In a message dated 2/12/99 3:57:18 AM Pacific Standard Time,=20 the_laughing_man@hotmail.com writes: > I=92ll try to refrain from exclaiming too many of my eventual Eureka=92s (= or,=20 on=20 > the other hand, feelings of complete boredom from those 10 consecutive=20 pages=20 >=20 > of describing a church) in the fish pond, but I=92d like to give you all=20= a=20 > semi-supported chance to start up the new millenium the right way: by=20 > reading Proust. > =20 > Starting January 1, a group of natural science misfits, a group of which=20= I=20 > happen to be a member, have decided to read Proust=92 =93Remembrance of T= hings=20 > Past=94 at a pace of 10 pages a day, which will allow us to finish the=20 entire=20 > series in less than a year (approx. 3500 pages in total). Many of us have= =20 > tried on our own, perhaps even finishing volume 3 before other aspects of= =20 > the outside life took over and it was impossible to start over again.=20 Others=20 >=20 > have reached only the famous Madeleine cookie scene at page 30-ish, volum= e=20 > one, finally realizing why ever one knows that one. > =20 > We realized the task of actually keeping the pace though 3500 pages on ou= r=20 > own was all but impossible in this modern time. Too many excuses, too=20 little=20 >=20 > discipline. But united we are strong! So (at least) once every month we=20 will=20 >=20 > meet, discussing or sharing articles we have found or maybe looking at=20 Monty=20 >=20 > Python=92s =93Marcel Proust Summarisation Contest=94. We have our reading= =20 scheme,=20 > so we know how far we can expect the group to have reached. So we can do=20 > just the right cocktail mingling with others injected with the same dose=20 of=20 > Proust. > =20 > Well, we don=92t expect every member to actually read through it all. But= we=20 > do expect to try. So if anyone here don=92t know what to ask for Christma= s,=20 a=20 > present just so hard and heavy we used to like it when we were kids, can=20 be=20 > reality. > =20 > The more, the merrier! So think about it, fellow fishes. Can=92t promise=20= you=20 > quality time in front of the local VCR, but emotional support none the=20 less.=20 >=20 > And maybe an invitation for the big =93We did it!=94-Party in December 20= 00.=20 > Read it already? Well, some things are even better the second time. No=20 risk=20 > of dipping our Proust too many time in the tea, anyway... > =20 > /The Proust Wannabe Man > =20 > =20 > =20 > _________________________ It sounds interesting, and i'll do it, but i'm not quite sure I have the=20 prerequisites. -Tory