PROUST Marcel (1871-1922). Lot n° 114

Long L.A.S. [Paris], June 26 [1918]. 19 pp. in-12 square. Mention of a reply from Calmann-Lévy dated July 1, 1918. Exceptional and very long unpublished letter from Marcel Proust, addressed to Gaston Calmann-Lévy, about Des Plaisirs et des jours. Proust, summoned by his publisher to buy back the 1000 unsold copies of Les Plaisirs et des Jours, firmly states his thoughts: First of all, sales never stopped, contrary to what Calmann-Lévy claims, Proust himself having bought 20 copies in all, to offer them (to the maître d'hôtel of the Ritz, to the doctor of the Crillon, etc). Then, Madeleine Lemaire produced hundreds of drawings for this edition and original watercolors for a book by Reynaldo Hahn, prefaced by Anatole France at Proust's request and published in all the newspapers. These gracious acts should not be forgotten. "If, in spite of the gift of so many drawings, the book was a bad deal for the publisher (who, moreover, could afford it at that time?), it was especially bad for me, whom he made look like an "amateur" for so many years. Thank God my last book broke this bad spell. And at the moment when a literary reputation is emerging for me, of which it is not for me to speak, at the moment when the publishers are offering me the best conditions for my next works, your house gives me the choice either to depreciate myself in their eyes and to spoil these treaties, by depreciating my work by lowering its price - or to pay 3000 fr. And to rent a furniture storage (because you think well that 1000 volumes of this size are more embarrassing in a boy's apartment of the boulevard Haussmann than in your stores of the rue Auber). The moment has been chosen in a very particular way: as far as I am concerned, at the moment when my forthcoming works (5 volumes) are announced. [...] You want to take away my space and claim 3000 fr. (I am getting too tired from this long letter written from my bed to explain the reasons), but I am too embarrassed to deprive myself of 3000 fr. at this moment, and also and especially too cramped to house these thousand volumes. As for your "offers to the booksellers", discrediting for me and obviously more harmful than the purchase of the copies, I believe unfortunately that I have no means to prevent you from doing it [...]". Proust will have dinner the next day at Mme. de Ludre's, where he will see his friend Walter Berry, whom he would like to consult about this matter. He adds: "The 3 f. 50 edition of Les Plaisirs et des Jours has been delayed because I want all my "Swann" (it's a work of mine) to have appeared first and the war makes the printing slower. It is possible that the publisher who will publish it will be able to use the characters, the composition, of your Pleasures and Days [...]". Proust doubts that his explanations will convince his correspondent, makes a new offer, etc. This is a very long unpublished letter. Kolb lists only the letter dated the previous day, June 25, 1918, addressed to the same person.