The Runaway

The main character of this book—a young man belonging to the upper class—is distressed by the sudden departure of his beloved, Albertine. There were no quarrels or scandals beforehand. She simply disappeared, leaving a note in which she explained nothing.... She just informed him that she was leaving forever. The abandoned lover, analyzing his memories, tries to understand the reason and comes to the conclusion that we are all changing every minute under the influence of age, experience, mood, the people around us, and life circumstances. Albertine has changed, but so has the main character. It seems he is no longer in love… The novel "The Runaway" by the famous writer Marcel Proust (1871–1922) is a masterfully drawn portrait of French high society, part of the renowned cycle "In Search of Lost Time." The previous books of the cycle have been published in this same series.