Read this when
Essays
Inconsistent, distracted, full of contradictions? Montaigne wrote 1,000+ pages about being exactly that, and called it knowing himself. 📝
Who it's for
Montaigne's Essays are a long, companionable demonstration of looking at yourself without condemning what you find.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Montaigne's Essays is a collection of 107 essays in three books. It first appeared in 1580, was expanded in 1588 and was published with posthumous additions in 1595. Montaigne describes the work as a record of his own character and declares that he himself is the subject of the book.
Where to find it
Public domain in the US in older translations (Charles Cotton, John Florio), free on Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks; Screech (Penguin) and Frame translations are in copyright, in print and in l.
Before you start
Heads up: Frank talk of illness and death.
Age: Ages 14+
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.Henry David Thoreau, Walden, “Conclusion”
