Bernard Straus

Interesting exploration of Proust’s life of ill health, exploring both symptoms and treatments, and the genesis of his varied maladies, focused on Freudian and other psychological lines of interpretation. From a biography I read previously, I had judged Proust to be one of the strangest individuals I’ve ever encountered. Having read this book, that perception is unchanged. The author went to some pains to compare Proust’s invalidism to Darwin’s. I found that to be completely show more unconvincing: Darwin travelled, was married, had children, and functioned in a much more normal social milieu. Both men did give their lives to their work and did struggle to complete their great books. But, to my mind, Proust is a one-off human specimen. I wonder if there might be more fruitful insights drawn from the history of the 19th century. Is there something about the 19th C to account for characters such as Proust, Darwin. Freud. Nietzsche. Just an idle wondering. show less