Montaigne - The Essay and Do3

[Guest]

I don't know much about him, but this could be interesting.

A series of five essays on Montaigne to accompany a Radio 3 drama about the French essayist called 'Living with Princes', written by Stephen Wakelam with Roger Allam as Montaigne to be broadcast on Sunday, 23 January on Radio 3.

The essays will be written and read by the writer and broadcaster Alain de Botton; the philosopher and historian Theodore Zeldin, who will explore to what extent Montaigne's philosophy on life holds true today; writer and Shakespeare scholar, Jonathan Bate, who will be exploring the relationship between Montaigne and the Bard; the writer and biographer of Montaigne Sarah Bakewell on Montaigne's cat, scepticism and animal souls: and the philosopher A.C.Grayling.

[Forget It (U2079353)]

I am looking forward to listening to these - The more I learn of Montaigne the more I like.

[PatrickOD]

Thanks for that Tony.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=how+to+live+a+life+of+montaigne+&x=16&y=22

Reviewed in last week's Observer.

'Had my intention been to seek the world's favour, I should surely have adorned myself with borrowed beauties: I desire therein to be viewed as I appear in mine own genuine, simple, and ordinary manner, without study and artifice: for it is myself I paint.'

[french frank]

I've just listened to the five essays and found them quite listenable but not riveting. Nothing very penetrating about the insights. I brought away a few crumbs of information (e.g. the clear references to Florio's translation in King Lear). Probably a useful taster for tomorrow's play - which I shall listen to and hope my enthusiasm grows.

Bit of editing needed: one thing one can say about (English) mispronunciations is that they tend to shatter illusions of erudition ...

[Chris Newman]

I was very taken with the thoughts of Montaigne after Alain de Botton's TV series about philosophers. I went out and bought a Penguin anthology and have come to the conclusion that he is the most cheerful and life enhancing of philosophers and a fine role model for how we should look at and live with our fellow people. I love his conversational style, very reminiscent of Izaak Walton (The Compleat Angler), another man who views life as his glass being half full and not half empty.