In the shade of the young girls in flowers

In the shade of the young girls in flowers is the second volume of To the research of time lost of Marcel Proust published in 1919 at Gallimard. It receives the same year the Prix Goncourt.

Summary

; First part: Around Mrs. Swann In this first part of the novel, the narrator speaks about his relations with Combray, inter alia those have with Mr. de Norpois or with his literary idol Bergotte. He also goes for the first time to the theater where he sees finally the actress that he likes so much, Berma, interpreting Phèdre Racine. One reads there his misunderstood disappointments by the others with respect to his first theatrical vision. Then, it is able to be made introduce at Swann. Then are described its relations with Gilberte, Odette de Crécy and Charles Swann. This last takes it in friendship, is very pleasant with him, just like his wife who will ask him to come to see it personally even if it does not want any more to meet Gilberte, that it always likes, but of which the feeling in its connection - very as their relation will disaggregate little by little until the day when it will leave for the country which attracts it so much: Balbec.

; Second part: Names of country: The country Arrived in the region of which he so much wanted to see the cathedrals, the narrator settles with his grandmother and Francoise in a hotel for a certain time. At the beginning, its life is very solitary, not knowing anybody, it does not speak almost with anybody except his grandmother, although it wants very of it. But, of relations in relations, attending Robert of Saint-Wolf and the painter Elstir inter alia (who is the friendly artist of Verdurin of which it is question in a love of Swann : Mr. Biche), it ends up succeeding in binding friendship with the young girls whom it observed for a long time: Albertine, Andree, Rosemonde… He falls in love with Albertine which he tries to make jealous while approaching Andrée, but all its efforts will be reduced to nothing at the time of an attempt at change of relation towards the end of the work.

Others

Balbec is an imaginary seaside resort, invented by Marcel Proust, where is held the novel mainly. This place points out the town of Cabourg, where the author remained with many recoveries, between 1907 and 1914.

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