---

´No one characteristic clasps us purely and universally in its embrace.´

---

´No one characteristic clasps us purely and universally in its embrace.´

A selection of charming essays from a master of the genre exploring the contradictions inherent to human thought, words and actions.

Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin´s 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). Montaigne´s works available in Penguin Classics are The Complete Essays, An Apology for Raymond Sebond, On Friendship, On Solitude and The Essays: A Selection

---

Montaigne, Michel de
Born in 1533, Montaigne studied law and spent a number of years working as a counsellor before devoting his life to reading, writing and reflection. He died in 1586.

---