Review: How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer

How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer by Sarah Bakewell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have not read the Essays, so it is impossible for me to judge how much of their essence is conveyed here. I will not attempt to write on that point.

How To Live is an excellently readable book that presents a lot of interesting ideas from philosophy in a way that is engaging yet understandable. It does not compromise on the complexity of the ideas, while still maintaining a clarity that is not easy to do. It discusses the content of the Essays, but goes a step further and provides a lot of historical context.

On some level, it is a very well-written biography of Montaigne, but on another level it is also a biography of the Essays. Almost as its own separate entity, it’s journey is documented and its interpretations discussed. The way social and historical contexts lead to reinterpretations and an acknowledgement of the modern bias and context.

I enjoyed it a lot. There were moments of such joy, as well as moments of a subtle sadness. All of it tied together. Bakewell’s own respect for Montaigne’s works is apparent, something I appreciated. She is not absent from the book, though calling it an opinion piece would be exaggerating. She is there in a subtle sense, which makes it all the more human and enjoyable.

A really good book.

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