When the author of In Remembrance of Thing Past died in 1922 Compton Mackenzie said he was , the most important literary phenomenon of our time '. Arnold Ben nett found his style ' insupportable', Arthur Symons found him ' a creator of gorgeous fabrics. Babylons, Sodoms ... only he added ' he never startles you, as Balzac startles you.' Since then, succeeding generations of authors have reacted differently to Proust's monumental work, a million-and-a quarter words long. But what does Proust mean to us now?
A. S. Byatt is one contemporary novelist who feels Proust is a ' writer's writer, because he makes you want to write '. She talks about her enthusiasm, and Proust's literary influence, with fellow writers and critics in England, France and America - J. B. Priestley. Malcolm Bradbury. Roger Shattuck. Nathalie Sar raute. Harold Pinter and Michel Butor.
Producer PATRICIA BRENT tA series of readings from In Remembrance of Things Past beoins tomorrow at 8.40 pm)