernard de Fallois, founder of the publishing house, who died in late 2018. They will be collected together under the title The Mysterious Correspondent and Other Unpublished Novellas. The 180-page book, which will be published on October 9, will include facsimiles of Proust’s original pages.
According to the publisher, most of the stories follow a conventional short story format, though a few are more meandering and meditative, suggesting some elements of his later work. Stylistically, the publisher says, the works suggest inklings of Proust’s future writing, including striking metaphors and wry comedic insights.
The big mystery is why Proust abandoned these works and left some of them incomplete.
Link to the rest at The Smithsonian
It’s amazing how all of these dead authors “keep writing new books” decades after their deaths. Just what trad publishing needs to find a “new” bestseller!
“The big mystery is why Proust abandoned these works and left some of them incomplete.”
— perhaps he wasn’t happy with their quality.