Proust Marcel – In the shadow of young girls in flower – In search of lost time 2: In love with Gilberte, the narrator ends up being received by the Swann. His visits become regular. There he meets a famous writer whom he admires, Bergotte. But Gilberte does not take long to find him too present, too invasive. Their relationship becomes tense and eventually breaks. The young man feels a lot of pain but continues to see the Swann. Then, little by little, his grief fades.

His fragile health requires, two years after these events, a stay in Balbec where he leaves with his grandmother. He gradually gets used to the life of this little town, meets a friend of his grandmother and nephew, which he meets, at first somewhat rough. He also meets a gang of young girls, among whom Albertine falls in love but rejects him. The season is over, so the narrator returns to Paris. (Source: Proust, his characters.)