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Montaigne
Series: Pushkin Collection
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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,763 ratings, 305 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Zweig's highly personal biography of his hero, Michel de Montaigne and a passionate argument for humanity in times of barbarity.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
Stefan Zweig's Montaigne delves into the influential life of Michel de Montaigne, a French Renaissance philosopher known for his profound works, particularly Essais. Zweig traces Montaigne's quest for self-knowledge and understanding of human nature, weaving his narrative through the backdrop of a turbulent Europe. The book not only explores Montaigne's philosophical musings but also reflects on his daily life, friendships, and the society that shaped his thoughts. Zweig's biographical account serves as both an introduction to Montaigne's thoughts and an exploration of the timeless questions that preoccupied him: What does it mean to live a good life? How can we find inner freedom and integrity?
In a stroke of historical serendipity, Zweig, himself an Γ©migrΓ© driven from a Europe ravaged by brutality and totalitarianism, discovered a copy of Essais in a damp cellar. This moment kindled an intellectual and emotional connection between the troubled author and the Renaissance thinker. Montaigne became Zweig's last great preoccupation, a source of solace and insight during a dark chapter in his life. The philosopher's eloquent meditations on personal freedom, the sanctity of the individual, and the human condition resonated deeply with Zweig's own experiences and obsessions.
Through Zweig's intense psychological acuity and trademark elegant prose, Montaigne becomes more than a mere biography; it transforms into a profound dialogue between two minds separated by centuries but united by their dedication to understanding human existence. Zweig also contemplates themes of mortality and the finality of life, topics Montaigne himself did not shy away from, particularly in his writings on suicide. These reflections would ultimately influence Zweig's own tragic end.
Montaigne offers readers an intense and illuminating insight into both its titular subject and the biographer. It poses timeless questions about how we ought to think and live, making it a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy, history, or the perennial quest for self-understanding. Through Zweig's masterful narrative, Montaigne's thoughts continue to spark reflection and dialogue, proving that his ideas remain as relevant today as they were in the Renaissance.
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Montaigne
Stefan Zweig's Montaigne delves into the influential life of Michel de Montaigne, a French Renaissance philosopher known for his profound works, particularly Essais. Zweig traces Montaigne's quest for self-knowledge and understanding of human nature, weaving his narrative through the backdrop of a turbulent Europe. The book not only explores Montaigne's philosophical musings but also reflects on his daily life, friendships,...PaperbackSold Out -
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Montaigne by Stefan Zweig is praised for its impressive historical and cultural insights. Critics highlight how Zweig's meditation on Montaigne also reflects his own concerns with personal freedom. The English translation by Will Stone is noted for preserving Zweig's elegant and aphoristic style.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781782271031
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 August 2015
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Pushkin Press
Contributors:
- Translated by Will Stone
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 120.0mm
Height: 165.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 160
About the Author
Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in Vienna, into a wealthy Austrian-Jewish family. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and was first known as a poet and translator, then as a biographer. Between the wars, Zweig was an international bestseller with a string of hugely popular novellas including Letter from an Unknown Woman, Amok and Fear. In 1934, with the rise of Nazism, he left Austria, and lived in London, Bath and New York-a period during which he produced his most celebrated works: his only novel, Beware of Pity, and his memoir, The World of Yesterday. He eventually settled in Brazil, where in 1942 he and his wife were found dead in an apparent double suicide. Much of his work is available from Pushkin Press.
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