A review by sookieskipper
The Complete Works by Donald M. Frame, Michel de Montaigne

5.0

Montaigne is timeless. His essays are the very definition of timeless classics. Though he was more well known as a statesman than an author, his essays laced with personal anecdotes, quotes from Greek classics and offered an every man's perspective to those subjects that have been classically complicated. His subject of interests vary from education of children to smelly people; from solitude to problems with popularity. He isn't being ironic when he calls out noteworthy philosophers. Instead he criticizes his critiques for their ambiguous integrity in recognizing or glossing over statements made by famous philosophers. Montaigne argues that there is an inherent bias attached to the name and the position the person holds in the society.

It is uncanny how Montaigne's words resonate in modern world. He strips humanity of all the frills and deals with the naked vapid stinky pile of goo that we are. Its enthralling to read a classic where the author deftly handle and rebuke the "polite-gestures" as set by the elite society. He makes no apologies for bodily functions or disregard for quaint thought process.

Montaigne has to be part of reading curriculum not just for adults graduating in philosophy but in general. His anecdotes, stories and personal preferences add a touch of humanity that sometimes philosophical texts severely lacks. Reading this at an early age can help putting the world into a perspective. One doesn't need to take themselves so seriously all the time. It is okay to let your hai down and bum on the beach.

But hey, what do I know?