By Kit Toda and Christine Fears
When a French Philosopher Draws the British Crowd
Seldom does a Renaissance French philosopher command a modern London audience to the extent that tickets vanish a week in advance. Such was the case when literary giant Will Self engaged in a dialogue on Michel de Montaigne, turning the Institut Français into a packed house not merely for Montaigne's revered legacy, but for Self’s contemporary charisma.
French Passions Ignited
The ‘French Passions’ talk series, curated for a general audience, opened with Will Self’s candid anecdotes on Montaigne, facilitated by the probing questions of Boyd Tonkin. The intimate ambiance was likened to friendship, and at moments, a romantic connection with Montaigne’s living thoughts that transcend time and space.
The Essays: A Conversation Across Centuries
Self’s encounter with Montaigne’s essays during a secluded stay in the Orkney Isles led to an intellectual infatuation. He described the sensation of reading Montaigne as being in the presence of an old friend, with the philosopher’s musings infiltrating even his most private dreams. Montaigne revised his essays throughout his life, reflecting a mind in constant flux, unburdened by dogmatism and open to pondering the universe’s enigmas.
Montaigne's Timeless Voice and Its Limitations
Attempts to modernize Montaigne with ‘proto-’ labels or liken him to a blogger are tempting, yet Self emphasized Montaigne’s indelible ties to his era, embodying the crossroads of skepticism and the religious zeitgeist of 16th-century France. Montaigne may at times appear as a confidant, but his essays also betray a voice that belongs to a different age, evidenced when he occasionally articulates views that sound alien today.
Personal Revelation Through Montaigne’s Influence
The evening punctuated the profound intimacy between reader and writer, with Montaigne’s admission, "I am myself the matter of my book," resonating with Will Self’s own introspective journey through the Essays. Self concluded by pondering Montaigne’s impact, not just as an intellectual stimulus, but as a source of solace, articulating how Montaigne’s insights could potentially grace a self-help aisle, such is their power to console and enlighten the troubled soul.