Reading Montaigne and What is a Classic? | Alexandria
Read Montaigne and What is a Classic? by Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve. Questioning whether being "classic" actually matters, Montaigne and Sainte-Beuve expose how reading shapes identity. While Montaigne argues true wisdom comes from embracing doubt, Sainte-Beuve reveals classics endure not through perfection, but by sparking endless reinterpretation. Together they show why great works unsettle more than comfort us.