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And now for something completely different....contest/PIF

OK, this is probably going to be the strangest thing posted on here all day, and if nobody is interested in this I completely understand.

Background: I started reading Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past," (aka "In Search of Lost Time") a couple of weeks ago, maybe slightly longer ago. If you don't know, it's one of the longest books ever written. In print it is over 4500 pages; word count is approximately 1.5 million (making it equivalent to, say, 20 regular books). I also started working on a puck of Soapy Science Doc's Special Blend at about the same time.

What I began to wonder to myself was this: would I finish the book or the soap first? I know it's a silly question, but it kept gnawing at me.

Then I thought, why not turn it into a guessing game? You guys can guess which I will finish first. If you guess correctly, your name will be entered into the PIF and the winner will get the prize, which is an almost brand new puck of CBL Tonsorial soap in a scent called Jeris Tonic.

If you are squeamish about "used soaps," then I guess you are out, but I only used it for about 4 or 5 shaves, and the most recent one was about 6 months ago. I cleaned off the soap and let it dry after that use, and it has been in its container with the lid closed in a drawer ever since. That was before the pandemic and a long time ago, so I think any cooties would be dead. You could also just rinse off the top layer or scrape it off with a knife if you wish. I know some people will still be out, and that's ok.

About the soap: This soap was made to mimic vintage Williams, which is well known for easy lathering and smooth shaves. I can tell you that Chris (the soapmaker) accomplished his mission, because I have a puck of vintage Williams and one day I put them up side-by-side in a single shave, and aside from scent I could tell no difference. It's a really nice soap. I just don't like the scent, and I'm trying to thin my herd as quickly as possible because I told myself I wouldn't buy any new soaps until I was down to 4 soaps total.

Odds-making: Soapy Science soaps last a long time. I counted shaves on one puck for awhile, but quit when I got to about 88 and it was still going strong. This particular puck is about 1/4 gone. I shave 4 times a week. I am loading very heavily because I want to thin my soap herd, so perhaps this puck will have fewer shaves in it than the last one (?).

I try to read from the Proust book for at least a half-hour a day, sometimes a bit longer. I guesstimate I am reading maybe 40 pages a day or so (I'm reading it in e-print format). On weekends and on days off I reserve the right to read considerably longer. I have one week off in the month of June. I am currently about 750 pages in (best guess).


So, here's how this will work, if you are still with me, lol (if you didn't make it this far, you definitely wouldn't make it through the Proust!). All you have to do is post in the thread which you think I will finish first, the book or the soap. We won't know the winner for a long time, because it's going to take me a long time to get through either. Once I finish one or the other, all people who guessed correctly will be entered and I will let random.org choose the winner, who will then receive the puck of CBL Tonsorial, which truly is essentially IDENTICAL to the much touted and grieved vintage Williams.

(If nobody is interested in this, I understand. I'll figure out another way to get rid of the soap.)
 
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Famous last words :)

Respectfully not in as I have more than enough soap, but I am compelled to ask: how one would decide to start reading In Search of Lost Time?
Blink twice if you're under duress.
Great question.

I have heard so much about it over the years, and so many people have touted it as an amazing novel (albeit lengthy), I decided to give it a go. Furthermore, for years I was the kind of person who never read a long book. Even 500 pages intimidated me. All the books I read were much shorter. To break out of that, I read "War and Peace," and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. That was at least 6 or 7 years ago. But it gave me the courage to give this a try.

If I don't make it, then obviously I will finish the soap before I finish the book. I can be a rather determined person, though, so don't count me out just yet. :thumbup1:
 
There's this guy, and his name is Swann. I love the absurdity! I say you will finish the puck unless you're an Evelyn Woods Speed Reading student. I am in. I cheated and listened to the BBC radio adaptation of the whole thing.
 
There's this guy, and his name is Swann. I love the absurdity! I say you will finish the puck unless you're an Evelyn Woods Speed Reading student. I am in. I cheated and listened to the BBC radio adaptation of the whole thing.
Reminds me of an old Woody Allen stand-up routine. He talks about how he attended an Evelyn Wood's Speed Reading course. He says that he didn't really believe it was possible at first, but he followed the instructions and was surprised at how fast he became. He ends with "the last day I read War and Peace in the afternoon. It was a great novel. It was about Russia." :lol:
 
I am in! Since everyone is betting on the soap i am going against the grain and saying you will finish the book first!

This is certainly an interesting PIF but hey what could go wrong with encouraged reading 😁
 
Not in. I can't use a soap more than twice in a row, so I'm betting on the book. I think the longest book on my shelf is the unabridged The Count of Monte Cristo, at 1,200+ pages. I have at least 10-12 unabridged English editions, including a 5 vol, leather-bound reproduction of an 1888 illustrated edition, and I can tell you the differences between each of them, as no two English translations of the book are the same. I don't speak French, but I also have 2 French versions.
 
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I think the longest book i've attempted is Infinite Jest. The longest book I've completed would have to be a Stephen King one (he can go on).
 
40 pages of Proust in half an hour? Sacre bleu! Anyway, I’m in. I’ll guess end of 2020 for the finish. That’s still pretty ambitious.
 
40 pages of Proust in half an hour? Sacre bleu! Anyway, I’m in. I’ll guess end of 2020 for the finish. That’s still pretty ambitious.
You have to guess whether I will finish the soap or the book first in order to be in.
 
I’m in. I think you’ll finish the soap first. This is a fun one! Are you going to keep us posted on your progress with both?
 
CBL Tonsorial is very good soap, great pif! I predict you’ll finish the soap first. I’ll let someone who hasn’t tried the soap have the pleasure of winning. Respectfully, not in.
 
I’m in. I think you’ll finish the soap first. This is a fun one! Are you going to keep us posted on your progress with both?
I wasn't going to, but your post made me thunk about it. I feel like if I don't, by the time this is over nobody will even remember they entered, lol.
So I guess I will update it every once in a while. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
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