HOW PROUST CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Proust as a selfhelp book? The idea more and more makes sense in this witty combination of biography, literary analysis, and Proustian commentary on the eternal themes of time, love and friendship. DeBotton recalls the Monty Python skit in which contestants compete to summarize IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME in 15 seconds. His own summation of what Proust has to teach us is artful and entertaining, and especially insightful into Proust's wonderfully dilatory life. West, a British character actor, captures the literate calm that is Proust's unmistakable tone and successfully communicates a sense, not just of the author and his narrative, but of the consciousness and the voice that define them both. D.A.W. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 99]