Proust, Marcel: - After reading Chemistry at Oxford, Jim Putz made a career in ceramics in Devon. Fencing, skiing and gardening kept him active and his interest in music and theatre got him involved in chairing the Arts events programme at Dartington Hall for twenty years but he had limited time for reading in a busy business life. He tried several times to read Proust but failed to get very far until after he had retired and tried again with a modern edition. He then realised that Proust had a clear overall plan when he planned his major work and that a shorter version picking out the key elements would be a good introduction for other readers who didn't have the time to persevere with the whole twelve volumes.