Selected Essays of Montaigne

Author: (French) Montaigne (Montaigne/M.E.) / Pan Lizhen et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Montaigne is one of the most important humanist writers after the French Renaissance, renowned for his erudition and holding a significant position in the history of world prose. In his works, he discusses everything from daily life and traditional customs to philosophical insights, often citing arguments from ancient Greek and Roman writers. He also provides extensive self-descriptions and analyses, giving readers a sense of familiarity and enhancing the literary charm of the works. It is a compilation of various and knowledge from the 16th century, earning the title of "Philosophy of Life." This book selects the essence of the complete works, over 200,000 words, making it convenient for readers to grasp the essence of Montaigne's essays.
[Preface] Editor's Note
Montaigne was born in 1533 and is one of the most important humanist writers after the French Renaissance. Among the writers of the 16th century, few have been as revered and accepted by modern readers as Montaigne. Before the Enlightenment, he was a knowledgeable authority and critic in France, a detached observer of human emotions, and a scholar who conducted cool, analytical studies of various cultures, particularly Western culture. From his thoughts and emotions, one might see him as a modern figure who emerged in his time.
Born into the aristocracy, the descendants of Bordeaux, Montaigne studied Latin in his early years and completed his secondary education in Bordeaux. For a long period, he lived a reclusive life, engaging in reading and reflection. Later, he held positions in the government, becoming a councilor in Bordeaux and serving twice as its mayor. In 1562, he converted to Catholicism; after his father's death in 1572, he began writing his Essays. He was deeply familiar with the works of ancient masters such as Plutarch, Seneca, and Tacitus, frequently citing them in his works to support his speculative and skeptical arguments. After publishing the first two volumes of his Essays, he traveled to Italy and Germany, adding many travel experiences to his subsequent writings. In 1585, when the plague spread in his hometown, Montaigne was forced to temporarily leave his castle and returned to his residence in 1587 to continue writing his Essays. During this time, he met Mademoiselle de Gournay, who became fervently devoted to him, and their relationship lasted until his death. In his later years, Montaigne politically supported King Henry IV of France, who visited his castle several times. In 1578, Montaigne suffered from kidney stones, which affected his writing. The complete Essays of Montaigne we see today were published posthumously by Mademoiselle de Gournay, based on the essays she published during his lifetime, supplemented by his extensive notes and additions.
From 1572 until his death in 1592, Montaigne intermittently wrote his Essays over a span of two decades. With his unique sensitivity to life, he recorded his intellectual and spiritual development, leaving behind an invaluable spiritual legacy for future generations. Montaigne was already famous in his time, but his works faced significant controversy for a long period. Some renowned writers, such as Rousseau, accused his works of being filled with "detestable vanity" and "superficial sincerity," while he was praised by Voltaire and Diderot, who admired his works for reflecting the author's "wisdom and eloquence," "psychological insight," and "simple, flowing, and engaging style." After more than four hundred years of testing, history has proven that Montaigne, like Bacon and Shakespeare, is an immortal figure. As he himself said, his Essays are "unique among works of the same genre."
The complete Essays of Montaigne consist of 107 chapters, with approximately a million words in total. The chapters vary in length and structure, with the most famous and longest being On the Cannibals. In this chapter, Montaigne fully demonstrates his profound skepticism, ultimately concluding with the timeless question: "What do I know?" This phrase continues to be frequently quoted by people today and has become a timeless saying.
Montaigne is renowned for his erudition. His works cover everything from daily life and traditional customs to philosophical insights, especially citing extensively from ancient Greek and Roman writers. He also provides extensive self-descriptions and analyses, giving readers a sense of intimate conversation and enhancing the literary charm of the works. It is a compilation of various and knowledge from the 16th century, earning the title of "Philosophy of Life." The language of the book is straightforward and unadorned, vivid and full of life, holding an important position in the history of French prose and pioneering the genre of essay writing.
This work is voluminous and written in archaic French, with numerous Latin citations, making the translation particularly challenging. Our publishing house has accumulated successful experience in translating In Search of Lost Time, and we adopted the definitive edition revised and expanded in 1595 after Montaigne's death. Translation work began in 1993 and spanned four years, with the three volumes released sequentially. This is the first complete translation of Montaigne's Essays, and the translators are all scholars with extensive experience in researching and translating French literature. To capture the unique intellectual spark and linguistic charm of Montaigne's essays, each translator made significant efforts with a highly serious attitude. Readers can truly glimpse Montaigne's thoughts, style, and the customs and sentiments of his time through this translation.
Some of the views Montaigne discusses in his writings may not be entirely correct, but readers can absorb his intellectual and artistic essence from the overall Essays and benefit from both enlightenment and pleasure. This book selects the essence of the complete works, over 200,000 words, making it convenient for readers to grasp the essence of Montaigne's essays.