Select Essays

Written by Michel de Montaigne

Narrated by Clive Chafer

Michel de Montaigne, one of the foremost writers of the French Renaissance and the originator of the genre of the essay, wrote on subjects ranging from friendship to imagination, from language to conscience. This collection includes twenty-two of Montaigne's essays, including "Of Prognostications," "Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes," "Of Pedantry," and "Of Friendship." Throughout Montaigne's writing, he approaches his subject matter with rationality and skepticism, constantly searching for truth and inquiring into the nature of the human character. Montaigne's essays have been widely read since their first publication by such great writers as Shakespeare and Ralph Waldo Emerson and continue to resonate for modern audiences. This edition is the translation by Charles Cotton.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452672588

Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was born on his family estate in Aquitaine, not far from Bordeaux. Raised speaking Greek and Latin, he studied law before embarking on a career of public service, first as a counselor of court in Périgueux and Bordeaux, then as a courtier to Charles IX. Following the death of his father, Montaigne retired from public life to the Tower of his château to read and write. He published the first two volumes of his landmark Essays in 1580, with a third following in 1588; the complete Essays appeared posthumously in 1595.