Montaigne – A Life

Not only is this the definitive biography of the 16th century French essayist, but it also firmly places the essays within the political and social context of the day. Desan shows that the detached and universal Montaigne represents only the last four years of his life, when he had no more political ambitions and had retired to his estate. The essays went through four editions in 1580, 1582, 1588 and the posthumous edition of 1594. I had not appreciated the extent of Montaigne's political and courtly involvement - he was elected Mayor of Bordeaux while on a trip to Italy. For him, writing was a complement to his main political activity, and the slant of the essays in their various editions reflects this. The last phase of Montaigne is the principal source of our image of him, but Desan situates this within the totality of his life journey and shows how this retreat became a necessity - his health was also not so good. The very well written narrative carries the reader along through the history of France and Europe at that time and allows us to appreciate Montaigne within this much wider context where politics and literature are intrinsically linked.