“They say to understand it, you have to go back and do it again”

Nic Rowan writes about historian Gordon Wood and his decision to read Proust at 90 (h/t Arts & Letters Daily):

“We have a room full of bibliophiles here,” Will said, gesturing to the two hundred or so people seated in the ballroom. “What have you read recently in American history that we ought to read?”
“What book am I reading?” Wood asked.
Will nodded. “What book in American history?”
“I’m not reading American history right now,” Wood laughed. “I just finished Proust! I said I would do it before I die, and well . . .”
The whole room laughed. Wood was beaming.

My favorite bit is this:

The next morning I emailed him. Would he be interested in writing on reading Proust at ninety for The Lamp? His refusal was prompt, polite, but firm. He told me that this project was too “personal” for him to write about for a magazine audience.

I am not 90, but I get it. Something struck me about a particular scene recently and it tickled my brain for a bit before I realized I was seeing Girard’s triangular desire at work in one of The Narrator’s infatuations, so now I’m waiting for Deceit, Desire and the Novel to arrive.