The Essays: A Selection (Penguin Classics)

The Essays: A Selection (Penguin Classics)

by Michel Montaigne (Author), Michel Montaigne (Author), M. A. Screech (Introduction)

Synopsis

To overcome a crisis of melancholy after the death of his father, Montaigne withdrew to his country estates and began to write, and in the highly original essays that resulted he discussed themes such as fathers and children, conscience and cowardice, coaches and cannibals, and, above all, himself. "On Some Lines of Virgil" opens out into a frank discussion of sexuality and makes a revolutionary case for the equality of the sexes. In "On Experience" he superbly propounds his thoughts on the right way to live, while other essays touch on issues of an age struggling with religious and intellectual strife, with France torn apart by civil war. These diverse subjects are united by Montaigne's distinctive voice - that of a tolerant man, sceptical, humane, often humorous and utterly honest in his pursuit of the truth.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 480
Edition: Revised ed.
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Published: 26 Aug 1993

ISBN 10: 0140446028
ISBN 13: 9780140446029

Author Bio
Born in 1533, Montaigne studied law and spent a number of years working as a counsellor before devoting his life to reading, writing and reflection. He died in 1586. Dr M.A. Screech is regarded as the world's greatest authority on Montaigne.