Life is too short, and Proust is too long.

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Life is too short, and Proust is too long." in the context of "Attributed to Anatole France, who notoriously was featured in Proust's work (as Bergotte) but did not read it, but this appears to be an invention due to Maurice Sachs. Earliest appearance is in English, in The Decade of Illusion: Paris 1918–1928, Maurice Sachs (1933), p. 69:
 • ...something to read on the voyage. France said, "Here, my friend. Life is short; Proust is long. Take this." And Wasserman carried off the rare treasure.
• In French it is considered an English phrase (dicton anglais),Le livre illustré sous l'ancien régime: Sainte-Beuve ; Les études françaises au Royaume-Uni et en Irlande ; Littératures du Maghreb, Mai 20075, No. 57, p. 324 and in the French edition of The Decade of Illusion Sachs gives France completely different words, La Décade de l'illusion (1950), p. 96:
 • «Tenez, mon bon, prenez celui-ci, je ne tiens pas à le lire, mais on en parle beaucoup dans ce moment.» Wasserman emporta ce rare trésor.
 • "Here, my friend, take this one, I don't plan to read it, but it is much talked about at present." Wasserman carried off the rare treasure." to mean that wisdom is timeless.