Candide

One of the most famous novellas ever written, _Candide_ follows the optimist of the title as he encounters one example after another of the cruelty of this world. Having been taught by his tutor Pangloss that we live in “the best of all possible worlds,” Candide perseveres, but after facing war, an earthquake, a shipwreck, torture, and the deaths of several people who are close to him, our hero begins to doubt the validity of the philosophy he lives by.Strictly speaking, there is not “plot” to _Candide_, as tends to be the case with the novella as a genre. Instead of plot, I prefer to speak of “dérive” in regard to these brief narrative texts. The term dérive suggests a free form, a text that is adrift. Giles Deleuze and Félix Guattari might call the novella a rhizome text. _Candide_ is a brilliant example of this aspect of the novella, as this story is literally “all over the place:” our hero travels all over Europe and even to the American continent, where he finds an earthly paradise in the mythical city of El Dorado. Voltaire, incidentally, was a fan of Jonathan Swift, and this will be apparent to readers of _Candide_ and _Micromégas_ (1752)._Candide_ is a travel narrative, which accounts for its episodic structure. It is also a philosophical novella, even a thesis novella; the episodes are so many supporting arguments to the overall thesis, viz. that, contrary to what Gottfried Leibniz affirms, this is not the best of all possible worlds. The narrative device that ties the episodes together is a love story. From a very early age, Candide has his eye on Cunégonde, the daughter of his benefactor, the Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh. We wonder whether, after they are separated by a series of unfortunate events, Candide and Cunégonde will get a chance to be happy together in this troubled world.There are references to philosophical ideas throughout the novella, and while the story may be enjoyed as such, without resorting to notes, an annotated edition will give you a better appreciation of the text. I am very happy with the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, which features a translation of the novella by Theo Cuffe, an introduction by Michael Wood, copious notes, a map detailing the voyages described in the story, three appendices consisting of related texts by Voltaire, and last but not least, amazing cover art by Chris Ware depicting scenes from _Candide_ in the form of comic strips. The free Kindle version of the novella, under consideration here, features a very good, anonymous 1918 translation, an introduction by Philip Littell that emphasizes the novella’s timelessness, and 35 annotations.I do not agree with Voltaire’s philosophy; neither do I agree with Leibniz’s. _Candide_ still gives me much pleasure, and many episodes make me laugh out loud. The good thing about Voltaire is that he is not above making fun of himself. Look out for the character Pococuranté, in whose mouth the author put many of his own ideas, preferences and prejudices, such as his dislike for Homer and his hatred of Milton. Whether one agrees with Voltaire or not, _Candide_ is a great example of satire: irreverent, opinionated, and thought-provoking. If you’re hungry for more Voltaire after reading this novella, I recommend that you continue with _Micromégas_.Next on my list, Balzac’s _The Unknown Masterpiece_ (1832).Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!

Candide is mos def a good "character journey" book that takes the main character through endless misfortune, until reaching the conclusion that misfortune is still experience and that work gives you purpose

Quick read very good

This is a French Classic book of optimism, written by one of the greatest philosophers of France, Voltaire. This great classic is said to have been written in just three days in 1759. But it never lost the vigor and charm that lie embedded in the story.Candide, a young gentleman in the castle of Westphalia, somewhere in Germany, falls in love with the Baron’s daughter Miss Cunegonde. Having been discovered, Candide gets banished from the castle by the Baron. This book is all about how he and his philosopher Pangloss, a professor in metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology, who always believed in “Always, everything happens for the best and there is no effect without cause”, happen to travel across the globe to various nations of Europe and South America to discover the different kinds of injustice that can happen to the good and the beautiful people, with no mercy. Candide till the end, was in search of his true love, Miss Cunegonde, who was incessantly molested by different kings and generals after having been taken as a slave by foreign invaders. But Candide never lost his love for her, and ultimately re-unites with her and takes her as his wife even though she lost all her riches and beauty.Pros: The book reveals many philosophical ideas and thought processes of optimistic thinking in a comical fashion. One gets to understand that everything happens as per fate and no event is under anyone’s control. The heights of optimism displayed in the characters of Candide, Pangloss and Martin, are the real highlights of the story. Some hard facts of how Kings and their ladies were treated after having been captured by enemy kingdoms was narrated in comedy. The book reveals the existence of best of good and bad in the world, side by side, in those days. It is quite relevant to the present days too.Cons: The way in which the description of how ladies from defeated royal families were ravished and treated as slaves seem to have been a little exaggerated. Very few are left in today’s world with such optimism in mind. Who knows…the opposite would have taken over the world today.My favorite quotes in the book“Fools admire everything in an author of reputation. For my part, I read only to please myself. I like only that which serves my purpose - Martin”“A modest woman may be ravished once, but her virtue is strengthened by it”My rating is 3.75 out of 5

One of the many classics I am currently re-reading, 'Candide' still entertains me. I would credit its continued relevance as a satire on society and the human condition even though the vast majority of its contemporary references are now forgotten except by specialists and scholars. What touches the modern reader is the humour, the broad but hilariously irreverent characterisation (it had not struck me before how like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are Candide and Cacambo), the sharpness of the satire, and the questioning philosophy. I would argue there are few more powerful books on the hold our acquisitive natures have on us and the futility of our greed, or on the merits of finding our personal gardens to cultivate. It's a simple but effective message, and it's great that it and the book are now on offer for free courtesy of Amazon and Kindle.Reviewer David Williams blogs regularly as Writer in the North.

I had never read any Voltaire because he was French and I assumed Candide would be a huge book full of philosophy and tough things like that. Not a bit of it!This is a short and really good, old fashioned, roustabout story that is, to quote from the Bard, full of sound and fury signifying nothing!People have fabulous wealth in this book but then they lose it at a paf! Then they are rich again. Then they are swindled.People die but come back to life: you thought Dallas had invented the dream scene didn't you!Impossible people in impossible situations doing impossible things for impossible reasons. We travel round the world in this book in pea green boats and sieves!Read this book and enjoy it: each chapter comprises 500 words or so and I think there is a total of only 80 pages.A surprisingly good read.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. In fact I have read it twice and will work my way through all the other Voltaire titles.The subtle humour contained in this excellent story had me chuckling to my self many times and would suggest to anyone not accustomed to this type of book to read carefully and not miss anything, it is well worth the care. In short, a truly excellent book. G

An absolute classic and quite rightly so. Worth anybody's time to read.

This book is an epic in miniature: Voltaire explores heavy themes within faith and philosophy with the playfulness and biting wit of the Rococo period. A Moffat-esque attitude to death presides over the twisting plot, and tragedy soon loses impact. This is a fast-paced and compelling book, where nothing is absurd enough to faze the main protagonist, and indulgently vivid characters and settings flash past by the minute.A great read for french GCSE/A level students - the chapters come in small chunks, and quick, frequent jokes are an excellent motivator. (The French edition is also available for kindle!)Conclusion - READ. NOW.