The author sets forth the question 'what changed the elegant much soughtafter frequenter of Paris "salons" Marcel Proust, into the invalid and self-imposed exile from the world'. The answers to this problem do not emerge very clearly due largely to the lack of organization of the material and to certain stylistic hindrances. Nevertheless, the author's close scrutiny presents many highly illustrative insights into Proust's personality. His writings are quoted extensively and there are references to his life history. The unresolved Oedipal situation, the masochistic need for pain and suffering, and the striking ability to translate almost directly primary thinking processes into words, are all clearly demonstrated. There is also a stimulating psychological study of art in general, with special reference to a comparison between music and the literary arts.