Recommended Portfolio: A Photograph of the Aristocracy

While immersed in writing the prologue for an anthology of articles on Marcel Proust, Laure Murat stumbles upon a scene from Downton Abbey in which a waiter sets the table by measuring the distance between cutlery with the help of a ruler.

This tiny ceremony, performed with sacramental solemnity, evokes in Murat, from the depths of his memory, an archaic figure: the pure "empty forms" that govern the aristocratic environment; the principle on which an entire caste, his caste, is balanced. Because what Murat recognizes in this attention to useless things is, despite herself, a part of herself, a descendant at the same time of the Luynes and the Murats, two celebrated and centuries-old French dynasties. And she surely came to the reflection, explicit in that act: the waiter's behavior is the same during his day, but he goes home and it's him, but the aristocrat must live that performance every day of his life. Following this small epiphany, and guided by the fascination that reading 'In Search of Lost Time' aroused in her youth, she will end up undertaking a review of her own very Proustian past that will lead her, in turn, to explore the life and work of Proust through a history and a Paris that are not at all foreign to her: two universes linked without a solution of continuity, since "the past world in which I grew up was still that of Proust, who had known my great-grandparents, whose names appear in his novel." A novel that had a transformative impact on her, at the age of twenty: "And then my life changed. Proust knew better than I did what I was going through... Even before breaking with my own family, he offered me a meditation on the inner exile experienced by those who deviate from social and sexual norms." This is how Proust, a Family Novel stands as a tribute not only to Proust's work but to the emancipatory power of literature through reading, which is also a power of consolation and reconciliation with time.

“An exceptional autobiography in which life and literature merge to illuminate each other,” said Tiphaine Samoyault of Le Monde.

'Get Better at Everything' by Scott H. Young. Publisher: Aguilar

Life revolves around learning, but it's not always easy. Sometimes, adapting to something new seems simple; other times, no matter how many hours we spend studying, we don't get the results we expect. It's true that decades of driving a car, playing an instrument, or hitting a tennis ball don't make us better at those activities.

Why is this so? The book explores the learning process and presents and thoroughly explains three factors for effective learning: Observe: learning from others accelerates our progress. Do: practice is essential. Feedback: constantly adjusting based on experience and results.

'Educate for peace', by Daniela Novara and Elena Passerini. Stamp: Uranus

Maria Montessori, nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, was a vocal critic of violence and strove to convey the importance of respect in dealing with others, not only with others but also with children.

Her thinking and educational methods are closely linked to the importance of peace in relationships between parents and children, understood as a real and sustainable reality, not an abstract ideal. This book presents her most notable texts on this topic. As Montessori said, "Education is the weapon of peace, and peace is the condition of a good education."

'Say Goodbye to the Narcissist, for Your Own Good' by Sarah Davies. Publisher: Uranus

If you think you're in the clutches of a narcissist, whether it's a romantic relationship, a friendship, a family relationship, or even a work relationship, you need to escape that relationship, because it will destroy your self-esteem and only lead you down a path of bitterness. Of course, this isn't an easy task, as these people are experts in the art of seduction and deception.

The book is a guide to understanding narcissism and identifying a narcissist. Recognizing the patterns and breaking the cycle of abuse. Repairing the damage these types of relationships cause to self-esteem. It also addresses the trauma and manages the emotional distress or stress these relationships cause.

'Don't Believe Everything You Think' by Joseph Nguyen. Publisher: Aguilar

Our experience of the world is subjective. The book illustrates this with the story of a monk who blamed external factors (noises) for his frustration until he understood that inner peace depends on his reaction, not on circumstances. It argues that psychological suffering does not come from external events, but from our interpretation of them. While pain (such as loss or illness) is inevitable, suffering (anxiety, fear, anguish) is optional, as it arises from how we mentally process situations. 'Don't Believe Everything You Think' is a self-help book that explores how our thoughts influence our emotional suffering and how we can free ourselves from negative mental patterns to achieve peace. CÉSAR GIRALDO, Portfolio Director

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