In 1912, the first volume of his most famous work, Remembrance of Things Past (A la recherche du temps perdu) - a seven volume novel based on Proust’s own life-was published at his own expense with little success. The next volumes of this work, however, secured his international fame. This allegorical tale occupied the closing years of Proust’s life; the last three parts were published posthumously, without his final revisions. Remembrance of Things Past remains one of the greatest accomplishments of modern fiction; its insights into the innermost experiences of human life have influenced and inspired generations of writers and thinkers."