Great Essays & Essayists
Discover the art of the essay with our curated guide to great essays and essayists. From Anne Fadiman's witty musings in *Ex Libris* to Joan Didion's iconic *The White Album* and Montaigne's timeless classics, explore essential books on writing, literary collections, and the essays that defined the genre.
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The Complete Essays
by Michel de Montaigne
In 1572 Montaigne retired to his estates in order to devote himself to leisure, reading and reflection. There he wrote his constantly expanding 'essays', inspired by the ideas he found in books from his library and his own experience. He discusses subjects as diverse as war-horses and cannibals, poetry and politics, sex and religion, love and friendship, ecstasy and experience. Above all, Montaigne studied himself to find his own inner nature and that of humanity. The Essays are among the most idiosyncratic and personal works in all literature. An insight into a wise Renaissance mind, they continue to engage, enlighten and entertain modern readers.
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Teaching a Stone to Talk
by Annie Dillard
Here, in this compelling assembly of writings, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard explores the world of natural facts and human meanings.
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Ex Libris
by Anne Fadiman
A collection of essays discusses the central and joyful importance of books and reading in the author's life.
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The White Album
by Joan Didion
Essays on the author's experiences with American culture in the 1960s and 1970s.
