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The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

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Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#22

Post by bambax »

This book

How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty, by Sarah Bakewell (2011)

is an incredible introduction to Montaigne. I greatly enjoyed it and recommend it fondly to anyone's interested in the man or what he had to say.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#25

Post by lukan »

benreesman wrote: post #12

Monsieur de Montaigne’s observations are highly above the average as concerns wealthy people advising everyone what to do with a nobleman’s time and resources. As a new magistrate or nobleman it’s a decent place to start winding up with something better than a Tesla and a Substack advising people how to inherit a monopoly. But for us plebs, it’s about as compelling as any other bunch of dandies on a tennis court.

I think philosophy works when you have money, as well when you don't.

Or rather, only good philosophy works also when you don't have money and I enjoyed Montaigne a lot, when I was backpacking without money.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#26

Post by tbcj »

bambax wrote: post #22

This book How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty, by Sarah Bakewell (2011) is an incredible introduction to Montaigne. I greatly enjoyed it and recommend it fondly to anyone's interested in the man or what he had to say.

Agreed - how it contextualizes the time and place for Montaigne when writing the essays is invaluable to understanding the essays and how he changes over time.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#27

Post by jchanimal »

phtrivier wrote: post #17

Great effort ! The most striking things to me when I started reading the Essays, is how much it reads like... A blog. Variety of topics, general consistency of theme, a tone that is surprisingly conversationnal... And the bombardment of references, in jokes, quotes, etc... that you use to create connivence with your reader. Also, in the end, if you were asked what Montaigne was famous for, what he actually did, _beyo…

I had the pleasure of reading Montaigne before blogs were invented.

When I started reading blogs, the format reminded me of his essays.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#29

Post by loughnane »

rramadass wrote: post #28

A good edition to own is the beautiful hardcover edition published by Everyman's Library titled Michel de Montaigne The Complete Works Essays Travel journal Letters and translated by Donald Frame - http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics-author.aspx?lette...

The Donald frame translation is lovely. It’s a shame it’s not in the public domain.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#30

Post by kergonath »

phtrivier wrote: post #17

Great effort ! The most striking things to me when I started reading the Essays, is how much it reads like... A blog. Variety of topics, general consistency of theme, a tone that is surprisingly conversationnal... And the bombardment of references, in jokes, quotes, etc... that you use to create connivence with your reader. Also, in the end, if you were asked what Montaigne was famous for, what he actually did, _beyo…

> The most striking things to me when I started reading the Essays, is how much it reads like... A blog.

This is somewhat deceptive. The Essais were very personal, but not spontaneous at all. He spent a lot of time polishing them and rewriting them right until he died. Just like Rabelais, the apparent casual tone of the language is actually quite a lot of work.

In comparison, blog posts are quick to post and then just left as they are. They are closer to letters in that respect.

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