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THE ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE OF PERSONAL REFLECTION
At the time Michel de Montaigne was writing, most books were about great people or events, or works of academic theology or philosophy. He instead aimed to relay, with total honesty, his habits, doubts, and weaknesses, and any modest wisdom he had gained as a son, husband, politician, and reader. This very subjective approach to knowledge established the modern form of the essay. Montaigne's vast range of topics include human nature, books, cannibals, smells, sex, household management, education, politics, and happiness.
This selected edition, based on the popular Charles Cotton translation, includes many of the classic essays along with some lesser-known ones. It includes an insightful Introduction by Montaigne scholar Philippe Desan which reveals how the Essays transformed literature by elevating the familiar over the abstract. In the process, Montaigne created a template for the modern, questioning self.