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Candide,

Or Optimism
By Francois Voltaire
Penguin Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.76 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 309,050 ratings, 14,866 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Candide follows the naive protagonist, Candide, whose unwavering belief that "all is for the best" is challenged by a series of whimsical and harrowing adventures. Voltaire's satirical tale exposes the absurdities of blind optimism amidst injustice, suffering, and despair, making the narrative both humorous and thought-provoking.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in sharp social satire and classic literature, especially those who appreciate insightful commentary on human nature and philosophy. This edition also appeals to collectors who value expertly designed books.

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Tells of the adventures of the naive Candide, who doggedly believes that all is for the best even when faced with injustice, suffering, and despair.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of Western literature's most glorious and incisive satires—now in a brilliant new translation with phenomenal cover art by legendary comic artist Chris Ware!

With its vibrant new translation, perceptive introduction, and witty packaging, this new edition of Voltaire's masterpiece belongs in the hands of every reader pondering our assumptions about human behaviour and our place in the world. Candide tells of the hilarious adventures of the naive Candide, who doggedly believes that "all is for the best" even when faced with injustice, suffering, and despair.

Controversial and entertaining, Candide is a book that is vitally relevant today in our world pervaded by—as Candide would say—"the mania for insisting that all is well when all is by no means well."

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

This edition boasts a brilliant new translation and stunning cover art by comic artist Chris Ware, enhancing the timeless satire. It has won design accolades including the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers and the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award. Reviewers praise it for its vibrant and minimalist typographic cover design, and its success in merging classic literature with modern aesthetic appeal.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143039426

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2007

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Theo Cuffe

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 141.0mm

Height: 212.0mm

Weight: 236g

Pages: 160

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction Francois Voltaire General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction

About the Author

Voltaire, was born in 1694. For twenty years Voltaire lived chiefly away from Paris. In this, his most prolific period, he wrote such satirical tales as "Zadig" (1747) and "Candide" (1759). He died in 1778. Theo Cuffe translated Voltaire's Micromegas and Other Short Fictions for Penguin Classics. Michael Wood is the writer and presenter of many critically acclaimed series on television, including In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great and its accompanying book.

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    A major new translation of Voltaire's fast-paced, globe-trotting satire - an irresistible holiday read. Brought up in the household of a powerful Baron, Candide is an open-minded young man, whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that all is for the best. But when his love for the Baron's rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to...
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