Review: The Complete Essays

The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne

This collection, which gave us the term "essay", is a fun collection to read through in one's spare time. The topics vary, sometimes repeat, but are always quite interesting and relevant, even today. 

Some of my notes:

His chapter on Animal intelligence is very interesting, not least because we are still having that argument today. When a bird can memorize hundreds of locations, or a mouse can learn to press a certain lever, we still call it instinct, while when a human can we call it intelligence. 

Appollonius: Slaves lie. Freemen tell the truth. 

Cesar was a great general, but spent more time discussing his engineering achievements because he wanted to be known as a great engineer

"Let him shun this childish ambition of trying to seem more clever by being different"

"Oh stranger you say what you should. But otherwise than you should."

"I would rather follow facts than reason"

But wow. His views on women seem crazy, even for his time. Unless he was being facetious, which I admit was usually difficult to tell. Especially in sections where he admonishes people for quoting famous personages, and says he'd just as soon quote his local villagers, while all his essays (including that one) are interspersed with quotes from famous people. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Lost Estate

The Lost Estate by Alain-Fournier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This novel seemed eerily familiar throughout. I'm not sure if I maybe had heard of the story in my youth, or maybe it reminded me of The Secret Garden. Or possibly The Great Gatsby.

Regardless, it is an enchanting book, and I'm not sure I mean that as a compliment. It came close to losing me from time to time, but sure enough it dragged me back in, probably through some trickery or hypnosis.

If I had to analyze it I would say it is a slightly 'coming of age', slightly 'fantasy-like', quasi-love story that is sort of about children's lives in the Northern French countryside. But it isn't enough of any of these to neatly fall into those categories. It also isn't really a happy tale, but it can't be called a sad tale either.

The plot seemed odd at points, with the narrator responding strangely when Meaulnes wishes to leave (yet again). I can't go into more details without spoilers, unfortunately, but let's just say he had information that seemingly would have made Meaulnes's life easier and didn't disclose it for some reason.

So I should probably give it a middling rating. But sure enough, probably due to some trickery or hypnosis, I'm giving it 5 stars.

View all my reviews

Review: Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A delight to read. Also quite impressed at the English translation, given all the wordplay scattered throughout. If I find it in the original French I'm picking it up.

View all my reviews