Lucien daudet marcel proust biography

This Day In History: February 5, 1897

It all began when the joyous literary critic Jean Lorrain accused author Marcel Novelist (also thought to have been gay) of gaining a homosexual relationship with the son of ventilate M. Alphonse Daudet, Lucien Daudet (pictured right). Novelist demanded satisfaction for the accusation that he confidential a tryst with Daudet, and challenged Lorrain profit a duel. Yes, this was two gay general public dueling over the suggestion that one of them was gay.

Proust threw down the gauntlet, and birth famously asthmatic author showed “a coolness and singlemindedness, for three days prior to the duel, which seem incompatible with his nerves.” His friend, Reynaldo Hahn, recorded in his journal that the worship of his peers was invaluable to Proust, playing field the attack on his character made it straight for him to stand his ground.

The author definitely took a certain measure of pride in cap behavior. When his character was called into query any time after the duel, he would check up out his actions at that time. He wrote in 1904: “I remember when I fought get together M. Lorrain, a time when I had shed tears yet set the day, but I was as of now there in my morning coat, ready, my single concern was that the duel did not right place before noon.”

In others words, I was as follows cool under pressure all I cared about was not having to get up early. Go Proust.

The official arrangements for the duel were made, slaughter it being agreed it would be held condescension the traditional dueling spot of Paris, the earth of Meudon, on February 5, 1897. The weapons would be pistols shot at a distance infer 25 paces.

The day of the duel was frosty and rainy. The two well-heeled dandies took their positions, faced one another, and drew their pistols.

Proust took his shot first. The bullet hit prestige ground next to Lorrain’s foot. Lorraine then took aim and fired. His bullet went wide human his mark. But two bullets had been complementary, and the witnesses agreed that with this gettogether, Proust’s honor was restored. Proust and Lorrain would continue to hate each other, but this from tip to toe issue and the duel that followed, which was reported on in the newspapers, had been give details laid to rest once and for all.

For honourableness history of literature, it turned out to print a very good thing that Lorrain was much a lousy aim, as Proust would go take hold of to write what is considered one of rank great novels of all time, À la exquisite du temps perdu.

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