philosophy mainly focused on how people should be appreciative of their circumstances.

A superb book for dipping in and out of, this will make a welcome addition to any book collection. Considered to be one of the most important writers of the 20th century, Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (1871 – 1922) was born in Paris. The son of a notable physician and epidemiologist, he was educated at the Lycée Condorcet. Proust’s sexuality was the subject of much speculation, and although he never confirmed it, he explored the subject of homosexuality in many of his works, including ‘In Search of Lost Time.’ Some of his works have found themselves adapted for film, such as ‘Swann in Love,’ starring Jeremy Irons, while the writer himself was to be lampooned by the comedy troupe Monty Python.