Marcel Proust, born Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust, was a renowned French novelist, literary critic, and essayist. He is best known for his monumental novel À la recherche du temps perdu (translated in English as Remembrance of Things Past and more recently as In Search of Lost Time), which was published in seven volumes between 1913 and 1927. This work is considered one of the most influential literary achievements of the 20th century.

Proust was born on 10 July 1871 in Paris into an affluent and cultured family. His father was a prominent doctor, and his mother was a well-educated Jewish woman. Throughout his life, Proust suffered from poor health, particularly asthma, which led to a sheltered upbringing.

He was active in Parisian high society during the 1880s and 90s but often felt like an outsider due to his Jewish heritage and homosexuality. During the late 1890s, Proust began to withdraw from social circles, dedicating himself to writing.

His magnum opus, À la recherche du temps perdu, is a profound exploration of themes such as time, memory, art, and human relationships, filled with philosophical reflections and poetic descriptions. The novel's structure is built around various motifs, including love, jealousy, artistic endeavors, existential reflections, and social contrasts.

Other works by Proust include Les plaisirs et les jours, a collection of stories and essays, and the unfinished novel Jean Santeuil. He also translated works by John Ruskin into French with assistance from his mother.

Proust passed away on 18 November 1922 in Paris, succumbing to bronchitis at the age of 51. Despite his relatively short life, his contributions to literature have left an indelible mark, and his style is studied and admired by authors and literary critics worldwide.