Candide by Voltaire
"Candide" by Voltaire is a satirical novel written in the mid-18th century. This work follows the misadventures of its main character, Candide, who is born into a privileged life but is soon expelled from his idyllic home and thrust into a world filled with absurdity, violence, and philosophical challenges. The story critiques the optimistic philosophy of the time, particularly through Candide's interactions with various characters and the dire circumstances he encounters. The
opening of "Candide" sets the stage with a glimpse into the life of the titular character, who grows up in the castle of Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh, where he is taught by the optimistic philosopher Pangloss. Candide experiences a moment of youthful passion with Cunegonde, the Baron's daughter, but when discovered, he is brutally expelled from the castle. His naive belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds" is quickly challenged as he is thrust into a harsh reality marked by war and suffering. The beginning establishes the central themes of philosophy, love, and the inherent absurdity of life that will continue to develop throughout the novel. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Voltaire, 1694-1778 |
|---|---|
| Title | Candide |
| Note | Reading ease score: 77.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candide |
| Credits |
Produced by Chuck Greif, Fox in the Stars and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | Satire |
| Subject | Optimism -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 19942 |
| Release Date | Nov 27, 2006 |
| Most Recently Updated | Nov 5, 2012 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 9020 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
