I finished it. I finished The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne. It was late night yesterday and I read the last pages in my bed. You know, even though I’ve read Emerson and Orwell before–great essayist–I think this is the first time I see reading (and also writing) personal essays the way I’m seeing it now. It might be associated with the pendulum thing that I mentioned a few posts back or maybe it was Montaigne’s style. I don’t know. But I’m totally into it right now.
Reading essays is a rich and rewarding experience. It brings us insights and challenges us to think more deeply about a topic. It is a little different from when you read a whole nonfiction book with statistics and examples and all the core elements that, if you know Malcolm Gladwell’s books, you know what I’m talking about. Essays feel more intimate.
However, to truly appreciate and understand it, we must engage with it critically. Not only because that’s the best way to read anything, but also because we are mostly talking about another person’s mind and opinions here. A personal essay is a conversation and there’s no dialogue if we remain silent in our side.
Alright, you might want to just take it as a monologue or a lecture. Something to just listen to and ruminate about on your own a few days later. But trust me when I say, try to read it actively right away.
So, yeah, from the very first paragraph, ask questions. That’s the first step to engage critically with the text. Then think that every essay has a structure. Understanding how it is organized helps us follow the author’s argument and train of thought. Then comes another question: Why did the author write this essay? What were they hoping to achieve?
Of course, we shouldn’t just read, we should interact with the text by taking notes, jotting down key points, interesting arguments, and questions that arise as we read. Think of it like a strong debate, and while you listen to the speaker, you also take notes on what they say to use it to agree or disagree.
“Agree or disagree…” Up until here, we talked about what every active reader should do. But because essays have these elements of opinion and conversation, and debate, and because we want to use them as a starting point for showing our thoughts or thinking about our own views of that particular subject, there are three more things to do that I believe to be crucial in the reading of an essay.
Identify the thesis. Get a clear idea of what the essay is about and what the author is trying to prove. As you read, pay close attention to the facts, examples, and reasoning the author uses to back up their thesis. And finally, think about your own perspective on the essay. Do you agree with the author’s conclusions? Why or why not? In other words, add your own voice to the conversation. Think of your own anecdotes, your experience, your facts, examples, and reasoning.
My mind is about to blow with some windows and doors I opened and the others I’m about to open as a reader and a writer now. With a simple book. That is why I love reading and writing so much. You never know when your life is gonna change with a few words printed on pieces of paper glued together. No matter if those words were written 440 years ago.
So good ! Any good essayists recommend ??
You inspire me to read some of these 'old' essayists. I am new to the genre as a writer and realize I haven't taken a look at where it came from, how it developed and changed and why one reads them. How can I write a good essay, if I don't know what the reader expects? Even if I want to 'change it up', I first have to know where to start. Thank you for your reading and your writing.