I stumbled upon a book called "Memoirs from Beyond the Grave" this week and wondered if it might have helped inspire "Peace". Written by Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, it was meant to be published fifty years after his death.
Chateaubriand started by retelling the events of his life but gradually expanded the book to include extensive historical context. His life (1768-1848) overlapped with Napoleon's (1769-1821) and I wonder if he knew why Napoleon kept his hand in his waistcoat.
Proust, among many others, was an admirer of the "Memoirs". Since Wolfe was such an admirer of Proust, it seems likely he also read Chateaubriand. The work is noted for it's poetic prose and general tone of melancholy. I think the same could be said of "Peace".
I don't think this contributes to a better understanding of "Peace", but I did think some on this forum would find it interesting.
This does sound very cool. I found an English translation from 1902 at Project Gutenberg that I'll take a look at.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/54743/54743-h/54743-h.htm