This memoir investigates the private life and idiosyncratic habits of Marcel Proust through the eyes of his devoted housekeeper, Céleste Albaret. Céleste Albaret, who served as Proust’s confidante and assistant during the final years of his life, provides a firsthand account of the author’s daily routines and creative process. Her narrative serves as a primary source for understanding the man behind the monumental work, In Search of Lost Time, documenting his physical decline and his obsessive dedication to his writing.

Scholars and literary critics frequently cite this memoir as an indispensable resource for understanding the personal eccentricities of Marcel Proust. Readers often note the candid and observant nature of Albaret’s prose, which provides a humanizing perspective on a notoriously reclusive figure.