This was Proust’s first published work, appearing when he was only 25, and it consists of stories, sketches, and thematic writings on a variety of subjects. The attitudes reflect many of the characteristics of the fin de si#65533;cle, yet Proust illumined them with the unique shafts of observation and gift of analysis that he was later to perfect in The Remembrance of Things Past. This book is a period piece of intricate delights and subtle flavors that will be relished by the author’s many admirers.