Customer Reviews

The Autobiography of Michel De Montaigne (Nonpareil Books)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent book, so long as you understand what you are dealing with. While it is true that Montaigne did not write an autobiography (indeed this would have been unusual to say the least) he was most careful about his writing--for example he would not erase any passages or writings. Therefore, Montaigne's writings are a wealth of information about a man, and when put together carefully provide a good portrait of the man. Perhaps not technically an autobiography, nevertheless I think that Montaigne would have appreciated Lowenthal's effort.

Do not be misled. This is NOT Montaigne's autobiography. Montaigne did not write an autobiography. (Who did, before Rousseau, 200 years later? Besides St. Agustuine.) This book (originally published in 1935) is a cut-and-paste collection of passages from the "Essays," and from M's letters and diaries, notes, and journals, arranged AS IF constituting a deliberately composed autobiography. ("Aided by scissors, paste, and patience, I have let him retell his life story," the editor says.) Useful, I suppose, in getting some sense of the order of events in M's life. On the other hand, the book is not annotated, so you have no idea where any particular passage might have come from. Consequently, irritating, if you care anything about the original form and literary purpose of what Montaigne actually wrote.

A must-read for those seeking wisdom in the everyday-ness of life. M. de Montaigne's words are both humorous and profound, crisply translated and arranged by M. Lowenthal that make of the book a pleasant read, not just to pass the time but to get something out of it. It honestly leads one to the desired effect, to take up and read M. de Montaigne's book Essays itself to continue drinking from his fount of wisdom.