Paul is a charming man-child who was reared and sheltered by his two crazy aunts in Paris after his parents passed away when he was a kid. At the age of thirty-three, he still cannot talk. The sole goal that Paul's aunts have for him is to win piano competitions. Although Paul diligently practices, he stays unfulfilled until he yields to his upstairs neighbor's manipulations. Madame Proust, aptly named after the author, delivers Paul a mixture that unlocks suppressed childhood memories and reawakens his most wonderful fantasies.