Philosophy

The Complete Works

The Complete Works

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  • Author：Michel de Montaigne
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Summary

Describing his collection of Essays as ‘a book consubstantial with its author’， Montaigne identified both the power and the charm of a work which introduces us to one of the most attractive figures in European literature。 A humanist， a sceptic， an acute observer of himself and others， he reflects the great themes of existence through the prism of his own self-consciousness。 Apparent in every line he wrote， his virtues of tolerance， moderation and disinterested inquiry amount to an undeclared manifesto for the Enlightenment， whose prophet he is。 This complete edition of his works supplements the Essays with travel diaries and letters， thereby completing the portrait of a true Renaissance man。

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Reviews

Genni ，

I’ve been reading a few essays on weekends for the larger part of a year。 The simplest way to review this is to say that Montaigne’s curious and intelligent mind has been good company。

Shyam ，

Second time。I didn't notice anything jarring about Frame's translation except when it came to some memorable quotes for which I preferred Ives' renderings; would definitely recommend， especially in this nice compact Everyman's Library edition。 Will try Screech next time。I skimmed through the Travel Journal and didn't read the letters， although they're nice to have。__________My note of quotes from this overtook Leopardi's Zibaldone at 465，529 vs 245，312 characters。 I may read through them all and Second time。I didn't notice anything jarring about Frame's translation except when it came to some memorable quotes for which I preferred Ives' renderings; would definitely recommend， especially in this nice compact Everyman's Library edition。 Will try Screech next time。I skimmed through the Travel Journal and didn't read the letters， although they're nice to have。__________My note of quotes from this overtook Leopardi's Zibaldone at 465，529 vs 245，312 characters。 I may read through them all and post a few here at some point。 。。。more

Ivan Self ，

Simply excellent。

Rebecca ，

Rating Michel de Montaigne's deeply-considered and renowned Essays and his observant and rather personal Travel Journal strikes me as too presumptuous。 I give this tome a 5-star rating as an affectionate expression of my long （9 months of reading！） association with his commentary and tolerant viewpoint and gratitude for his candid example of self-critique。 I will miss his daily infusion of temperate and objective tone into my musings！ Rating Michel de Montaigne's deeply-considered and renowned Essays and his observant and rather personal Travel Journal strikes me as too presumptuous。 I give this tome a 5-star rating as an affectionate expression of my long （9 months of reading！） association with his commentary and tolerant viewpoint and gratitude for his candid example of self-critique。 I will miss his daily infusion of temperate and objective tone into my musings！ 。。。more

Geoffrey ，

Timeless。 Reading these collected writings feels like being engaged in an ongoing， meandering conversation， filled with whimsical asides and though-provoking assertions。 Over time， it starts to feel as if Montaigne could be sitting in the room with you， just out of sight。 Don't be put off by the length。 It's perfect for reading an essay here and there， whenever you have the time。 I will be re-reading these and discovering something new for many years to come。 Timeless。 Reading these collected writings feels like being engaged in an ongoing， meandering conversation， filled with whimsical asides and though-provoking assertions。 Over time， it starts to feel as if Montaigne could be sitting in the room with you， just out of sight。 Don't be put off by the length。 It's perfect for reading an essay here and there， whenever you have the time。 I will be re-reading these and discovering something new for many years to come。 。。。more

Mitch Flitcroft ，

Montaigne’s writings have the quality， so rare in most contemporary books， of depth。 Usually， I read books like I inspect boxes at a garage sale: I open them up， glance at what’s inside， and take out the good bits。 Montaigne’s books don’t permit such a reading。 They’re more like a treasure chest， guarded by a lock and filled with secret compartments。 You have to work slowly and attentively to unlock the treasure。 One of these treasures is Montaigne’s reflections on scepticism。 Although he writes Montaigne’s writings have the quality， so rare in most contemporary books， of depth。 Usually， I read books like I inspect boxes at a garage sale: I open them up， glance at what’s inside， and take out the good bits。 Montaigne’s books don’t permit such a reading。 They’re more like a treasure chest， guarded by a lock and filled with secret compartments。 You have to work slowly and attentively to unlock the treasure。 One of these treasures is Montaigne’s reflections on scepticism。 Although he writes broadly， scepticism permeates all of his work。 He coined the phrase， “what do I know？”。 Most philosophers， save some notable examples such as Socrates， hate scepticism。 They think it leads to deprivation at best and nihilism at worst。 Montaigne， on the other hand， argues that scepticism is enriching。 Dogmatism， zealotry， and moralising are always justified by reference to “knowledge”。 （Recall that Montaigne is writing during the height of the French Wars of Religion， where his compatriots were massacring each other over the smallest of doctrinal differences）。 “Knowledge” justifies totalitarian commitments， like an invasive plant species that overtakes an ecosystem。 This absolutism stifles one’s ability to enjoy the full range of human experience。 Comparatively， the moderation， toleration， and tranquillity that comes with scepticism makes space for one to enjoy the full range of human experience， seeing validity and beauty in multiple perspectives and life paths。 On my better days， I reject scepticism。 I’m usually a good objectivist， believing that ultimate reality can be comprehended through the use of reason and the scientific method。 However， on my darker days， I fear that science is too limited， humans too biased， and the world too complex for us to truly grasp reality。 Most knowledge claims， especially those fervently held， are folly。 On those days， I find solace in Montaigne’s reflections on scepticism。 Montaigne’s essays contain life advice from which we can all benefit。 I’m pleased I bought the hardcover， rather than paperback， version of this book because I plan to consult its wisdom for the rest of my life。 。。。more

John ，

“We dignify our stupidities when we put them in print。”Such is Montaigne’s thesis statement… at least at certain points， and not always completely， and also depending on who he’s quoting。 Clear enough？ If you’re looking for overarching narrative structure or a principled， well fleshed out worldview， you’ve come to the wrong place。 The best I can say of Montaigne， and also why I think he remains a big name in intellectual history， is his honesty。 In his life-long essays and ramblings we see someo “We dignify our stupidities when we put them in print。”Such is Montaigne’s thesis statement… at least at certain points， and not always completely， and also depending on who he’s quoting。 Clear enough？ If you’re looking for overarching narrative structure or a principled， well fleshed out worldview， you’ve come to the wrong place。 The best I can say of Montaigne， and also why I think he remains a big name in intellectual history， is his honesty。 In his life-long essays and ramblings we see someone who was nearly a pagan Epicurean while also a loyal Catholic during wars with Protestants， someone who would write flowery and witty letters to honorable so-and-so’s as well as on his kidney stones， and someone who could still fit a type of what we would consider French today。 It’s a remarkable achievement for literature and essay writing， certainly， but it’s not one I would inflict on anybody。 Over the essays， we see a man in the prime of his life emphasizing reason and service to the country slowly become more jaded and concerned with death as time goes on。 One thing that shocked me， given the confessional genre， is that he seems not to be aware of St。 Augustine’s Confessions。 So， he’s really starting from the ground up。 Select quotes （there are many）:I honor most those to whom I show least honor。We wish nothing freely， nothing absolutely， nothing constantly。That knowledge is the mother of all virtue， and that all vice is produced by ignorance。 If that is true， it is subject to a long interpretation。I always call reason that semblance of intellect that each man fabricates in himself。Aristotle says that anger sometimes serves as a weapon for virtue and valor。 That is quite likely; yet those who deny it answer humorously that it is a weapon whose use is novel。 For we move other weapons， this one moves us; our hand does not guide it， it guides our hand; it holds us， we do not hold it。I am pleased to be less praised， provided I am better known。Myself now and myself a while ago are indeed two; but when better， I simply cannot say。It is putting a very high price on one’s conjectures to have a man roasted alive because of them。 。。。more

GRosen ，

One of the greatest works of Western lit。 I will be reading this book til I die。 Montaigne speaks directly to us across the centuries in a casual personal tone。 He talks about everything， but he is the central character of the work。 Montaigne is wise and funny， humane and interested in everything。 Highly highly recommended。

Fabian ，

After countless times rereading this book I never fail to stumble upon new ideas 。。。A true masterpiece。

Amanda Williamson ，

I will be reading this again。 His observations of the human condition are captivating。 During the the mundane moments of everyday life his words popped into my head。 A fantastic set of works。

Michael ，

I enjoyed this translation much more than the more recent M。A。 Screech edition。 Screech's translation has added clarity to Montaigne's essays， but rings cold。 I go back and forth between Frame and Screech， but prefer Frame overall。 I enjoyed this translation much more than the more recent M。A。 Screech edition。 Screech's translation has added clarity to Montaigne's essays， but rings cold。 I go back and forth between Frame and Screech， but prefer Frame overall。 。。。more

Eric Norris ，

I first read Montaigne's selected essays in my early 20s， in Boston， in a used bookstore Penguin edition， translated by J。M。 Cohen。 I’d like to give Montaigne the Milky Way--instead of a measly five stars--considering how profoundly he changed my life。 In a peculiar way， he taught me how to be myself simply by being so much himself， kidney stones and all。 He taught me how to look at myself inwardly。 And outwardly。 In a word， how to live。I just wish I could remember how I picked up Montaigne orig I first read Montaigne's selected essays in my early 20s， in Boston， in a used bookstore Penguin edition， translated by J。M。 Cohen。 I’d like to give Montaigne the Milky Way--instead of a measly five stars--considering how profoundly he changed my life。 In a peculiar way， he taught me how to be myself simply by being so much himself， kidney stones and all。 He taught me how to look at myself inwardly。 And outwardly。 In a word， how to live。I just wish I could remember how I picked up Montaigne originally。 I think I had read an interview with Gore Vidal somewhere and Vidal said that Montaigne was somebody he had been returning to in his old age。 At 21， I was more interested in Montaigne's views on cannibals and friendship than aging， quite honestly。 I still am。 But Gore Vidal's remarks--and a book club subscription--led me to order the bulky M。A。 Screech translation of the complete essays， which was relatively new in the early 1990s， and remains excellent。I am nearly 50 now， having given up the cutthroat hustle and bustle of the East Coast--Boston and NYC--and found myself a studious studio in Portland， Oregon， surrounded by books and trees， and relative peace and tranquility， apart from the midnight ravings of demented meth heads in my neighborhood and the occasional political riot across town。 This is my second time tackling the complete essays， the first time in nearly 30 years， and for the first time in the famous Donald Frame translation from 1958。 This is by far my favorite version。 I do not know enough French to compare versions intelligently， so I cannot give you proper reasons why I would prefer one version over another。 Maybe the silk ribbon bookmark that comes with the Frame edition。 Maybe the cloth binding。 Maybe something else。 A feeling maybe--like a tinkling glass of ice-water on an oppressive summer day: fresh and refreshing as ever。Because， even in translation， Montaigne is a joy: wise， humble， experienced， candid， ironic， funny， reliable， skeptical， faithful， and humane。 And， like I said up above， the Frame Montaigne also comes with a built in silk bookmark， should you feel the urge to go swimming， watch TV， play World of Warcraft， make an egg salad sandwich， or love， travel around the world， or visit the toilet。 How many flesh and blood friends in your life can make the same claim？ Not many， I bet。Not many。 。。。more

Alain Van Rijn ，

fun and mind cleansing read/listen

Philip ，

I'll never finish this one。 I'll never finish this one。 。。。more

Arno Mosikyan ，

Impressive， and this is 16th century， I adore Montaigne。

Aaron Gutman ，

I first heard about Montaigne about 10 years ago。 In 2012 or thereabouts， I bought the Complete Works by Everyman and began paging through it and could not understand what the hype was about？ The few essays I read seemed like dry regurgitations of Classical philosophy and anecdotes from obscure Renaissance-era wars。 Last summer I read Sarah Bakewell's fantastic bio on Montaigne and began reading him again。 I have since read around 40 of his essays （That's not very many， the Complete Works is a b I first heard about Montaigne about 10 years ago。 In 2012 or thereabouts， I bought the Complete Works by Everyman and began paging through it and could not understand what the hype was about？ The few essays I read seemed like dry regurgitations of Classical philosophy and anecdotes from obscure Renaissance-era wars。 Last summer I read Sarah Bakewell's fantastic bio on Montaigne and began reading him again。 I have since read around 40 of his essays （That's not very many， the Complete Works is a brick） and recently finished another bio on him by Stefan Zweig。 Montaigne preaches tolerance， moderation and nuanced thinking。 He condemns binary thinking and certainty about politics， religion， people etc。 Montaigne is relentlessly self-deprecating and always asking himself， "What do I know"？ In our age of smug， stifling righteousness the nuance and moderation of his thought is refreshing and has made me take a step back from my own "certainties。"A few recommendations:-Jump around in the Complete Works。 You don't have to read it cover to cover。 In fact， if you start with the first essays you might get bogged down by the dry regurgitations I mentioned earlier。 Montaigne hits his stride in the later essays。-Reading Montaigne is like having a conversation with a friend as many， many people have said before me。 Prepare to make a friend from 16th Century France。 Be patient。 His style is meandering， Bakewell claims he originated the use of "stream of consciousness" in writing。 Pick up a bio on Montaigne。 The Bakewell and Zweig bios are both excellent intros。 。。。more

Judith Bongiovanni ，

Very enjoyable， if somewhat verbose and slightly repetitious。 Definitely not formal nor well ordered。 It is full of wit and humor， portrays Montaigne in a complete and honest way， and provides plenty for thought and argument。

Marsinay ，

I don’t believe I will ever get tired of returning to these essays。 Oh how I adore Monsieur de Montaigne and his peccadilloes！Although I agree with those who consider Donald Frame’s translation of Montaigne to be the superior one， I nonetheless found it helpful to supplement my reading with M。A。 Screech’s edition in tandem。 The two together provided better clarity on some of the obscurer passages， and Screech’s footnotes and explanations—especially his exegesis of ‘An Apology for Raymond Sebond’ I don’t believe I will ever get tired of returning to these essays。 Oh how I adore Monsieur de Montaigne and his peccadilloes！Although I agree with those who consider Donald Frame’s translation of Montaigne to be the superior one， I nonetheless found it helpful to supplement my reading with M。A。 Screech’s edition in tandem。 The two together provided better clarity on some of the obscurer passages， and Screech’s footnotes and explanations—especially his exegesis of ‘An Apology for Raymond Sebond’—were illuminating。 （Note: Sarah Bakewell’s How To Live provides a wonderful introduction and background with which to begin a reading of M。 de M。， although her book is entertaining enough to be read on its own merit alone。 She is a wickedly funny and smart writer。） 。。。more

Andrew Davis ，

A truly desert island book， considered by some to be the last one to be read in one’s life， made me think I still have a few more books to read before returning to it。 Quotes from Montaigne:•tThis book is not an elementary manual for apprentices: it is the masters’ Koran， the quintessence of philosophy: a work not for tasting but for digesting and chilifying， the last book one should take up and the last one should put down。•tA soul anxious about the future is most vulnerable （Seneca）•tA man led A truly desert island book， considered by some to be the last one to be read in one’s life， made me think I still have a few more books to read before returning to it。 Quotes from Montaigne:•tThis book is not an elementary manual for apprentices: it is the masters’ Koran， the quintessence of philosophy: a work not for tasting but for digesting and chilifying， the last book one should take up and the last one should put down。•tA soul anxious about the future is most vulnerable （Seneca）•tA man led to the gallows was told by his confessor that he should sup that day with Our Lord。 He answered: “You go there yourself; for my part， I’m fasting。” 。。。more

Sookie ，

Montaigne is timeless。 His essays are the very definition of timeless classics。 Though he was more well known as a statesman than an author， his essays laced with personal anecdotes， quotes from Greek classics and offered an every man's perspective to those subjects that have been classically complicated。 His subject of interests vary from education of children to smelly people; from solitude to problems with popularity。 He isn't being ironic when he calls out noteworthy philosophers。 Instead he Montaigne is timeless。 His essays are the very definition of timeless classics。 Though he was more well known as a statesman than an author， his essays laced with personal anecdotes， quotes from Greek classics and offered an every man's perspective to those subjects that have been classically complicated。 His subject of interests vary from education of children to smelly people; from solitude to problems with popularity。 He isn't being ironic when he calls out noteworthy philosophers。 Instead he criticizes his critiques for their ambiguous integrity in recognizing or glossing over statements made by famous philosophers。 Montaigne argues that there is an inherent bias attached to the name and the position the person holds in the society。 It is uncanny how Montaigne's words resonate in modern world。 He strips humanity of all the frills and deals with the naked vapid stinky pile of goo that we are。 Its enthralling to read a classic where the author deftly handle and rebuke the "polite-gestures" as set by the elite society。 He makes no apologies for bodily functions or disregard for quaint thought process。 Montaigne has to be part of reading curriculum not just for adults graduating in philosophy but in general。 His anecdotes， stories and personal preferences add a touch of humanity that sometimes philosophical texts severely lacks。 Reading this at an early age can help putting the world into a perspective。 One doesn't need to take themselves so seriously all the time。 It is okay to let your hai down and bum on the beach。 But hey， what do I know？ 。。。more

Harlen ，

I can't really describe how much I enjoyed reading this book。 Montaigne reads like a mentor giving you advice and insight on everything from sex， marriage， and aesthetics （great focus on the face and calves） to death， war， and kidney stones。 Though some of the essays weren't super interesting there were always nuggets of wisdom hidden throughout。 This might be the best book I've read in more than a year。 I can't really describe how much I enjoyed reading this book。 Montaigne reads like a mentor giving you advice and insight on everything from sex， marriage， and aesthetics （great focus on the face and calves） to death， war， and kidney stones。 Though some of the essays weren't super interesting there were always nuggets of wisdom hidden throughout。 This might be the best book I've read in more than a year。 。。。more

Б。 Ачболд ，

Yes， I am reading both translations， Screech and Frame。 More on this later 。 。 。

Jeremy ，

I loved Montaigne’s essays。 It is an enormous work， and I found much to enjoy。 The kind of book I want in my collection， particularly because it is so long it’s hard to read all of the essays。 Five stars。Here are some of my favorite excerpts:1:9 - “…excellent memories are prone to be joined to feeble judgments。”1:20 is about death。 Excellent essay。 We are all one false step away from death at any moment。 Yet people should stop being afraid of it。“。。。to strip it [death] of its greatest advantage I loved Montaigne’s essays。 It is an enormous work， and I found much to enjoy。 The kind of book I want in my collection， particularly because it is so long it’s hard to read all of the essays。 Five stars。Here are some of my favorite excerpts:1:9 - “…excellent memories are prone to be joined to feeble judgments。”1:20 is about death。 Excellent essay。 We are all one false step away from death at any moment。 Yet people should stop being afraid of it。“。。。to strip it [death] of its greatest advantage against us…let us rid it of its strangeness， come to know it， get used to it。 Let us have nothing on our minds as often as death。 At every moment let us picture it in our imagination in all its aspects。 At the stumbling of a horse， the fall of a tile， the slightest pin prick…what if it were death itself？…It is uncertain where death awaits us; let us await it everywhere…He who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave…If I were a maker of books， I would make a register， with comments， of various deaths。 He who would teach men to die would teach them to live…。for why should we fear to lose a thing which once lost cannot be regretted？ And since we are threatened by so many kinds of death， is there not more pain in fearing them all than in enduring one？ What does it matter when it comes， since it is inevitable？…Long life and short life are made all one by death…It does not concern you dead or alive: alive， because you are; dead， because you are no more。 No one dies before his time。 The time you leave behind was no more yours than that which passed before your birth， and it concerns you no more…Did you think you would never arrive where you never ceased going？ Yet there is no road but has its end…If you did not have death， you would curse me incessantly for having deprived you of it…in wars the face of death seems to us incomparably less terrifying than in our houses。 I truly think it is those dreadful faces and trappings with which we surround it， that frighten us more than death itself: an entirely new way of living; the cries of mothers， wives， and children; the visits of people dazed and benumbed by grief; the presence of a number of pale and weeping servants; a darkened room; lighted candles; our bedside besieged by doctors and preachers; in short， everything horror and fright around us。 There we are already shrouded and buried。 Happy the death that leaves no leisure for preparing such ceremonies！”1:21 - humorous。 Of flatulence and phallic notions。 Describes placebo effects。1:26 - on the education of children。 Teach children to think for themselves， and don’t be harsh with them。1:28 - of friendship。 About the rare instance of a very close friend。1:51 - Trumpism quote - when wrestling Pericles “…persuades those who saw it happen that he did not fall， and he wins the prize。”2:5 - Of conscience。 Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment could have been conceived in this essay。 “…the avenging furies of conscience made the very man bring it out who was to bear the penalty for it。 Hesiod corrects the saying of Plato， that punishment follows close after sin; for he says that it is born at the same instant with the sin。 Whoever expects punishment already suffers it…He who plans evil suffers most from it…So， even while we take pleasure in vice， there is engendered in our conscience a contrary displeasure which torments us…”2:17 - Of presumption。 “I like to be ignorant of the count of what I have， so as to feel my loss less exactly…[I] abandon myself completely to Fortune [chance]， expect the worst in everything， and resolve to bear that worst meekly and patiently。 It is for that alone that I labor; that is the goal toward which I direct all my reflections…When things happen I bear myself like a man; in conducting them， like a child。 The dread of falling gives me a greater fever than the fall…often it is not as bad to lose your vineyard as to go to court for it。 The lowest step is the firmest。 It is the seat of constancy。 There you need nothing but yourself。”2:31 - Of anger。 “There is no passion that so shakes the clarity of our judgment as anger… Why is it…permissible for fathers and schoolmasters to whip and chastise children when they are in anger？ It is no longer correction， it is vengeance… It is passion that is in command at first， it is passion that speaks， it is not we ourselves。” 。。。more

Chris Via ，

How could I not love Montaigne？ He lived the life I wish I could live: locked away in a far turret within the fortified walls of his family's château， Montaigne spent his later years basically cloistered in his library， reading and writing， and eventually spawning the form known as the essay。 One looks at pictures of the famous tower and dreams。Having only known Latin until the age of 6， Montaigne's influences are to be expected， especially in light of the historical era of the Renaissance: Virg How could I not love Montaigne？ He lived the life I wish I could live: locked away in a far turret within the fortified walls of his family's château， Montaigne spent his later years basically cloistered in his library， reading and writing， and eventually spawning the form known as the essay。 One looks at pictures of the famous tower and dreams。Having only known Latin until the age of 6， Montaigne's influences are to be expected， especially in light of the historical era of the Renaissance: Virgil， Seneca， Cicero， Lucan， Horace， Catallus， Lucretius， Petrarch， Ariosto， Ovid， Martial， and Juvenal， to name a few。 [The following are my running notes to eventually be crafted into a sort of review。]1。 By diverse means we arrive at the same end:"Truly man is a marvelously vain， diverse， and undulating object。 It is hard to found any constant in uniform judgment on him" （5）。 2。 Of sadness:"All passions that allow themselves to be savored and digested are only mediocre" （8-9）。 3。 Our feelings reach out beyond us:"We are never at home， we are always beyond。 Fear， desire， hope， project us toward the future and steal from us the feeling and consideration of what is， to busy us with what will be， even when we show no longer be" （9-10）。 4。 How the soul discharges its passions on false objects when the true are wanting:"And we see that the soul in its passions will sooner deceive itself by setting up a false and fantastical object， even contrary to its own belief， than not act against something" （16）。 7。 That intention is judge of our actions:"If I can， I shall keep my death from saying anything that my life has not already said" （24）。 8。 Of idleness:"The soul [or mind] that has no fixed goal loses itself; for as they say， to be everywhere is to be nowhere" （24）。 9。 Of liars:"But the reverse of truth has a hundred thousand shapes and a limitless field。 The Pythagoreans make out the good to be certain and finite， evil infinite and uncertain。 A thousand paths miss the target， one goes to it" （28）。"And how much less sociable is false speech than silence" （28）。 10。 Of prompt or slow speech"I have little control over myself and my moods。 Chance has more power here than I。 The occassion， the company， the very sound of my voice， draw more from my mind than I find in it when I sound it and use it by myself" （31）。 11。 Of prognostication"。。。in public disorders men stunned by their fate will throw themselves back， as on any superstition， on seeking in the heavens the ancient causes and threats of their misfortune" （35）。 "But what gives them an especially good chance to play is the obscure， ambiguous， and fantastic language of the prophetic jargon， to which their authors give no clear meaning， so that posterity can apply to it whatever meanings it pleases" （35）。 12。 Of constancy"The Peripatetic sage does not exempt himself from perturbations， but he moderates them" （37）。 13。 Ceremony of interviews between kings"It is better for me to offend him once than myself every day" （38）。 14。 That the taste of good and evil depends in large part on the opinion we have of them"Men， says an old Greek maxim， are tormented by the opinions they have of things， not by the things themselves" （39）。 "。。。custom and length of time are far stronger counselors than any other compulsion" （43）。 。。。more

Andrew ，

I'd read many of the essays before， and found them to be remarkably iconoclastic and forward-thinking。 Here was a guy， alone in his tower in the Périgord， who faced modern life straight on， and suggested that we shouldn't impose our own value system on other societies， that too many schools reward pedantry at the cost of independent thought， and that the highest value should be placed on skepticism， reflection， honesty， and empathy， while his neighbors were busy slaughtering each other for payin I'd read many of the essays before， and found them to be remarkably iconoclastic and forward-thinking。 Here was a guy， alone in his tower in the Périgord， who faced modern life straight on， and suggested that we shouldn't impose our own value system on other societies， that too many schools reward pedantry at the cost of independent thought， and that the highest value should be placed on skepticism， reflection， honesty， and empathy， while his neighbors were busy slaughtering each other for paying fealty to the wrong duke or interpreting the nature of the Holy Spirit differently。 Meanwhile， his additional travelogue is a hell of a portrait of Europe at that time， which seems to the modern reader to be a somewhat magical， otherworldly place， albeit one that would be destroyed not long after by the Thirty Years' War。 Buy the whole thing and keep it at your bedside。 You won't regret it。 。。。more

Steven Pautz ，

This massive tome of essays is one of the most interesting things I've ever read -- and probably the longest as well。 It's interesting， varied， and fascinating， and although it has its awkward parts I'd rank it as literally life-changing。The majority of this work is Montaigne's actual Essays: he published three books filled with writings on various topics and thoughts -- from philosophy to history to random musings to 16th century events -- in a new-at-the-time style: somewhere between stream-of This massive tome of essays is one of the most interesting things I've ever read -- and probably the longest as well。 It's interesting， varied， and fascinating， and although it has its awkward parts I'd rank it as literally life-changing。The majority of this work is Montaigne's actual Essays: he published three books filled with writings on various topics and thoughts -- from philosophy to history to random musings to 16th century events -- in a new-at-the-time style: somewhere between stream-of-consciousness and structured discussions。 （The back cover of my book describes it as "talk"， "cultivated discontinuities"， "tumbling into anecdotes" -- yet it's also clearly a philosophical work。）He then revised and expanded the essays each time they were published， resulting in a （to me） almost indescribably interesting and （at times） nearly sublime treatment of a wide variety of random and independent topics -- but not too independent: there are plenty of recurring themes and approaches， and also several stances where you can see his opinion shifting over time。The essays in the first book are rather scattered and random， but as time progresses they grow deeper and more coherent。 By the third book he is clearly influenced to some degree by the knowledge that he's actually writing for an audience， yet his writings still convey his personality and intimate thoughts。The essays are often quite dense， and I felt like no reading speed was quite appropriate yet all were rewarding: slow and careful deep reading reveals multiple layers of meaning and an amazing web of associations as a single topic is revisited and hinted at （sometimes faintly） from many different perspectives over time; but faster reading revealed its own layer of arcs and conversational rails which I completely missed at my normal reading speed， because the scope was too large for me to see。 I often had to go slowly （and keep a dictionary nearby） because the writing is so dense and intricate。Not all of the essays are all that great， however， and there's definitely no shortage of 16th century thinking: rampant jaw-dropping sexism （and other -isms）， ludicrously inaccurate ideas about health and medicine， and no shortage of religious thinking。 There's also enough variety to balance some of that out: comments about "the lesser and inferior sex" are mixed with a general philosophy that held people closer to equals than most of society did at the time， some of the stuff about health and medicine is borderline hilarious （like rumors of women turning into men if they jump up and down too forcefully）， and there's a healthy attitude of skepticism about （some） things in religion and politics。There is fairly little commentary， although where the footnotes are present they are very thorough and informative。 This is especially present in the travel journal and letters。The travel journal and letters are considerably less interesting and engaging than the actual essays， and I had a hard time getting as into them -- I don't know if I'd recommend those parts （he spends a lot of time complaining about kidney stones and talking about the various sizes and shapes that come out of him）， but the historical perspective they provided was fascinating。I was somewhat tempted to lower my review because， on the whole， not all of this book really merits 5 stars -- but the parts which are good are truly fantastic。 Despite the immense time investment it takes to actually read this cover-to-cover （instead of jumping to the more interesting spots， as seems more common） I want to read this again and again。 。。。more

Alan Hoyle ，

Montaigne is essential reading， and this is a beautifully produced volume that with last a lifetime's use。 The only reason I have not given it five stars is that I think the translation by Screech is more faithful - some people do prefer this translation， so， if you can， have a look at a bit of each and decide which suits your taste - - - but get one of them， and read it！ Montaigne is essential reading， and this is a beautifully produced volume that with last a lifetime's use。 The only reason I have not given it five stars is that I think the translation by Screech is more faithful - some people do prefer this translation， so， if you can， have a look at a bit of each and decide which suits your taste - - - but get one of them， and read it！ 。。。more

Benjamin ，

I never fail to find pleasure returning to Montaigne; this is a brilliant translation！

Michael Clement ，

I first read this three years ago and was bowled over， finally a philosopher for Everyman。 What a treat！ His writings are so good that I am reading them again and am enjoying them as much， if not more， as the first time。 I can foresee myself reading them again in another few years。 This definitely a book for your collection。

Lorinda ，

I enjoyed all 1，045 pages of the Complete Essays but I think they got better towards the end。 I admire his amiable writing style and his profound tolerance。 I wish it were easier to mark and find passages for return reading since the titles of chapters are not too helpful。 The translation is clear and maintains a gentle flow throughout the essays。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Complete Works

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Complete Works&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Complete Works&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0