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What does Montaignesque mean in literary criticism?
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Michel de Montaigne
French writer Michel de Montaigne.
In literary criticism, the term Montaignesque describes writing or thought that reflects the characteristics of the French essayist Michel de Montaigne.1
Works or styles identified as Montaignesque typically embody the following qualities established by Montaigne in his Essays:
- Self-Exploration: A focus on the author as the primary subject, using personal introspection as a means to understand the universal human condition.23
- Informal and Conversational Style: A flexible, spontaneous, and non-dogmatic approach to writing that mirrors the natural movement of thought rather than adhering to rigid, artificial structures.23
- Skepticism: An intellectual attitude of questioning that rejects absolute dogmas, generalizations, and unexamined notions in favor of continuous assessment and trial-and-error exploration.43
- Authenticity: A commitment to portraying the self—including physical and behavioral peculiarities, foibles, and contradictions—with honesty and without the pretense of achieving a static, idealized identity.24
- Tolerance and Urbanity: An ethical focus on becoming a tolerant, urbane human being who values concrete experience and independent judgment.23