This text serves as a comprehensive reference guide designed to assist readers in navigating the complex structure, characters, and themes of Marcel Proust's multi-volume work, In Search of Lost Time. Terence Kilmartin, a noted translator and scholar of Proust, utilizes his deep familiarity with the original French texts to provide a structured index and analytical framework. The book functions as a companion piece, offering clarity on the intricate web of relationships and the philosophical underpinnings that define Proust's narrative style. By organizing key elements of the work, Kilmartin provides a systematic approach for both new and experienced readers to engage with the text.

Scholars and literary critics frequently cite this guide as a reliable and accessible tool for those attempting to read Proust's work in its entirety. It is widely regarded as a standard reference for managing the vast cast of characters and the non-linear progression of the narrative.