Proust & His Banker

This study explores the surprising relationship between Proust’s creative genius, his financial extravagance, and the steady hand that kept him afloat.

What Marcel Proust wanted from life most of all was unconditional requited love, and the way he went after it—smothering the objects of his affection with gifts—cost him a fortune. To pay for such extravagance, he engaged in daring speculations on t...