The Oxford Handbook of Montaigne : Oxford University Press : 9780190215330 : 019021533X : 08 Dec 2016 : "The creator of the 'essay,' Michel de Montaigne serves as a bridge between what we call the early modern and modernity. The Essays resemble a patchwork of personal reflections that tend toward a single goal: to live better in the present and to prepare for death. Montaigne constantly redefines the nature of his task in order to fashion himself anew and, in the end, offers an impressionistic model of descriptions based on momentary experiences. Over the centuries, the reception of Montaigne has been anything but simple. The institutionalization of an author depends on what one might call his or her 'ideological and historical trajectory.' An effect of 'globalization' has even reached Montaigne in recent years, bringing him sudden, worldwide visibility. His thought has become internationalized, and he is read, studied, and commented in most European countries as well as in North Ameri