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Somehow, someway, Proust sticks the landing. This is the strongest part of the entire novel (even surpassing the wonderful SWANN IN LOVE), unifyiing both plot and thematics in an absolutely magical way. If you're considering starting Proust and find yourself lost in the weeds, know that all will become clear in the end. There is some amusing and shocking content in this book, which I'll avoid spoiling at all costs, but three instances stand out: The famous last party, where a justifiably legendary sea change occurs; the very end of the plot's time-line, when the narrator somehow unites seemingly every disparate thread of this winding novel in the body of a surprising new character; and most of all, pages 281-332 of this volume, the moment when the narrator awakens to the possibility of writing a novel. This sequence should serve as a call-to-action to all aspiring writers, and will galvanize anyone whose ambitions might be going through a rough patch. I'll teach it in all future writing classes.

I began this project hoping to reassess what I thought of as canon in college. Then, the puzzle and brilliance of ULYSSES most spoke to me. But no class can encapsulate the experience of living with Marcel that I've enjoyed over the last half-year. It was the slowest going I've ever had in reading, but my goodness, if you've ever thought about changing this book from an ambition to an accomplishment, you have to go for it. It is, I think, the most rewarding literary experience that I've had.