After abandoning his novel known as Jean Santeuil, Proust began translating and annotating works by the eminent English art critic John Ruskin. He worked on this task from roughly 1900-1905, during which time he learned a lot about structure and motif in Ruskin's writings, a lesson that was to influence Proust's style and structure in In Search of Lost Time.
The course is WONDERFUL. You simply cannot appreciate how it has enhanced my reading. I felt fairly alone at time, en face de Proust. This course has opened up a world which I sensed, but which I can now piece together.
Barbara Pilsbury
Your lectures have widened my understanding and given me new things to think about. My sincere thanks to you and to Nic. This course has obviously been a labor of love for you two as the course fee is in no way proportionate to the service provided by you.
Cathy Lamb
I am enjoying your fascinating first lecture.
Peter Albert McKay
Thank you, Bill. I am just getting started, have always wanted to read Proust but felt I needed a structured environment. What a great thing for you to do.
Denise Middlebrooks
Enjoying the course—well done. This was my second reading of Proust and to be able to do this within the context of a course gave me so much more than reading it alone. This was fun!
Deborah Hendel
Just writing to tell you that I am loving doing the course—and finally reading Proust properly, something I have wanted to do since living in Paris many years ago. Your guidance, intimate knowledge, and passion for Proust are inspirational.
Brita Lomba