Proust died before he was able to complete his revision of the drafts and proofs of the final volumes, the last three of which were published posthumously.

The novel has had a great influence on Twentieth Century literature, and writers ever since have sought to emulate its introspective psychological approach. Proust explores the themes of time, space and memory but the novel is above all an example of innumerable literary, structural, stylistic and thematic possibilities. A monumental French masterpiece of world literature.