A Summer with Montaigne

Praise for A Summer with Montaigne Rarely has Europe produced anything finer in terms of piercing analysis or moral subtlety. . . . This small book of 40 short chapters brings the man to life and shows his questions, ideas, and solutions to be every bit as relevant as they were in the 16th century. New York Journal of Books Nothing could be easier to read; these pages are to be savored like a little glass of pastis in the summer. Paris Match A lucid, joyful work that is no more serious than it needs to be. Télérama The clarity of Compagnon's meditations brings this towering French Renaissance man miraculously close. Elle Illustrates Montagine's 'art of living beautifully' while remaining as close as possible to Montaigne's Essays, lingering on its delicacies, and selecting the most enjoyable of its truths as well as its delights. L'Express A tribute to a classic author who is still well and truly in touch with the spirit of the times. ActuaLitté The clarity of Compagnon's analysis renders this once intimidating French Renaissance man miraculously close. ELLE This small book of 40 short chapters brings the man to life and shows his questions, ideas, and solutions to be every bit as relevant as they were in the 16th century.New York Journal of Books

Agreeably useful reading in any season; as Compagnon quotes from Montaigne's concluding essay, 'Aesop, that great man, saw his master piss as he walked 'What then,' said he, 'must we drop as we run?' Let us manage our time; there yet remains a great deal idle and ill employed.' Recommended for Montaigne scholars and general readers alike.Library Journal

Auteur

Antoine Compagnon is a Professor of French Literature at Collège de France, Paris, and the Blanche W. Knopf Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, New York. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary degrees from King's College London, HEC Paris, and the University of Liege. Tina Kover's translations for Europa include Négar Djavadi's National Book Award-shortlisted novel, Disoriental, Anna Gavalda's Life, Only Better, and The Little Girl on the Ice Floe by Adélaïde Bon. Kover is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship for the translation of Manette Salomon by the Goncourt brothers.

Texte du rabat

Is this a serious and philosophical book? Certainly. But Compagnon never pontificates and is never austere. Many of the anecdotes he chooses allow us to approach the world of Montaigne with a sense of humor and, most importantly, companionship.

Résumé
Michel de Montaigne embodies the Humanist ideal. Curious, measured, contemplative yet not unworldly, witty, free of prejudice, and urbane. But what does Montaigne have to tell us about how to think and live today? In forty short, erudite and lively chapters written over a single summer, Antoine Compagnon seeks answers to that question. In A Summer with Montaigne, Compagnon invites his readers to join him as he strolls through Montaigne's key contributions to our understanding of what is good and worthwhile in life. This engaging book, then, serves as both an introduction to Montaigne for readers unfamiliar with his work and a refresher for those who are already acquainted with his unique brilliance, vitality, and timeliness. Montaigne's Essays deal with themes that remain relevant today, from the problems posed by religion, war, power and friendship to the absurdity of our fixations and peccadillos. As accompanies readers through the Essays, Compagnon never pontificates and is never austere, rather he approaches Montaigne with a sense of humor, admiration, and joy.