Montaigne

Prince · Jan 14, 2019

Hi,

So, for those of you who read French, I can't.

But I do: Chateaubriand mostly. Montaigne I know though, because it is quite big it seems, in literary terms.

But I know he was many things: philosopher, politician, etc.

AW Admin · Jan 14, 2019

He invented the formal concept of the essay. He was a huge influence on English writers, via the translations by John Florio in 1603.

Shakespeare absolutely read and used Montaigne's essay on cannibals in The Tempest.

The French is not that hard, and it is well worth reading. Two years of high school or college French should be enough, though you might want a dictionary handy.

Helix · Jan 15, 2019

BBC Radio 4's In Our Time did an ep on Montaigne, which is available as a podcast. (Not geoblocked.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s0qmj

There's also a reading list to go with the episode.

Prince · Jan 15, 2019

AW Admin said:
Shakespeare absolutely read

I always imagined Shakespeare reading.

Montaigne

Prince

AW Admin

Helix

socially distancing

Prince