I have owned this book (books, actually) for 15 years, but I have never gotten around to reading them. This is mostly due to the fact that when people talk about Proust’s writing style, the mention how long-winded it is. Also, I read better in German and English than in French (even though I speak better French than English… go figure!) And there are always other (easier) books to read lying around.
Currently, I’m reading “Ilium” by Dan Simmons, and one of his Characters in that book is a frevent admirer of Proust’s writing. Maybe that will finally motivate me to tackle this challenge!