The father of all bloggers: Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592)

The Essays by Michel de Montaigne is my choice for book of the 16th century. It is estimated that there are over 150 millions blogs in existence on the world wide web today. Blogging had to start somewhere and the origin of writing about oneself started in 1580 with the publication of the above. Before this it was unheard of for a writer to publish details of  their private everyday actions and thoughts.  I refer you to an article in the New York Times on this subject.

In The Essays,  which incidently is Montaigne's only book, he waxes lyrical on subjects as diverse as 'On prognostications', 'On smells',  'On not pretending to be ill', 'On diversion' and 'That we should not be happy till after our death'. There are 107 essays in all. In these essays we learn the following and much more:

• How to cope with a friend's death
• How to work up courage
• How to act well in morally difficult situations
• How to make most of life and prepare for death

To what is owed the success of this book and its continuing relevance today? The following quote from Andre Gide may explain:

The success of the Essays would be inexplicable but for the author's extraordinary personality. What did he bring to the world then that what was new? Self knowledge - and all other knowledge seemed to him uncertain; but the human being he discovers - and uncovers - is so genuine, so true, that in him every reader recognises himself (Gide, A 1939, p.2).

                                                 The Handsome Dude Himself

In her recent biography of Montaigne Sarah Bakewell has outlined why we still need Montaigne to guide us, especially in the realm of politics. 

The twenty-first century has everything to gain from a Montaignean sense of life, and, in its most troubled moments so far, it has been sorely in need of a Montaignean politics. It could use his moderation, his love of sociability and courtesy, his suspension of judgment, and his subtle understanding of the psychological mechanisms involved in confrontation and conflict. It needs his conviction that no vision of heaven, no imagined Apocalypse, and no perfectionist fantasy can ever outweigh the tiniest of selves in the real world (Bakewell, S 2011, p.327).

We are fortunate that The Essays survived at all given that it was banned by the Catholic Church from 1676-1854. We are fortunate they were written at all as Montaigne nearly died in a riding accident in late 1569. France suffered great upheavels during the 16th century. Civil war between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots) raged from1562-1598. The war was made up of seven separate wars. An atrocity would take place followed by war for 2-3 years, peace would be negotiated until the next atrocity and then the cycle would start again. Bubonic plague was still very  prevalent in France in the 1500's with plague on Montaigne's estate in 1585 forcing him to leave the area.

I note in my research that The Guardian in an article compiled by its book desk had included the Essays in its 100 greatest  non-fiction books under the subject of philosophy.
I noted also that in a synopsis I found on this website of a book entitled 100 most influential books ever written by Martin Seymour Smith that the Essays comes in at 37.




This is a youtube video which highlights a number of Montaigne's most well known truths.


This link from Project Gutenburg will take you to the full online text, enjoy.....

Reference list:

Bakewell, S 2011, How to live, or, A life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer, Vintage, London.

Essays of Michel de Montaigne, 2012, viewed 10 April 2012, <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm>.

Gide, A 1939, 'Montaigne.(Michel de Montaigne)(Critical Essay)', Yale Review, vol. 89, no. 1, p. 53.

Index Librorum Prohibitorum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, viewed 7 April 2012, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_Librorum_Prohibitorum>.

Michel_de_Montaigne_1.jpg [image] in Wikipedia commons, viewed 7 April 2012,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Michel_de_Montaigne_1.jpg.

Quotes from Michel de Montaigne 2009, viewed 7 April 2012,  
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2FDSj4t75A&feature=player>.

Sarah Bakewell Draws on Montaigne in ‘How to Live’ - NYTimes.com, viewed 7 April 2012,
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/books/18montaigne.html>.

The great books list, 2012, viewed 8 April 2012,  <http://www.thegreatbookslist.com/otherlistssmith.html>.

The 100 greatest non-fiction books | Books | guardian.co.uk, 2012, viewed 7 April 2012, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/14/100-greatest-non-fiction-books>.