Research Catalog

Title

Montaigne : a life / Philippe Desan ; translated by Steven Rendall and Lisa Neal.

Author

Desan, Philippe

Publication

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2017]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Rendall, Steven
• Neal, Lisa (Lisa Dow)

Description

xxxv, 796 pages : illustrations; 25 cm

Summary

"One of the most important writers and thinkers of the Renaissance, Michel de Montaigne (1533-92) helped invent a literary genre that seemed more modern than anything that had come before. But did he do it, as he suggests in his Essays, by retreating to his chateau, turning his back on the world, and stoically detaching himself from his violent times? In this definitive biography, Philippe Desan, one of the world's leading authorities on Montaigne, overturns this longstanding myth by showing that Montaigne was constantly concerned with realizing his political ambitions--and that the literary and philosophical character of the Essays largely depends on them. The most comprehensive and authoritative biography of Montaigne yet written, this sweeping narrative offers a fascinating new picture of his life and work. As Desan shows, Montaigne always considered himself a political figure and he conceived of each edition of the Essays as an indispensable prerequisite to the next stage of his public career. He lived through eight civil wars, successfully lobbied to be raised to the nobility, and served as mayor of Bordeaux, special ambassador, and negotiator between Henry III and Henry of Navarre. It was only toward the very end of Montaigne's life, after his political failure, that he took refuge in literature. But, even then, it was his political experience that enabled him to find the right tone for his genre. In this indispensable biography, we discover a new Montaigne--caught up in the events of his time, making no separation between private and public life, and guided by strategy first in his words and silences. Neither candid nor transparent, but also not yielding to the cynicism of his age, this Montaigne lends a new depth to the Montaigne of literary legend"--

Uniform Title

Montaigne: Une biographie politique. English

Alternative Title

Montaigne: Une biographie politique.

Subjects

• Montaigne, Michel de, 1533-1592
• Montaigne, Michel de, 1533-1592 > Political and social views
• Authors, French > 16th century > Biography
• Biographies

Genre/Form

Biographies.

Note

• Translated from the French.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 723-764) and index.

Call Number

JFE 17-2937

ISBN

• 9780691167879
• 0691167877

LCCN

2016012378

OCLC

948560963

Author

Desan, Philippe, author.

Title

Montaigne : a life / Philippe Desan ; translated by Steven Rendall and Lisa Neal.

Publisher

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2017]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 723-764) and index.

Added Author

Rendall, Steven, translator.

Neal, Lisa (Lisa Dow), translator.

Research Call Number

JFE 17-2937