Thanks Don - I have to confess that I know absolutely nothing about Proust (other than the "Summarising Proust Competition" sketch on "Monty Python", of course
). Definitely sounds like one for the "must tackle sometimes in my lifetime" list - I share your love of books where the language envelops you and carries you along in its flow. Proust sounds perhaps vaguely similar to James Joyce in that respect, at least.