Back in June I was in that wonderful position of being able to choose exactly what I felt like to read next, with no book making particular demands on me and any number of volumes ready and willing to be picked up. In fact, I shared an image of the ones I felt most drawn to on Twitter, and the ambience was predominantly French! In the end, I plumped for “How to Live” by Sarah Bakewell; subtitled “A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer”, it had come highly recommended and as I had a selection of his essays also standing by, it seemed the perfect choice – which indeed it was!
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (usually just referred to by the last part of his name) is himself a figure I’ve been skirting round for quite a while; a 16th century French nobleman contemporary with Shakespeare, he’s best known for popularising the essay as a literary form and espousing some wonderful views on humanity and the best way to live. His works are incredibly influential, affecting writers as wide-ranging as Shakespeare himself (possibly), Descartes, Pascal, Rousseau, Woolf, Zweig and even Asimov. According to Wikipedia, he wrote some of the most influential essays ever – which is some legacy!
Bakewell sets out to tell his life story, but in an intriguing way; she asks the question which Montaigne himself was posing – How to live? – and examines his story broadly chronologically in 21 chapters which look at his life in relation to the answers his essays provide. It’s a very clever concept, because it allows her to not only relate his life events but also explore his philosophies, the wider world in which he lived and what it really means to be a human being.
Essayer, in French, means simply to try. To essay something is to test or taste it, or give it a whirl. One seventeenth-century Montaignist defined it as firing a pistol to see if it shoots straight, or trying out a horse to see if it handles well. On the whole, Montaigne discovered that the pistol shot all over the place and the horse galloped out of control, but this did not bother him. He was delighted to see his work come out so unpredictably.
Montaigne lived slap-bang in the middle of the Renaissance, a period when Europe was going through a cultural, artistic, political and economic revival following the grimness of the Middle Ages. Humanity was starting to explore the world physically and intellectually, the arts and sciences were developing, and the question of how humans should live was considered really important. Montaigne’s essays were ground-breaking in their free-ranging quality; no tightly-controlled arguments, clear-cut answers for this man; instead, he allowed his throughts to roam freely, jumping from one idea to another almost at random, pulling in all kinds of concepts and analogies as he went. This format was revolutionary at the time, and popular; Montaigne’s essays were instant best-sellers, and still are.
What takes Bakewell’s book into a different realm, however, is the breadth of it. Yes, there is a roughly chronological look at Montaigne’s life, and that in itself is fascinating. But as well as this, she discusses at length the philosophies – Stoic, Epicurean, Sceptic – which informed his thinking; she reveals in depth the world in which Montaigne lived, its beliefs, its wars and its problems (plague!!); and she draws out of Montaigne’s writings lessons which can still be relevant and helpful to how we try to live today. All of these elements make for a compelling and fascinating read, and the book really opened my eyes to what that period of time was really like.
One thing which was a bit of a revelation was the state of conflict between the Catholic and Protestant religions; I don’t know if I’d quite appreciated quite how rabid, bloody and bitter the dissent between the two strands of Christianity actually was, but the behaviour of both sides as related by Bakewell was shocking. Whyever can’t human beings learn to accept that other people have different beliefs and let them get on with it; we don’t seem to have learned from the past (correction – we *definitely* haven’t). And it does seem that France has been in a constant state of conflict and revolt through most of its history, which I hadn’t quite taken on board before.
I was also taken by Montaigne’s general tolerance and humanity; and in particular his views on animals and the natural world and his hatred of cruelty in general. Bakewell quotes this from one essay, and it’s a timely and still relevant view:
There is a certain respect, and a general duty of humanity, that attaches us not only to animals, who have life and feeling, but even to trees and plants. We own justice to men, and mercy and kindness to other creatures that may be capable of receiving it. There is some relationship between them and us, and some mutual obligation.
As well as his essays, Bakewell relates how Montaigne kept a journal whilst on an extended journey, some written by his secretary and some by himself. It obviously gives a different view of the great man, and sounds entertaining in its own right – she says of it at one point:
It makes for a better read than any number of overblown Romantic travelogues, precisely because it remains so tied to detail. It has little beds under big beds, messy Swiss sauces, room-sized birdcages, circumcisions, sex changes and ostriches: what’s not to like?
I may have to track it down, because his travels themselves are entertaining too (he used them as a way to dodge political duties…); and the section of Rome oddly took me back to Bowen’s thoughts on the history of the city and its constantly changing architecture.
As you might have realised, I loved this book; as well as being a fascinating biography, it takes in so much history and philosophy that there’s a danger of going off exploring down any number of wormholes. Bakewell’s coverage of the legacy of Montaigne is also revealing; so many later philosophers and writers worked themselves up into a right lather over his wonderfully laisser-faire attitude and refusal to stick to any kind of fixed opinion. He was a real rambler – so obviously a kindred soul…
“How to Live” turned out to be a real winner; thoroughly enjoyable, very stimulating, beautifully written and extremely erudite, it was also often very funny. Bakewell’s wonderful book has made me very keen to pick up my little selection of Montaigne’s essays soon; and fortunately I also have her “At the Existentialist Cafe” lurking, which promises equally marvellous delights… ;D
Jul 23, 2020 @ 08:02:28
I’d never heard of this and wouldn’t have even looked at in a shop, but it sounds wonderful! Definitely one for my ever-growing TBR! Great review.
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:07:17
Thank you! I definitely recommend it, not only for the portrait of Montaigne and his influence, but also of his times!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 08:07:39
Ooh yes, I want this.
I was adding it to my wishlist at Goodreads when my eye fell on a review which said something which made me want it even more:
“Sarah Bakewell has managed to make Michel de Montaigne seem relevant, perhaps even revolutionary, but certainly eminently likeable. Montaigne would have been an exceedingly popular blogger, for he took incidents of daily life and held them up for examination as well as using them as stepping stones to rambling narrative. He inspired loyal devotees and provoked, and enjoyed, passionate rebuttal.”
(See https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/149665612?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1)
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:06:54
It’s great, and you’re quite right – Montaigne would have been the perfect blogger!!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 08:12:24
So pleased you liked it! It was an eye-opener for me and made me return to a fuller edition of Montaigne full-pelt.
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:06:27
It’s great, isn’t it? I really will have to invest in the full Montaigne. 😀
Jul 23, 2020 @ 14:54:19
Because there are so many different versions of his essays, that is a much more difficult task than it seems at first glance. I bought it at Christmas in a French bookshop and was instantly asked: ‘Which commentary do you want?’ (because different Montaigne specialists use slightly different texts and annotations).
Jul 23, 2020 @ 19:09:29
Yes, I got that impression from Bakewell. So many differing editions and translations and it will be very complex and no doubt drive the completist in me round the bend…. ;D
Jul 23, 2020 @ 08:27:58
I read and enjoyed this when it came out, as I had a copy of the complete works (excellent Everyman hardback edition – worth the little extra compared to the selections in paperback; it included the travelogue) on my bedside table so I could read one before sleep. Lisa is spot on with her remark that he’d have been a good blogger. He’s full of opinions, but not opinionated: ‘I like temperate and moderate natures’, he says in an essay called…On Moderation. Must take the book back down from the shelves and reacquaint myself with these wonderful essays. And the Bakewell, which is as good as you suggest.
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:05:46
It *is* an excellent read and that context the book gives is essential I think, as I *have* gone on to read some of his essays and am now extremely tempted by that lovely sounding Everyman – particularly as it includes the travelogue! I’m looking forward to Bakewell’s book on Sartre and co!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 10:23:02
This sounds like a great introduction to Montaigne, as well as an interesting insight into the time when he lived. I think I might keep an eye out for it!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:04:04
It’s exactly that. I was shocked at how little I actually knew about the period. I do recomment it!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 10:57:23
What a fascinating sounding book, it clearly shines a bright light on the life and work of a man who sounds like a thoughtful, forward looking person. Great review.
Jul 23, 2020 @ 12:03:26
Thanks Ali! It really was an intriguing read; and the fact she looked at more than just his life gave it that extra element. He was a fascinating and influential man who obviously lived through dramatic times!
Jul 23, 2020 @ 17:51:31
This is just what I need, I keep meaning to read the essays and they’re on my classics club list, this will be a brilliant read along (although it does look rather chunky?)
Jul 23, 2020 @ 19:10:12
I think this will be a good companion, because I was very pleased to have read it before actually tackling the essays. It *is* a reasonably chunky one, but never dull!)
Jul 23, 2020 @ 22:08:36
That sounds great. He doesn’t look as I expected, though!
Jul 24, 2020 @ 08:34:11
LOL! I know what you mean! And when Bakewell equates him with Shakespeare it actually hit me how long ago he lived, because he seems much more modern and relevant than that somehow!
Jul 24, 2020 @ 22:24:49
I really enjoyed this one too and was amazed to see on TV that his tower is still in existence. Sadly I can’t remember what the TV programme was though.
Jul 25, 2020 @ 10:12:43
It’s wonderful it still survives! I’ll have to see if I can track down some footage! 😀
Jul 26, 2020 @ 14:01:57
I think I’d really like this. Montaigne is an author I’ve been meaning to read for a while….I feel that many of us say this about him. I’d like to read some, at least, of his essays before reading this book, though.
Jul 26, 2020 @ 14:38:26
It’s a fascinating read, and it didn’t bother me that I’d only read one of his essays before I read this book. They could be easily read alongside each other, though I suspect reading the whole Montaigne would be a bit of a long term commitment – so you might well finish the Bakewell first! 🤣
Jul 26, 2020 @ 14:43:31
It always a problem with biographies of authors: how much of their work to read before reading a biography. I don’t worry about it too much but sometimes I think I’d like to read a bit more before the bio. With Montaigne I’d like to read something first.
Jul 26, 2020 @ 14:57:22
Yeah, I get that – it *is* difficult to know whether to go into the work blind or with some foreknowledge of the author. Here, I think Bakewell’s book adds context to the essays (and helped me when I read some – review to follow this week). You could easily read a few of the essays and then read this alongside – although I suppose the risk is that you get carried away and keep reading Bakewell at the expense of Montaigne! 😀
Jul 26, 2020 @ 17:04:27
Sounds like a good way to approach it. I find reading biographies can also be a good prep for reading the works, especially as in this case, where the biographer also appears to discusse the works in depth. I have read biographies of authors that just detail every aspect of their life in minute detail and hardly mention their work.
Jul 26, 2020 @ 17:06:17
Definitely, and in this case Bakewell’s writing very much about his work, but also his times and his influences and legacy, so his life and work are intermingled. It’s a great read!
Jul 28, 2020 @ 03:35:12
I’ve read some of Montaigne’s essays but a long time ago. This seems like a riveting read and a good time to revisit the Essais. Thank you for the wonderful review!
Jul 28, 2020 @ 10:14:27
Thanks! It really is a great read and I found it the perfect companion to reading his actual works!!
Jul 29, 2020 @ 13:24:18
Thank you! I had Bakewell’s book firmly in my mind at one time but it had totally slipped off the radar. It’s now firmly back on! And another thank you! Montaigne’s works are exactly what I need as a point of comparison for a post I’m trying to draft this week. I’ve been floundering for an angle and this is it. I shall, of course, be crediting your excellent review, Karen! 😊
Jul 31, 2020 @ 08:34:56
Very welcome, Sandra! It’s a wonderful read which I can’t recommend highly enough. And it was the perfect companion to reading Montaigne himself. I’ll look forward to your post! 😀
Aug 01, 2020 @ 07:58:48
I have to say I know nothing about Montaigne. I Love journals of daily minutiae. I finished Pepys and am now working through Proust on audible as my night time listen. I think this would fit in nicely in my next audible selection. I do enjoy hearing about these “old guys” and do love much of their views on life and their writing. (I only found this post today as Yahoo sent it to my spam folder for some reason…)
Aug 01, 2020 @ 10:32:25
I didn’t either before I read the Bakewell book, but he was a really fascinating character. And I imagine he would make a wonderful Audible companion! 😀
Mar 05, 2021 @ 07:06:49