<P><B>Short pieces present an early glimpse into Proust's genius</B></P><P>Proust's only other work of fiction published in his lifetime apart from the monumental novel cycle <I>In Search of Lost Time</I>, this collection takes the reader on a journey through the high-society circles of fin-de-siècle Paris, presenting the lives, loves, and attitudes of a host of unforgettable characters. Rich in language and detail, and by turns satirical and moving, Proust's stories, presented here in Andrew Brown's nuanced translation, are layered with imagery and feeling and foreshadow the themes and psychological atmosphere of his later masterpiece.