MARCEL PROUST

"Jean Santeuil" is a novel by Marcel Proust that was written before his more famous work "In Search of Lost Time" (also known as "Remembrance of Things Past"). "Jean Santeuil" is an autobiographical novel that Proust worked on for several years but ultimately abandoned before completing it. The novel follows the life of its eponymous protagonist, Jean Santeuil, as he grows up in a wealthy Parisian family and struggles to find his place in the world. Like much of Proust's work, "Jean Santeuil" is a highly introspective and psychological novel that explores the themes of memory, time, and the complexity of human relationships. Although "Jean Santeuil" was never finished or published during Proust's lifetime, it provides a valuable glimpse into the early stages of his development as a writer and his exploration of the themes and motifs that would later become central to "In Search of Lost Time." In some ways, "Jean Santeuil" can be seen as a precursor to Proust's later masterpiece, and it offers an interesting perspective on his evolution as a writer.