Madame de Sevigne et Michel de Montaigne: I'ecriture Intime a la lettre et a L'essai Book

This book examines how Montaigne, in his "Essays and Travel Journal", and Madame de Sevigne in her "Correspondence" demonstrate the tensions between communication with a loved one, and, on the other hand, withdrawal, reflection, and distress. This study explores the writing practices of two representative French authors from the 16th and 17th centuries, Michel de Montaigne and Madame de Sevigne. The two authors share a double quality: the autobiographical genre, which is a 'modest' genre, since the essay and the letter do not belong to the traditionally esteemed literary genres; and the manner of observing oneself by analyzing the private universe of one's physical and spiritual sufferings and illnesses. Thus, it is possible to reveal fascinating answers to the challenge of defining the body-soul relationship which haunted Modernity, and gave rise to a new literary genre in Montaigne's case, and, in Madame de Sevigne's case to an accomplished literary work which was intended to be a personal correspondence.