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Loading... Candide (Dover Thrift Editions) (original 1759; edition 1991)by Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arouet (Translator)
Work InformationCandide by Voltaire (1759)
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What do you say about one of the most famous satires of the western cannon written in 1759 by French philosopher Voltaire? It’s biting political and religious satire featuring our friend, Candide, a naïve young man trying to make sense of the world while living through a series of misadventures after he is ejected from his very pleasant youthful life . He has been taught by his tutor, Professor Pangloss, that everything works out for the best and that we live in the best of all worlds; that everything has evolved to precisely this point of perfection because of the perfection that went before. For example one of Pangloss’s assertions is that eyeglasses being the shape they are shows the perfection of the shape of the nose. I’ve never been a great fan of comedy by absurdity, but what really struck me is that many of our institutions such as the church, ruling countries, armies and our ideas of paradise haven’t come that far in the almost 300 years since this was written. Talk about witticism and humor. The latter, rather subjective, mixes well on the former, thus forming a wondrous work called satire. From the most stretched, overly-exaggerated scenarios and happenings, Candide, the open-minded philosopher, greatly influenced by his revered adviser Pangloss, who thinks that 'all is for the best', which happens to be the same title of the novel, are both comical at most. The story revolves on his topsy-turvy experiences, his dubious ponderings on the truth, and his eventual disagreement to his great teacher. This book, which is considered a classic, is perhaps not a classic since it's creation. Voltaire probably doubt that this would be one of the most profound and critically-acclaimed work in the history of literature. It is not probably in the league within the profound works of Homer, Virgil, Cicero, and the greatly-jeered Milton, which the book greatly mocks its pretentious quality, this book surmounts the greatness of content through the use of wit and satire. This fast-paced satire is easy, concise, and greatly entertaining. Every chapter is a new adventure, and there are underlying comments regarding the real-world problems and perhaps analogous content, but it is the sole purpose of making such a satirical literature. 9/10 To give a brief introduction, Leibniz was an Enlightenment-era philosopher whose mantra could be simplified to ‘This is the best of all possible worlds.’ Now, anyone who has stepped outside the bounds of their homes knows that this is not the case. Another philosopher of the same era, Voltaire, seemed to be infuriated with it – Candide was written to attack Leibnizian optimism and ridiculed government, military, religion, money, and the concept of honour itself. When things seem to be getting better, Candide jumps to an entirely new plotline which makes you lose hope. That, to me, is Voltaire’s genius. He leaves no holds barred in his unrelenting attack on optimism, so much so that each person takes for granted the horrors of our existence, even when confronted with it first-hand. Cunégonde’s caretaker narrates the act of her buttocks being eaten by slavers for survival with an astounding lack of interest in the matter. Candide, the eponymous character, undergoes almost every calamity possible – ranging from being thrown out from his residence to nearly being hanged and even narrowly escaping from cannibals. There are dozens of such tales scattered across the text, and at some point, I just started laughing at Voltaire’s ‘show, don’t tell’ philosophy – this novella might be the best example of the phrase I’ve ever seen. Although abrupt, the ending felt perfect – primarily because of what it took for Candide to realise that we cannot always view the world through rose-tinted glasses – it helps to have a sense of realism, however tiny. Philosophy apart, Candide is a beautiful read, and it deserves its place in the Western canon. Belongs to Publisher Series — 33 more Centopaginemillelire (186) The Folio Society ((5) 1948) insel taschenbuch (0011) Modern Library (47) Newton Compton Live (32) Penguin Classics (L004) Perpetua reeks (48) Reclams Universal-Bibliothek (6549) A tot vent (344) Voltaire's Werke in zeitgemäßer Auswahl (Theil 1-2) Is contained inThe History of Candide, or, All for the Best, with Zadig, or, Destiny an Oriental History, with A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy - the three complete in one volume by Voltaire Schlüsselwerke der Philosophie : die philosophische Basisbibliothek ; mehr als 20.000 Seiten! ; Logik, Ethik, Erkenntni by Mathias Bertram Candide (suivi de L'Histoire des voyages de Scarmentado et de Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne) by Voltaire International Collector's Library Classics 19 volumes: Crime & Punishment; Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; Mysterious Island; Magic Mountain; Around the World in 80 Days; Count of Monte Cristo; Camille; Quo Vadis; Hunchback of Notre Dame; Nana; Scaramouche; Pinocchio; Fernande; War and Peace; The Egyptian; From the Earth to the Moon; Candide; Treasure of Sierra Madre; Siddhartha/Steppenwolf by Jules Verne 90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1): Novels, Poetry, Plays, Short Stories, Essays, Psychology & Philosophy by Various Has the adaptationIs abridged inIs parodied inIs a reply toInspiredHas as a student's study guideAwardsNotable Lists
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
HTML: Every lover of classic literature should read Candide, the satirical masterpiece that shocked Paris upon its publication in 1759. The novel challenges many of the core assertions of Enlightenment philosophy and calls into question vast swaths of Christian dogma. Though widely banned after its publication, it propelled Voltaire to literary stardom and remains one of the most popular French novels ever written. .No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)843.5Literature French French fiction 18th century 1715–89LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I've downloaded it in e-book form courtesy of Project Gutenberg now, so one of these days when I'm at a loose end I'll re-read it in English. ( )