Great Essays

This is an anthology of essays. I suppose it was intended as a school text, although I have not used it as such nor known of it. It assembles many great, influential writings; as an example of how to write good short pieces, you could do much worse than to use this as your guide. The selections range through several centuries. From an ethnic point of view, there is not a wide diversity here. Eurocentrism is the key. None the less, the works are about as fine as you could want.

This is an AMAZING BOOK! As you readers should know, Michel Eyquem de Montaigne is the father of the essay. Here we can find his "To the Reader" and "On the Art of Conversing", which EVERYONE should read.

Also are a handful of Sir Francis Bacon's essays (sorry still no "New Atlantis"), Sir Thomas Browne's "Urne-Burial"--which is the most stunningly beautiful thing I have ever read--I didn't even know there were those words, he made me dream new words...

I loved Oliver Goldsmith's "National Prejudices", I feel exactly the same way he does! Isaac Disraeli's "The Man of One Book lead me to read Tacitus. I still don't have a "One Book" (not counting the Scriptures of course). I found Charles Lamb's wit to be "True Genius". Can't wait till I show more am a Superannuated man (aren't I now?).

The Opium addict Thomas de Quincey is here, along with his "On the knocking at the Gate in Macbeth". So much here that is gold! George Santayana's "Tipperary", Aldous Huxley's "Accidie", Willam James' "The Energies of Men", John Erskine's "The Moral Obligation to be Intelligent", Virginia Woolf's "How Should One Read a Book?", Max Berrbohm's "Speed". I promise you will treasure this book! show less

3/14/22