Re: Proust 2000!

Excordis@aol.com
Thu, 02 Dec 1999 21:11:41 -0500 (EST) 

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