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canislatrans's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like a better human being for having read this book (or rather, heard it read on the Brilliance audio edition). Who knows what will happen if I actually read Montaigne's Essays?
jwmcoaching's review against another edition
2.0
I read over half of this, and while it was informative and even entertaining at times, I just didn't enjoy it enough to push myself to finish it...
m_peacock's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
It's a biography of Montaigne's Essays, giving the context you need to read and enjoy them. You get Montaigne's life, a description of the times in Bordeaux, the political situation in France,... but all within the context of what Montaigne put down in the Essays. It's well-written, with the right level of detail and the right tone. I never thought about actually cracking open the Essays... until now.
brizreading's review against another edition
3.0
This was one of those books that I spent several years (!) preparing myself emotionally for, and - God - I really didn't need to. Also, Montaigne would probably not advocate for such reverence.
Basically, what I *imagined* this book to be was a Deep, Meaningful, Philosophical Treatise that would be sort of boring, but would have some awesome, dharma payoff of wisdom, if I just managed to clear my mind/life enough to struggle through it. I imagined it as something akin to The Snow Leopard. Instead, this book is - well - okay, it sort of *is* a Deep, Meaningful, Philosophical Treatise, though it advocates a fierce irreverence and humility in the face of life's big questions.
The book is a biography/hagiography about Montaigne, 16th century French philosopher, who advocated a plain, Soto Zen-style "just sit to sit" humanistic philosophy in a series of essays called, Essays. The funny thing about this book is that it spends a lot of time deconstructing, analyzing and commentating on the Essays, couching them in a chronological journey through Montaigne's small town 16th century France life, and... I've never read the Essays! So yeah. I think this book must have a big payoff for existing Montaigne fans. As a Montaigne intro, it piques the interest, but often left me going, "Maybe I should just read these damn Essays..."
Nonetheless, you do get the JIST of the Essays, and that is that folks should just chill the eff out sometimes (most of the time), and stop allowing themselves to get carried off on flights of seriousness and importance. Montaigne, it seems, was my kinda guy: endlessly equivocal, deeply irreverent, a Stoic with a sense of humor. Sounds great! This type of sensibility (which is basically captured in Italian movies from the commedia all'italiana 1970s period) is very special, indeed.
Basically, what I *imagined* this book to be was a Deep, Meaningful, Philosophical Treatise that would be sort of boring, but would have some awesome, dharma payoff of wisdom, if I just managed to clear my mind/life enough to struggle through it. I imagined it as something akin to The Snow Leopard. Instead, this book is - well - okay, it sort of *is* a Deep, Meaningful, Philosophical Treatise, though it advocates a fierce irreverence and humility in the face of life's big questions.
The book is a biography/hagiography about Montaigne, 16th century French philosopher, who advocated a plain, Soto Zen-style "just sit to sit" humanistic philosophy in a series of essays called, Essays. The funny thing about this book is that it spends a lot of time deconstructing, analyzing and commentating on the Essays, couching them in a chronological journey through Montaigne's small town 16th century France life, and... I've never read the Essays! So yeah. I think this book must have a big payoff for existing Montaigne fans. As a Montaigne intro, it piques the interest, but often left me going, "Maybe I should just read these damn Essays..."
Nonetheless, you do get the JIST of the Essays, and that is that folks should just chill the eff out sometimes (most of the time), and stop allowing themselves to get carried off on flights of seriousness and importance. Montaigne, it seems, was my kinda guy: endlessly equivocal, deeply irreverent, a Stoic with a sense of humor. Sounds great! This type of sensibility (which is basically captured in Italian movies from the commedia all'italiana 1970s period) is very special, indeed.
batoolm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
agenc's review against another edition
1.0
Great author well researched well organized she did a fantastic job.
I have to give it One star just because this is not the kind of book for me and I do not want any recommendations for any books that are anything like this.
His treatment of his mother was hard to take which resulted in me putting it down for about a year and I only finished it to cross it off my to do list.
I have to give it One star just because this is not the kind of book for me and I do not want any recommendations for any books that are anything like this.
His treatment of his mother was hard to take which resulted in me putting it down for about a year and I only finished it to cross it off my to do list.
louisejulig's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
This lighthearted yet informative biography of French essayist Montaigne, who lived in the 1500s and is considered the father of the modern essay form, was more engaging than I expected. It gave much-needed context to his life before I set out to read the Complete Works the following year.