I might have a slight preference for Montaigne and his essays, but Anatomy of Melancholy was so much more engaging and compelling than I thought it would be. I had a few realizations reading this book. First was that the science of Burton's time, though not as efficient or effective as our medicine, was very sophisticated. Second was how much knowledge was available to Burton. He is technically writing in the late Renaissance and Early Modern period, so not the Medieval period, but there might still be an impression that one's knowledge would be limited, but Burton has access to any number of texts and has an encyclopedic knowledge.

If nothing else, Burton, like Montaigne, feels like a knowledgeable yet compassionate friend sitting next to you to ramble, and I mean that in the best possible way.