Lorenza Foschini

This slim and deceptively subtle book by Lorenza Foschini feels much bigger. It’s fascinating how books can appear at the right time and place. At this moment I’m clearing out my life and all around me are boxes full of letters and papers. I sought refuge from sifting and sorting in this book, not realising that Jacques Guerin was an obsessive collector and that, like Proust, Lorenza Foschini almost wears the overcoat not only as a magic portal to a wonderful story but also to Proust’s show more retrieval of time.

That such a modern looking man as Jacques Guerin should have spanned the twentieth century and, as a young man, encountered Robert Proust is one of those remarkable events that defy fiction. Although I’ve read La Research de Temps Perdu, I don’t think it’s necessary for the enjoyment of this tale. Of course, the objects live on in the hands of others but

…he came to acknowledge that everything passes, everything disappears.

except the aides de memoir which, for many readers, and for Jacques Guerin is the essence of Proust’s retrieval of what has been lost. show less

What a delightful little book, not only for Proustians but for bibliophiles alike. Foschini's reportage of interviews lead to the story of Jacques Guerin, whose interest in Proust grows all the more idolatrous after an illness sees him treated by Proust's brother, Robert. Ensuing, and led by his mother's model of business and collecting--a famous perfume tycoon and entrepreneur--Guerin becomes embroiled in the Proust family drama and rescues many of Proust's letters and papers from a near show more bonfire after Robert's death.��

This is a book about Proust, but it's also about the legacy of a writer, preserving his work, and trying to see that his reputation is intact for the generations to come. As much as the memoir is about collecting--it begins with a wonderful scene recollected by Foschini in which Proust's famous overcoat is unveiled for her to touch, suggesting that the interest or fervor in preserving and collecting is one that is passed on to others--it is also very much about memory: remembering Proust, remembering his text, and piecing together the puzzle of his manuscripts.��

An absolute pleasure, and strongly recommended to those who are fans of the period as we see mentions of, letters to, or fleeting memories of figures as varied as Visconti, Picasso, Violette Leduc, Jean Genet, Jean Cocteau, and Modigliani. A true testament to the power of Proust's message and his legacy, as well as the debt we owe to those of genius to ensure their posthumous work is treated with the care, respect, and love that it deserves. show less

"You can't take it with you." How many times have I heard that? Yet despite this maxim, people are frequently still judged by their possessions. Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than when viewing the possessions of famous people. When you go for a tour of a famous author's home, doesn't it feel a bit like a cheat if the furnishings are only representative of the period and not original to the author? Somehow, knowing that your favorite author sat at this desk or wore that dress makes show more viewing these artifacts that much more exhilerating. And to know that the manuscript laid out under glass is original? Priceless. So what if you had the opportunity and the money to collect your favorite author's belongings? Would you?

Jacques Guerin was the head of his family's very successful perfume business when he fell ill and was attended by the late Marcel Proust's brother, Dr. Robert Proust. While perfume was Guerin's business, rare books and author possessions were what fired his imagination and drove him in his obsessive collecting. His acquaintance with Dr. Proust and subsequently to an antiques dealer who also knew the Prousts enabled him to amass much of the collection he prized so dearly. Woven through the tale of Guerin's thorough and careful hunt for Proustiana, is a brief but instructive history of Proust's relationship with his unfaithful brother and bitter sister-in-law to whom Proust's homosexuality was a terrible and appalling embarrassment. The history works seamlessly with the story of Guerin's collecting and author Foschini's literary detective work to uncover both of these aforementioned stories. The book is slight but engaging and there's no need for the reader to be more than passingly familiar with Proust. I have never read his works and yet the story of Guerin's quest to save Proust's belongings from the flames to which his brother's widow would have consigned them was fascinating as was the short history of Proust himself. While this hasn't necessarily convinced me to search out Proust's Remembrance of Things Past with so many other books still on my plate, I definitely have to admit to more curiousity than before. show less

In this charming yet brief novella, a man's quest to liberate all of Proust's belongings from their sad fates of destruction becomes an all-encompassing passion that comes to define him. When Jacques Guérin falls ill with appendicitis, he fortuitously becomes the patient of Dr. Robert Proust, brother to the famous author Marcel. Guérin, already a huge supporter of the arts and an extreme bibliophile, finds this coincidence amazing and presses the doctor for information about his recently show more deceased brother. When Guérin discovers that Robert possesses many original handwritten drafts of Proust's work, he is amazed and excited but the doctor rebuffs him and quickly turns talk to other matters. A few years later, Robert has unfortunately passed away, leaving Proust's furniture and manuscripts in the hands of his widow, who wishes to burn them due to her conflicted feelings for the author. What unfolds from this point is the remarkable story of Guérin's attempts to collect the objects and writing of Marcel Proust, interspersed with the true tale of Proust's life. Marvelously uplifting and engaging, Proust's Overcoat is a loving homage to one of the greatest authors of all time.

I've never read anything by Marcel Proust, but his reputation precedes him and I do know that he is one of the most impressive authors in all of history. I was afraid my total ignorance of Proust and his work would hamper my enjoyment of this book, but I needn't have feared. This story is able to be enjoyed for its simple style and the colorful story it tells, and I imagine that it could be enjoyed by almost anyone regardless of their knowledge of Proust.

The story of Guérin is a very interesting tale. Though he was foremost a collector of books, when the opportunity arose for him to begin collecting the furniture, writing and minutiae of Proust's life, he needed no goading. Guérin believed that by acquiring the author's artifacts he was somehow doing a noble deed, saving them from destruction and liberating them from a nameless and shaming stasis. In his efforts to claim more and more of the belongings, he often did some strange things and made friends with those he would otherwise ignore. Guérin, a famous perfume designer, found that his work, though successful, was not what fulfilled him. In his quest to rescue Proust's objects, he found his life's ambition. At times Guérin is painted as being very obsessed with these belongings, not rude and pushy per se, but definitely dogged and driven to get his hands on whatever he could. I was pleased to find out that most of his collection had eventually been donated to various institutions, so that other Proust lovers could benefit from them as well.

A lot of this book also deals superficially with Proust's life. Though he died a young man, he had many friends and was well regarded by the artistic community. He was also a homosexual, which deeply disappointed his family and led to his own set of moral and personal crisis. He was a man who spent the latter half of his life in bed, tablet stretched with one hand in the air, his other hand writing the stories and poems that are now considered masterpieces. The book takes some pains to discuss the relationship that Proust shared with his brother Robert as well. Though the two had a sibling love, there were some extreme undercurrents of hostility directed at Marcel from Robert, and when Marcel finally passed away, Robert was left to edit and publish some of his last works. It's not surprising that Robert botched this affair and became quite a controlling and domineering person when it cam to finally publishing his brother's final work. The relationship between Marcel and the rest of his family was rather tumultuous really, and this was one of the reasons that his belongings were held in so little regard after his death.

Proust's Overcoat was an enchanting little snack of a read, and for those who don't know much about the author, this book would make an excellent primer. It's written in an engaging and light style and also includes several small passages of the author's work in relation to his life. It's a very interesting look at a collector and the famous man who left behind his collection, and I think Marcel Proust would have been honored to know just how much Guérin admired and esteemed him. Proust lovers will also love this whimsical little tale. A very fun read, recommended! show less