"Staying up in the chaos of the world"

"It is rare writers that open to any reader, regardless of his age, at any time of his life: Homer, Shakespeare, Goethe, Balzac, Tolstoy, but there are others whose meaning is not fully revealed only by a moment accurate. Montaigne is one of those. [] First of must have self doubt and despair of reason, the dignity of man, to be able to rent the act copy of the one who remains standing in the chaos of the world. "

Zweig and his biography begins by confessing that he didnt enjoyed reading Montaigne young. A brilliant introduction by lanalogie between lépoque Montaigne, where Lesperance of lhumanisme quickly given way to wars of religion, and despair which immerses the beginning of World War II (with Montaigne Zweig wrote one of his last works before his suicide , and it shows in many passages).

Unfortunately, the rest of this biography is uneven, sometimes turning lhagiographie, and assuming a familiarity with the oeuvre by the jaurais Montaigne liked Zweig discusses a few more tests, and just under the circumstances of the life of Montaigne (in the end relatively few interesting: begins in Bordeaux notable, but can not seem to seek honors, sisole in his turn to read and write thanks to the family fortune he inherited, served by his family which he did not soccupe, becomes famous, and is forced to become Mayor of Bordeaux against his will).
Prefer Nietzsche biographies or by Balzac Zweig if you have not already read them.