Montaigne's Complete Essays (Volume 1, 2, and 3)

Author: Montaigne
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1996-12-01
Features: The Complete Works of Montaigne consists of 107 chapters, with approximately one million words. Among the most famous is The Defense of Raymond Sebond, which fully expresses his philosophical thought of skepticism. Montaigne is renowned for his erudition, and throughout the collection, he discusses everything from daily life and traditional customs to life philosophies, especially citing extensively from the works of many ancient Greek and Roman writers. In the book, the author also provides extensive self-descriptions and analyses, giving readers a sense of intimate conversation, which enhances the literary charm of the work. It is a compilation of various and knowledge from the 16th century, earning the title of "the philosophy of life." The language in the book is straightforward and unadorned, holding an important place in the history of French prose and pioneering the genre of essayistic works. This work is voluminous, written in archaic French, and includes references to languages from Greece, Italy, and other countries, as well as a significant amount of Latin, making its translation exceptionally challenging. Our company has accumulated successful experience in organizing the translation and publication of In Search of Lost Time, and we adopted the definitive edition revised and expanded after Montaigne's death in 1595. Translation work began in 1993 and spanned four years, with the three volumes released together. This is the first complete translation of Montaigne's essays, and all the translators are experienced scholars in the study and translation of French literature. To capture the unique intellectual spark and linguistic charm of Montaigne's essays, each translator has made tremendous efforts, maintaining an extremely rigorous attitude toward translation. Readers can truly glimpse Montaigne's thoughts, style, and the customs and sentiments of the era in which he lived. Some of the views Montaigne discusses in the essays may not be entirely accurate, but readers can still absorb his intellectual and artistic essence from the overall work, gaining both enlightenment and pleasure.