French Literature Reviews - 2026
André Tournon, Montaigne. La Glose et l’Essai
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
André Tournon
Montaigne. La Glose et l’Essai
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. Études montaignistes, 2022 (reprint of the 2000 edition)
This book outlines the framework of the "new philosophical language" at work in the Essais, traces its precedents—humanist commentary and legal gloss—and defines the kind of truth forged within them.
This scholarly study examines the foundations of Montaigne's thought by investigating how Renaissance humanist commentary and legal glosses influenced the creation of his famous Essais. Andre Tournon traces the precedents of a distinctive philosophical language, demonstrating how sixteenth-century practices of reading, annotating, and interpreting authoritative texts informed the skeptical yet exploratory nature of Montaigne's writing. By analyzing the interplay between inherited traditions of commentary and original prose, the volume illuminates the specific kind of truth that emerges through the essayistic form.
The book serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars of sixteenth-century French literature, Renaissance humanism, and early modern philosophy. It addresses fundamental questions regarding how meaning and authority were negotiated during a period of profound intellectual transition. Readers interested in the history of ideas, the evolution of prose genres, and the specific textual strategies of Michel de Montaigne will find this reprint of the 2000 edition to be an illuminating contribution to modern Montaigne studies.