Letters to His Neighbor

MarcelProust?sgeniusforilluminatingpainisonspectaculardisplayinthisrecentlydiscoveredtroveofhiscorrespondence,LetterstoHisNeighbor.Alreadysufferingfromnoisewithinhiscork-linedwalls,hispoorsoulwasnotreadyforthefreshhellwhenhisneighborDr.Williamsmarriedawidowwithsmallchildren.ChieflytoMrs.Williams,theseever-politeletters(oftenaccompaniedbyflowers,compliments,books,evenpheasants)arefrequentlyhilarious?Proustcoucheshisfuryinagracioustone.InLydiaDavis?shands,thedigressivebrillianceofhissentencesshines:?Don'tspeakofannoyingneighbors,butofneighborssocharming(anassociationofwordscontradictoryinprinciplesinceMontesquiouclaimsthatmosthorribleofallare1)neighbors2)thesmellofpostoffices)thattheyleavetheconstanttantalizingregretthatonecannottakeadvantageoftheirneighborliness.?Proustmakesfinedistinctionsamonghisauditorytorments:?Thevaletdechambremakesnoiseandthatdoesn'tmatter.Butlaterheknockswithlittletinyraps.Andthatisworse.?LydiaDavishaswrittenageneroustranslator?snote,tracingmuchofwhatwecanknowaboutProust?sperpetuallydarkroom;shedetailsthefurnishingsaswellasthelifehelivedthere:burninghispowders,talkingwithfriends,hiringmusicians,and,mostofall,suffering.LetterstoHisNeighborisrichlyillustratedwithfacsimilelettersandphotographs?catnipforloversofProust.WithanIntroductionbyJean-YvesTadiéandatranslator?snotebyLydiaDavis,