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Great service
It was sent promptly and on time in great condition.It does have a few things underlined inside, but with pencil so no big deal :) It was great service!!

The best of all possible adventures
I'm naturally biased towards this particular edition, since it was translated by my History of the Enlightenment professor, but even putting aside which edition it might be, it's a witty, funny, timeless story mixing adventure in with Enlightenment philosophy and Voltaire's views on a whole myriad of subjects.It's even alleged to be translated from the German notes of "Dr. Ralph," so that his detractors might not guess right away whom the true author was, much like Montesquieu's classic 'The Persian Letters' also being in the guise of having been written by someone other than himself.Professor Gordon says in the introduction that, if nothing else, at least this new translation restores Candide's original height to him!He also points out, in the lengthy but far from boring introduction, a number of the sexual puns and innuendos that the reader probably wouldn't realise are dirty puns and sexual comments because the seemingly innocent language doesn't even seem to suggest it, or the pun is lost in translation from the French.

Candide's very name means "pure," and this young man indeed is pure, innocent, and overly trusting, even after he's cheated, robbed, used, and taken advantage of time after time throughout the story.Besides his name, there is also irony in the subtitle, 'Optimism.'The entire story is a prime example of Occum's Razor in action.Everything you could possibly imagine goes wrong for Candide and his friends--being drafted into the Bulgar army, being driven out of the "paradise" of the Thunder-ten-tronck castle in Westphalia (which we know is little more than a hole in the wall!), having their riches stolen, being caught in the Lisbon earthquake, they're exiled, forced to flee for their lives, they're taken prisoners, caught in the Inquisition, you name it.Candide innocently goes through all of these many trials out of his love for Cunégonde, who in his sweetness and purity he doesn't realise is a whore.But because of the oft-repeated phrase of his wise tutor Dr. Pangloss, he believes that "all events are linked together in this best of all possible worlds," and doesn't see Cunégonde, or any of the other bad things or unscrupulous people around him, as what they truly are.Only when he finally gets Cunégonde back does he realise that it was worth more trouble than it was worth, and only holds up to his promise to marry her because she presses him so strongly and because he wants to humiliate Cunégonde's smug brother.Even the ending, which by all accounts seems like a happy life for Candide and his friends, is laden with constant wondering why they're doing what they're doing, how things might have been different if some of the things they went through hadn't happened or had happened in different ways.

It's all for the greater good.
Review of Candide published in the Dialogike Society Journal by Daniel De-L'amlow, philosophe extraordinaire, February 1760

Upon reading Monsieur Voltaire's short novel Candide, I thought, "My lack of God, has he shed his wings of logical investigation?"He has strayed from the pleasures of that path, due to the fact that he has failed to take into account the unpredictability and fallibility of man in a not-yet fully rationalized world.Emotion has surpassed logic as the driving force in his novel.

As for Candide, Aristotle would have placed him as one driven by moral virtue.He is a blank slate upon which is later written the words of his professor, Pangloss.He also shares the quality of Dante in the Divine Comedy in that he is afflicted with fainting whenever experiencing something that his fragile psyche cannot take.In Chapter 4, he faints twice in a row, once when hearing of the death of the object of his affection, Cunégonde, and of the barbarities committed on the civilian populations by both Bulgars and Abars.There is no mistaking Candide for a book; books have spines.

My favorite character is the scholar Martin, who accompanies the hero from South America back to Europe.Here, we can recognize Voltaire the realist, or, for those who feed deeply in the trough of idealists, a cynic.He is the symbiotic link between two extremes, the idealistic Candide and the hyper-rational Pangloss.We are further told that Martin is a Manichean, with a dualistic view implying a balance worked out by God and the Devil.Like Pangloss, he is a rational, curious and calm, a realist.

In Chapter 21, there is a discussion between Candide and Martin on the innate predatory nature of man, akin to hawks whenever they see pigeons.Candide tries to differentiate this by humans having free will, but frustratingly, Voltaire cuts off to "As they were theorizing, they arrived in Bordeaux."This quick cut annoyed me to no end, as I was anticipating an interesting discussion between the "young" and "old" Voltaire.

Martin has the best line after he and Candide visit Voltaire's dark side, Poconcurate, a bored nobleman who has accumulated knowledge for the sake of collecting and not learning.The scholar denounces Poconcurate's choleric attitude by quoting Plato:"the best stomachs are not those which refuse all food."

The other character for whom I have a liking to is the Anabaptist Jacques, who appears only in Chapter 4 and is killed off in the subsequent chapter.Where Pangloss says that the evils of the world in the end serve the common good, Jacques hinges his point on how God did not give them anything destructive, such as cannons or bayonets, yet man developed them to slaughter each other.Indeed, man should concentrate on expanding one's intellectual horizons instead of butchering each other.

In his misadventures throughout the globe, Candide finds the utopian, primitive, non-European society of El Dorado.Is Monsieur Voltaire trying to say that Europeans, at the height of sophistication and intelligence, are nothing compared to this underdeveloped society?It would appear so, as the king of El Dorado expresses his puzzlement of the white man's addiction to "our yellow mud."

To give credit to Candide, he strives for Pangloss' utilitarian viewpoint, but the turning point comes when he and Cacambo leave El Dorado and meets the maimed slave in Suriname.So horrified is he with the Negro's plight that he renounces Pangloss' optimism, which he describes as "a mania for insisting that all is well when one is suffering."

By tale's end, Candide has gone from being an idealist to an industrious and careful guardian.He has given up theorizing in exchange for tending his garden, by doing the best one can.I have no quarrel with this proposal if it were not for the religious implications, a clear reference to the fall of Adam and Eve from Eden.Candide has stooped to religion, an opiate of comfort for those who desire security.His master Pangloss provides his best words at the end, speaking of the chain of interconnected events that led from point A to B.Candide's feeble answer?"That is well said, but we must tend our garden."That is as deplorable as the easy road taken by Socrates, who, after discussing in length the root of virtue in the Euthyphro, declares that virtue must be God-given.

Do not mistake me, mes amis.Voltaire's work does have a few sanguine points, but he seems to forget that the world, the universe, itself embodies mechanistic perfection.

Monsieur Voltaire may think he is being funny, but with a few exceptions, he has the wit of a dull nail.I will credit him in describing the sex between Pangloss and Paquette as giving her "an experiment in physics" in the bushes, and the analogical reference Cacambo gives to Candide when he shoots the monkeys.Cacambo tells him that these monkeys are a quarter human in the same way that he is a quarter Spanish.I see this as a direct reference to the percentage of ignorant laypersons in our society in contrast to we fully human philosphes.

What is plainly clear is seeing the romantic-turned-philosophe-turned realist towards the end of his career.In short, I do not totally dismiss it, but Monsieur Voltaire does not know which side his croissant is buttered on.Candide can be summed up as Voltaire having a disillusioned existence and has decided to write a novel about it.

Fin. ... Read more

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François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and philosopher known for his wit, philosophical sport, and defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform despite strict censorship laws and harsh penalties for those who broke them. A satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize Christian Church dogma and the French institutions of his day. Many of his works and ideas would influence important thinkers of both the American and French Revolutions, an honour that he would share with other political theorists such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. In general criticism and miscellaneous writing, Voltaire's writing was comparable to his other works. Almost all of his more substantive works, whether in verse or prose, are preceded by prefaces of one sort or another, which are models of his caustic yet conversational tone. He wrote Letters on England (1733), Zadig; or, The Book of Fate (1747), Candide (1759) and Philosophical Dictionary (1764). ... Read more

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In 1753, Voltaire — playwright, poet, philosopher, and one of the most fêted figures in Europe — was forced by Louis XV into exile, where he remained for the last twenty-five years of his life. These years heralded a startling new beginning for this remarkable man. Voltaire carved out a new and vibrant world in his isolation, becoming a successful entrepreneur and writing his masterpiece Candide. In Voltaire in Exile, Ian Davidson re-creates this period in the life of one of the giants of the Enlightenment. By painstakingly translating the rich correspondence between Voltaire and his family, members of the Court at Versailles, and the French intellectual elite, Davidson allows us to discover Voltaire the artist, the campaigner, the aesthete, the lover, the humorist. The result is a wonderfully vivid portrait of this extraordinarily funny, iconoclastic, complex, and, above all, ferociously intelligent individual. ... Read more

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Voltaire Exalted
Having been reminded of Voltaire from reading recent works on James Boswell and Benjamin Franklin, I found this very admirable book by Ian Davidson to be the remedy to my general ignorance about this great figure from the past. It is not the source to learn about Voltaire's early days or as the noted author of plays. However, from this book one can get a good feel for why Voltaire was, and remains, so important as the symbol of a thinking and witty man, living in an age often marked by severe religious, judicial, and political intolerance. He led a long, full life while often acting generously to improve the troubled lot of real humans. ... Read more

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Somewhere between tales and polemics, these funny, ribald, and inventive pieces show Voltaire doing what he does best: brilliantly challenging received wisdom, religious intolerance, and naïve optimism. Traveling through strange environments, Voltaire's protagonists are educated, often by surprise, into the complexities and contradictions of their world. Arriving on Earth from the star Sirius, the gigantic explorer Micromégas discovers a diminutive people with an inflated idea of their own importance in the universe. Babouc in "The World as It Is" learns that humanity is equally capable of barbarism and remarkable altruism. Other characters include a little-known god of infidelity, a pretentious graduate who invites a savage to dinner, and an Indian fakir who puts up with a bed of nails to gain the adoration of his female disciples. These "fables of reason" challenge the assumptions of reader and protagonist alike. ... Read more

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Great purchase!
This was without question one of the best purchases I have made.It exceeded all of my expectations.Thank you very much.

The Durant's continue to impress me
This is the 9th volume of the Durant's impressive Story of Civilization.The subtitle of the book gives a good summary of the time period and emphasis of this history.

As usual, this is not a typical history book.It is a story of the major philosophers and intellects of this important age.It also goes into the customs and manners of all classes of people.The wars are mentioned and put into the perspective of how they impacted society, but details of the major battles are not covered, unless they impact a major character.

Durant uses an interesting method of covering this time frame.He covers the different nations histories in relation to the life and travels of Voltaire.He starts out giving a quick summary of Voltaire's early life, including his travels to England.He then talks about the history of England from 1714 to 1756 including all of their major rulers, philosophers, scientists and artists.This was the time of George I and II, William Pitt, John Wesley, David Hume, Alexander Pope, Henry Fielding, and Handel.

Next he has Voltaire going back to France and covers France's History from 1723 to 1756.This history covers the time of Louis XV, Mme. De Pompadour, and Montesquieu.Many of the ideas covered by the philosophers of England and France are the ones used later in the American Revolution.

He then has Voltaire going to Middle Europe and covers the History of Germany, Prussia, and Switzerland from 1713 to 1756.This is the time of Bach and Frederick the Great.

The authors then discuss the advancement of learning and talk about the scholarly revolution and many of the great advances in science during this interesting time.As a scientist myself, I was impressed with the many great scientists and discoveries that came from this relatively short time frame.This was the time of Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Linnaeus, and Buffon and the beginnings of Geology, Botany, Zoology and Psychology.

The next section of the book covers the attack upon Christianity that took place during this time frame.This was the time of Diderot and the Encyclopedie, Helvetius, D'Holbach, and the great Voltaire.It was a time when nearly all of the intellectuals and many of the clerics in Europe claimed to be atheists.It also showed the beginnings of the many defenders of religion.It was interesting to see how many of the arguments are the same even today.

I highly recommend this book for anybody interesting in the history of this epochal time frame.I intend to continue with this series.

The Ninth Volume in The Story of Civilization!
In this, the Ninth Volume in the classic "Story of Civilization" series, Dr. Will & Ariel Durant have compiled a massive historical examination of France and England in the first-half of the Eighteenth Century.

At over >800 pages, the reader is treated to a vivid recount of: The English ideas that inspired an Enlightenment in France. The Salons of Paris.The philosophies of both nation states. Voltaire! The Augustan Age.The decay of absolute monarchy.Diderot, Helvetius, and Holbach, compilers of the first encylopedia.

Written to stand alone, or as part of the series, the Durants have written a smooth prose of unparalleled historical accuracy to be enjoyed by professional and layperson alike!I rate it as five stars as a part of the Durant's Magnum Opus known as "The Story of Civilization." ... Read more

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It was 1733 when the poet and philosopher Voltaire met Emilie du Châtelet, a beguiling—and married—aristocrat who would one day popularize Newton’s arcane ideas and pave the way for Einstein’s theories. In an era when women were rarely permitted any serious schooling, this twenty-seven-year-old’s nimble conversation and unusual brilliance led Voltaire, then in his late thirties, to wonder, “Why did you only reach me so late?” They fell immediately and passionately in love.

Through the prism of their tumultuous fifteen-year relationship we see the crumbling of an ancient social order and the birth of the Enlightenment. Together the two lovers rebuilt a dilapidated and isolated rural chateau at Cirey where they conducted scientific experiments, entertained many of the leading thinkers of the burgeoning scientific revolution, and developed radical ideas about the monarchy, the nature of free will, the subordination of women, and the separation of church and state.

But their time together was filled with far more than reading and intellectual conversation. There were frantic gallopings across France, sword fights in front of besieged German fortresses, and a deadly burning of Voltaire’s books by the public executioner at the base of the grand stairwell of the Palais de Justice in Paris. The pair survived court intrigues at Versailles, narrow escapes from agents of the king, a covert mission to the idyllic lakeside retreat of Frederick the Great of Prussia, forays to the royal gambling tables (where Emilie put her mathematical acumen to lucrative use), and intense affairs that bent but did not break their bond.

Along with its riveting portrait of Voltaire as a vulnerable romantic, Passionate Minds at last does justice to the supremely unconventional life and remarkable achievements of Emilie du Châtelet—including her work on the science of fire and the nature of light. Long overlooked, her story tells us much about women’s lives at the time of the Enlightenment. Equally important, it demonstrates how this graceful, quick-witted, and attractive woman worked out the concepts that would lead directly to the “squared” part of Einstein’s revolutionary equation: E=mc2.

Based on a rich array of personal letters, as well as writings from houseguests, neighbors, scientists, and even police reports, Passionate Minds is both panoramic and intimate in feeling. It is an unforgettable love story and a vivid rendering of the birth of modern ideas.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great volume for high school students.
I am a teacher of high school physical science.This book is a superb read for teen girls interested in science or in the arts. The tale chronicles the life and loves of Mme. Émily DuChâteletthe translator of Newton's work, The "Principia", into French.She did much more than that;she actually made it intelligible.That is quite a feat if anyone has ever attempted to read Newton's work translated into English.Newton discovered calculus, used it to make his discoveries, then translated all the math back into the language of conics from Euclid and Appolonius . Emily commented on the "Principia" and added a great deal of her own thinking, including the principle of conservation of energy.She also wrote works on calculus.Her translation used the modern notation of Leibnitz, not Newton's peculiar symbolisms.Her work was so strong that the next three generations of physicists were French, not English.Bodanis' work follows her interactions with Voltaire and mentions some of her scientific work.He does not go into details about the science.Bodanis elegantly describes her work and times with Voltaire.She is a much under-appreciated genius.This study is a most welcome volume for students of science.My high school students loved reading it.

Excellent book that stimulates the mind from many different angles
As mentioned by other reviews, this book has it all: romance, science, history, culture... I highly recommend it! Having read it over two years ago now, I am now longing to read it again...

And as much as a cliche as it may sound, I believe it can be highly beneficial to gift this book to teenage girls interested in math and science. I have already given it to the little sisters of multiple friends, and they have absolutely loved it. In addition to giving them a wonderful female role model in science and math, they also get to learn about the Enlightenment, Voltaire, France, Germany, etc. So, on top of being inspiring, it's also very educational.

Great historical non-fiction!
No matter your bent, this has something for everyone. Do you like romance, scandal, tragedy, humor, science, math, philosophy or social histories? It's all in there. Quite tragically, Emilie has been relegated to the dust bin of history. If you've read Voltaire, you know him in a singular dimension if you haven't read and absorbed Emilie's indelible fingerprint on his life. One of the best books I read last year, it's a tragedy in that Emilie died too young and her work does not survive her. Who knows what contributions she made in mathematics and sciences? Truly, you may get the idea her intellect transcended that of her lover Voltaire and you might not be far wrong.

I can't believe this book only has one review! It's a great book.

Haunting story
If you want something to read that's more improbable and exciting than most fiction, this is an excellent choice.Steeped in history, lovingly researched and with strong scientific underpinnings, this is a book that will make you feel like you almost know Voltaire and wish you knew (and you will weep for) the amazing Emilie du Chatelet. ... Read more

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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 make his own way in the world. And so he and his various companions begin a breathless tour of Europe, South America and Asia, as an outrageous series of disasters befall them - earthquakes, syphilis, a brush with the Inquisition, murder - sorely testing the young hero's optimism. ... Read more

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Voltaire at his most sarcastic
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities.A great story and important historical work in literature.Voltaire was a Renaissance Christian humanist who played a role in the development of the Enlightenment.

On the one hand, the structure of his novel Candide is Homeric, it is the journey narrative, the hero with a thousand faces, but it is a satirical restructuring of that classical motif of the hero on a quest.What is the importance of the quest in Candide?What is the quest about in the classical sense?The quest is about learning.In the classical sense the hero leaves, has to acquire some sort of knowledge, learn a set of skills that is going to help him or her enact the quest surmount the obstacles that they encounter at one point or another, and the finally what does the hero have to accomplish?What is out there the "Holy Grail" The prize, the whole quest is about attaining some sort of ultimate end or some sort of ultimate knowledge.Does it end there?No, you got to go back with that knowledge, because the quest is never just about attaining the goal, it's about bringing it home to make everybody better, to restore the community.The individual quest, the heroic quest in the classical sense always has a larger social corrective end.The purpose of the individual, the function of the individual all depends on his ability to return to the collective, whatever it is that he has found that he has acquired that is going to change the way things are.Now how does that compare to the journey or quest narrative in Candide?Contrary to the notion of what prepares us for the world, OK here is the important structure of the journey or the quest, and the critique of knowledge by Voltaire.It is contrary to the idea of the knowledge that we acquire prepares us for the world.That each new bit of knowledge that we acquire, prepares us for the next step, and prepares us for the next stage.Contrary to the idea that life is somehow to be understood or that human history is somehow to be understood as a journey organized around progress, around betterment advancement acquiring new knowledge more knowledge more science more learning, we're getting better again, Candide tells the story that goes in the opposite direction.So, then you acquire knowledge and then you spend the rest of the journey finding out that the knowledge is useless, bit by bit, and every lesson you've acquired has to be cast aside, everything you learn you have to abandon.Instead of gaining and getting better, it is throwing off, letting go, and getting worse.Where does Voltaire want us in the end to think of the notion and narrative of progress?


Of course, you know that Candide is steeped in so many of the political and philosophical controversies of the 1750's.One of his big critiques is of the philosopher Leibnitz who said that `this is the best of all possible worlds," the idea championed by Leibnitz was a simple version of the philosophy espoused by enlightenment philosophers that the existence of any evil in the world was a sign that god was not entirely good or very powerful.The idea of an imperfect god would be nonsensical.So if you are a philosopher who takes for granted that god exists, you would have to conclude logically; and here is where humanities and Christianity really start messing with each other in all kinds of obvious ways, that god is perfect if you logically conclude that god exists.Therefore, his creation, the world, and man must also be perfect.According to many enlightenment philosophers, people perceived imperfections of the world only because they do not get the plan.This is a teleological idea of the world.Now obviously Voltaire does not accept this theory, or that god or any god has to exist.Therefore, he makes fun of the idea that the world is completely good.Much of the novel is a satire addressed to the notion that the optimists who witness countless horrors and unbelievable injustice such as floggings, robberies, and earthquakes will always find a way to write it off.They will say, `oh well there must be part of a plan, even though none of these calamities seem to serve any good at all it must point to human cruelty ignorance and barbarism and points to the indifference of the natural world.Pangloss the philosopher in the book throughout the story is always trying to find some justification forthe terrible things that he sees and the arguments that he makes seem increasingly to be absurd, like his quote that "Syphilis needed to be transmitted from the new world to Europe so that Europeans couldtaste new world delicacies.What other things is Voltaire criticizing here that connects to some of the debates that define the enlightenment period of the 1750's Religion?Religion- He criticizes the whole hypocrisy of religion.In the book, Voltaire has a parade of corrupt hypocritical religious leaders who are like the Pope that has a daughter (should have been celibate).Hard line Catholic inquisitors, a Franciscan monk who should have vow of poverty but is a jewel thief.Here Voltaire provides countless examples of the immorality and hypocrisy of religious leaders, he does not really condemn believers per say, he is really out to attack church leadership and church hierarchy.For example Jacques, who is an Anabaptist is arguably one of the most generous and humane characters.

What else does Voltaire criticize or satirize?Wealth- money corrupts; Candide seems to have more problems when he has lots of money.Things get worse he gets unhappy.An interesting point, Voltaire was deeply involved in a debate with the many deep thinkers of his time, most notably was Rousseau, who lambasted the aristocracy.Voltaire himself really moved very comfortably among aristocratic circles and interestingly the French enlightenment philosophy really took off among the French aristocracy.Since they had the leisure time to contemplate so many of the new ideas in reason, science and rationalism and his notions of progress and advancement were ideas that were principally championed and discussed by members of the French aristocracy.Therefore, it was among some of the idle members of the French aristocrats that these enlightenment philosophers were able to find their most ardent followers.Despite the fact that the church and the state were not more often that not completely allied with each other, kings could be attracted on occasion to arguments that seemed to undermine the authority of the church.The fact that the aristocrats were very much unaware of the precariousness of their position tended to make them overconfident.Dabbling in some new ideas that were part of the enlightenment movement caused them not to take seriously the kind of jeopardy they were in or what the enlightenment would lead to in the championing of the common man and the overthrow of the French aristocracy.Because they found these ideas somewhat new, interesting, and exciting and they did not really see this as at all leading inexorably to the demise of the aristocratic class.Now of course it was thinkers like Rousseau not at all like Voltaire on this particular point that made his chief adversary.Rousseau distrusted the aristocrats out of a hunger to overthrow the class but because he believed that people of wealth betrayed decent traditional values.Rousseau opposed the theatre, which is Voltaire's lifeblood; he shunned the aristocracy, which Voltaire very much courted.He courted their attention he courted their interests.Rousseau argued for something dangerous like democratic revolution, and Voltaire argued that equality was impossible it would never come about.Rousseau argued that inequality was not only natural but that if it were taken too far it would make any decent government a total impossibility.Voltaire was very charming and witty, which led largely to his success in moving about aristocratic and social circles.Rousseau insisted on his own correctness and was not a charming person to be around; he was very intense and very serious about his ideas.Voltaire endlessly repeated the same handful of core enlightenment notions, where as Rousseau was a deeply original thinker.Who was always challenging his own way of thinking contradicting himself, coming up with ideas on the equality of education, the family, the government, and the arts in a matter that was much more radical than Voltaire was ever willing to go along with.They were both skeptics, and Voltaire is nothing if not a skeptic.

What does Voltaire do with the idea of philosophy in Candide?Philosophy- What is the value of philosophical speculation?It is useless for Voltaire; it is one of Pangloss' biggest flaws.Abstract philosophical argument is not based on any real world evidence.In the chaotic world of this novel, philosophical speculation repeatedly proves to be useless, and at times even dangerous.Time and again it prevents the characters from making any useful assessment of the world around them, it prevents them from bringing about any kind of change, it prevent them from thinking that they might try to bring about some social change.Pangloss is the character most susceptible to this kind of foolishness.Example, while Jacques is drowning, Pangloss stops Candide from saving him by proving that the bay was formed for Jacques to drown in.Therefore, at the end of course at the novels conclusion Candide rejects Pangloss' philosophies.If philosophical speculation is useless, what does Voltaire suggest you put in its place?Hard practical work in general.Therefore, it is somewhat surprising in that sense that this judgment against philosophy that is portrayed in the book becomes very dramatic when we think about Voltaire's own status as a philosopher.

What about the garden at the end of the novel?At the end of the novel Candide defines happiness in raising vegetables.On the one hand it is indicative of the turning away from the following of philosophy, from the abstract speculative nature of philosophy towards something hands on something pragmatic.Does the garden have a symbolic resonance to it?Is it related to the Garden of Eden?For Adam and Eve the garden is the beginning of their troubles, here it is the end of their troubles.It is the end of the narrative the end of their quest, their journey, and the end of their travails.This is where they wind up this is where they retreat.In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve do not have to work to have fruits of the garden; this garden requires work, and constant tending.In that I think the garden here represents much, more in a very different way than the biblical garden represents.An embrace of life, but an embrace of life of what?For all the horror, hardships, and nightmares that these characters experience throughout the entire course of the text, at the end, they embrace life; they take it they say yes.

The status of knowledge in Voltaire, what do we know?The garden is a final retreat from activism, or social engagement in the world.Finally, what Voltaire is saying is look go back to the basics.Do not try to change, analyze the world, or try to speculate about the nature of our existence.Retreat into your own sphere and do not mess with the world around you, because ultimately you are powerless, to do anything in this world.I think Voltaire is commenting on in a sense the Utopian impulse and imagination.Specifically as it influenced enlightenment philosophers of the period with respect to the notion of progress and advancement.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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As a leading thinker of the European Enlightenment, Voltaire is a central figure in France's collective cultural memory. The popularity of Candide has made him perhaps best known as a writer of tales. Yet these represent only a fraction of his entire œuvre. Voltaire created a style of authorship which made him the most famous writer in Europe and turned his name into a brand for a certain style of writing and thinking. This Companion covers his plays, fiction, pamphlets, correspondence, biblical criticism, and historical, political and philosophical thought, to give a wide-ranging view of his writings. The most comprehensive book on Voltaire available in English, it makes accessible the most recent research in France as well as the English-speaking world, in a series of original essays and a guide to sources. The essays demonstrate why Voltaire remains an essential point of reference in defining the modern intellectual today. ... Read more

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David Wootton's scalpel-sharp translation of Candidefeatures a brilliant Introduction, a map of Candide's travels, anda selection of those writings of Voltaire, Leibniz, Pope andRousseau crucial for fully appreciating this eighteenth-centurysatiric masterpiece that even today retains its celebrated bite. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Voltaire at his most sarcastic
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities.A great story and important historical work in literature.Voltaire was a Renaissance Christian humanist who played a role in the development of the Enlightenment.

On the one hand, the structure of his novel Candide is Homeric, it is the journey narrative, the hero with a thousand faces, but it is a satirical restructuring of that classical motif of the hero on a quest.What is the importance of the quest in Candide?What is the quest about in the classical sense?The quest is about learning.In the classical sense the hero leaves, has to acquire some sort of knowledge, learn a set of skills that is going to help him or her enact the quest surmount the obstacles that they encounter at one point or another, and the finally what does the hero have to accomplish?What is out there the "Holy Grail" The prize, the whole quest is about attaining some sort of ultimate end or some sort of ultimate knowledge.Does it end there?No, you got to go back with that knowledge, because the quest is never just about attaining the goal, it's about bringing it home to make everybody better, to restore the community.The individual quest, the heroic quest in the classical sense always has a larger social corrective end.The purpose of the individual, the function of the individual all depends on his ability to return to the collective, whatever it is that he has found that he has acquired that is going to change the way things are.Now how does that compare to the journey or quest narrative in Candide?Contrary to the notion of what prepares us for the world, OK here is the important structure of the journey or the quest, and the critique of knowledge by Voltaire.It is contrary to the idea of the knowledge that we acquire prepares us for the world.That each new bit of knowledge that we acquire, prepares us for the next step, and prepares us for the next stage.Contrary to the idea that life is somehow to be understood or that human history is somehow to be understood as a journey organized around progress, around betterment advancement acquiring new knowledge more knowledge more science more learning, we're getting better again, Candide tells the story that goes in the opposite direction.So, then you acquire knowledge and then you spend the rest of the journey finding out that the knowledge is useless, bit by bit, and every lesson you've acquired has to be cast aside, everything you learn you have to abandon.Instead of gaining and getting better, it is throwing off, letting go, and getting worse.Where does Voltaire want us in the end to think of the notion and narrative of progress?


Of course, you know that Candide is steeped in so many of the political and philosophical controversies of the 1750's.One of his big critiques is of the philosopher Leibnitz who said that `this is the best of all possible worlds," the idea championed by Leibnitz was a simple version of the philosophy espoused by enlightenment philosophers that the existence of any evil in the world was a sign that god was not entirely good or very powerful.The idea of an imperfect god would be nonsensical.So if you are a philosopher who takes for granted that god exists, you would have to conclude logically; and here is where humanities and Christianity really start messing with each other in all kinds of obvious ways, that god is perfect if you logically conclude that god exists.Therefore, his creation, the world, and man must also be perfect.According to many enlightenment philosophers, people perceived imperfections of the world only because they do not get the plan.This is a teleological idea of the world.Now obviously Voltaire does not accept this theory, or that god or any god has to exist.Therefore, he makes fun of the idea that the world is completely good.Much of the novel is a satire addressed to the notion that the optimists who witness countless horrors and unbelievable injustice such as floggings, robberies, and earthquakes will always find a way to write it off.They will say, `oh well there must be part of a plan, even though none of these calamities seem to serve any good at all it must point to human cruelty ignorance and barbarism and points to the indifference of the natural world.Pangloss the philosopher in the book throughout the story is always trying to find some justification forthe terrible things that he sees and the arguments that he makes seem increasingly to be absurd, like his quote that "Syphilis needed to be transmitted from the new world to Europe so that Europeans couldtaste new world delicacies.What other things is Voltaire criticizing here that connects to some of the debates that define the enlightenment period of the 1750's Religion?Religion- He criticizes the whole hypocrisy of religion.In the book, Voltaire has a parade of corrupt hypocritical religious leaders who are like the Pope that has a daughter (should have been celibate).Hard line Catholic inquisitors, a Franciscan monk who should have vow of poverty but is a jewel thief.Here Voltaire provides countless examples of the immorality and hypocrisy of religious leaders, he does not really condemn believers per say, he is really out to attack church leadership and church hierarchy.For example Jacques, who is an Anabaptist is arguably one of the most generous and humane characters.

What else does Voltaire criticize or satirize?Wealth- money corrupts; Candide seems to have more problems when he has lots of money.Things get worse he gets unhappy.An interesting point, Voltaire was deeply involved in a debate with the many deep thinkers of his time, most notably was Rousseau, who lambasted the aristocracy.Voltaire himself really moved very comfortably among aristocratic circles and interestingly the French enlightenment philosophy really took off among the French aristocracy.Since they had the leisure time to contemplate so many of the new ideas in reason, science and rationalism and his notions of progress and advancement were ideas that were principally championed and discussed by members of the French aristocracy.Therefore, it was among some of the idle members of the French aristocrats that these enlightenment philosophers were able to find their most ardent followers.Despite the fact that the church and the state were not more often that not completely allied with each other, kings could be attracted on occasion to arguments that seemed to undermine the authority of the church.The fact that the aristocrats were very much unaware of the precariousness of their position tended to make them overconfident.Dabbling in some new ideas that were part of the enlightenment movement caused them not to take seriously the kind of jeopardy they were in or what the enlightenment would lead to in the championing of the common man and the overthrow of the French aristocracy.Because they found these ideas somewhat new, interesting, and exciting and they did not really see this as at all leading inexorably to the demise of the aristocratic class.Now of course it was thinkers like Rousseau not at all like Voltaire on this particular point that made his chief adversary.Rousseau distrusted the aristocrats out of a hunger to overthrow the class but because he believed that people of wealth betrayed decent traditional values.Rousseau opposed the theatre, which is Voltaire's lifeblood; he shunned the aristocracy, which Voltaire very much courted.He courted their attention he courted their interests.Rousseau argued for something dangerous like democratic revolution, and Voltaire argued that equality was impossible it would never come about.Rousseau argued that inequality was not only natural but that if it were taken too far it would make any decent government a total impossibility.Voltaire was very charming and witty, which led largely to his success in moving about aristocratic and social circles.Rousseau insisted on his own correctness and was not a charming person to be around; he was very intense and very serious about his ideas.Voltaire endlessly repeated the same handful of core enlightenment notions, where as Rousseau was a deeply original thinker.Who was always challenging his own way of thinking contradicting himself, coming up with ideas on the equality of education, the family, the government, and the arts in a matter that was much more radical than Voltaire was ever willing to go along with.They were both skeptics, and Voltaire is nothing if not a skeptic.

What does Voltaire do with the idea of philosophy in Candide?Philosophy- What is the value of philosophical speculation?It is useless for Voltaire; it is one of Pangloss' biggest flaws.Abstract philosophical argument is not based on any real world evidence.In the chaotic world of this novel, philosophical speculation repeatedly proves to be useless, and at times even dangerous.Time and again it prevents the characters from making any useful assessment of the world around them, it prevents them from bringing about any kind of change, it prevent them from thinking that they might try to bring about some social change.Pangloss is the character most susceptible to this kind of foolishness.Example, while Jacques is drowning, Pangloss stops Candide from saving him by proving that the bay was formed for Jacques to drown in.Therefore, at the end of course at the novels conclusion Candide rejects Pangloss' philosophies.If philosophical speculation is useless, what does Voltaire suggest you put in its place?Hard practical work in general.Therefore, it is somewhat surprising in that sense that this judgment against philosophy that is portrayed in the book becomes very dramatic when we think about Voltaire's own status as a philosopher.

What about the garden at the end of the novel?At the end of the novel Candide defines happiness in raising vegetables.On the one hand it is indicative of the turning away from the following of philosophy, from the abstract speculative nature of philosophy towards something hands on something pragmatic.Does the garden have a symbolic resonance to it?Is it related to the Garden of Eden?For Adam and Eve the garden is the beginning of their troubles, here it is the end of their troubles.It is the end of the narrative the end of their quest, their journey, and the end of their travails.This is where they wind up this is where they retreat.In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve do not have to work to have fruits of the garden; this garden requires work, and constant tending.In that I think the garden here represents much, more in a very different way than the biblical garden represents.An embrace of life, but an embrace of life of what?For all the horror, hardships, and nightmares that these characters experience throughout the entire course of the text, at the end, they embrace life; they take it they say yes.

The status of knowledge in Voltaire, what do we know?The garden is a final retreat from activism, or social engagement in the world.Finally, what Voltaire is saying is look go back to the basics.Do not try to change, analyze the world, or try to speculate about the nature of our existence.Retreat into your own sphere and do not mess with the world around you, because ultimately you are powerless, to do anything in this world.I think Voltaire is commenting on in a sense the Utopian impulse and imagination.Specifically as it influenced enlightenment philosophers of the period with respect to the notion of progress and advancement.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.

Fine edition of Voltaire and invaluable contextual material
First off, this new edition of "Candide" has numerous virtues, not the least of which is the amazing erudition invested in the explanatory footnotes that run the length of Voltaire's text.Wootton puts his (and others') knowledge of this masterpiece to good use, and his clarifications are invaluable, helping both to situate Voltaire's thought in the context of his own life and culture, and to resurrect some of the more historically specific humor that has, sadly, been bled away by the last two and a half centuries.Why is it funny, for example, that Voltaire sends his naive protagonist first to the Bulgars?Wootton tells you.

Second, the wealth of contextual material is great for enlarging the reader's understanding of the intellectual climate that Voltaire is critiquing.The Leibniz summary chosen is a bit opaque (small bits of the "Theodicee" would have worked better towards explaining the basics of Leibniz, or at least Voltaire's merciless version of Leibniz), but the portions of Pope and the excerpts of Voltaire's correspondence are enlightening.

The translation is, by and large, very good.We lose a little humor (which always happens in translation), as when the baron's wife is said, due to her weight, to be "regarded as a person of substance" (2); Voltaire here says that, due to her weight, she "s'attirait par là une très grande considération [attracted great consideration]," a wee comical nod to Newtonian physics that must be seen as the first scientific pun of many to come.

This is minor, but another moment of the translation gives me great pause, and, judging from Wootton's impassioned introductory defense of his decision, it must have given him greater pause.Most translations of "Candide" have reliably rendered the famous final lines as "we must cultivate our garden," or something to that effect.Very few have dared omit the word "garden."Wootton delivers it as "we must work our land," and he defends his choice with a well-reasoned appeal to Voltaire's cultural context and correspondence, and claims further that the great symbolic appeal of the "Garden of Eden" image was largely behind the traditional rendering of the line as "we must cultivate our garden."The problem with his defense is not just that Voltaire's line bluntly (and literally) reads "il faut cultiver notre jardin [we must cultivate our garden]," but that the Garden of Eden resonance of which Wootton is so wary is not imported by the reader but rather quite present in "Candide," and even in Wootton's translation of "Candide."When, on page 3 of this translation, Candide is "driven out of the Garden of Eden," he begins a motion that will eventually cycle him back, older and wiser, to a different garden, one drained of religious specificity but not resonance.By tampering with Voltaire's last line, Wootton's translation robs the narrative of its aggressive insistence on this return.

This is fairly nit-picky stuff, though, and any reader can keep the translation difficulties squarely in mind, since Wootton makes--to his credit--no attempt to conceal them.So what you have, in the end, then, is a largely faithful and superbly readable rendition of a work that does not fail, to this day, to make us think, laugh, and feel ashamed.Unpalatable social insitutions like slavery fall under Voltaire's sharp attack, as does the particular cruelty of which organized religion has shown itself capable.The guileless protagonist is back in vogue (see the tributes to Candide in Boyle's "Tortilla Curtain" and Groom's "Forrest Gump"), as candid as ever.For [the price], that's a lot of bang for your buck. ... Read more

Product Description
Candide, ou l'Optimisme (1759) is a French satire by the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. The novella begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply optimism) by his tutor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this existence, followed by Candide's slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not outright rejecting optimism, advocating an enigmatic precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds".

Candide is known for its sarcastic tone and its erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving plot. With a story similar to that of a more serious bildungsroman or picaresque novel, it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism.

As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it; most notably, Leonard Bernstein produced a 1956 comic operetta whose libretto is closely based on the novella. Today, Candide is recognised as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is likely taught more than any other work of French literature. -- from Wikipedia ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Classic satire; questionable Kindle edition; some better choices
"Candide" has become the classic example of outstanding satire, well worth reading and re-reading from time to time. It's been amazing to me how the book has grown on me over the past fifty years since I read it the first time. I've just finished reading this Kindle version to my wife, in this translation, and found it even more compelling than it was when I first met Candide as a college freshman. A clear five star book in my world.

The thrust of my review is rather to critique this Kindle version of the classic. On balance, the text is well presented with very few typographical errors, and the translation flows well; it has an appealing flavor of Victorian prose, which helps create the impression of an ancient text.

There are two major weaknesses: there are none of the usual Kindle navigation tools, most particularly, the table of contents is not interactive. With so many different chapters, and with the excellent headnotes, an interactive table of contents would make for a much more pleasurable reading experience.

Second, there is absolutely no indication of who the translator is, a real shame because the translation is a pleasure to read. It would have been a courtesy to at least describe the text from which this version was derived:

"The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version." A Critique and Biography by John Morley, notes by Tobias Smollett, trans. William F. Fleming (New York: E.R. DuMont, 1901). In 21 vols. "Voltaire" appears in Volume I of that series.

A flavor of the charm of this text can be seen in the following sample:

Master Pangloss taught the metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology. He could prove to admiration that there is no effect without a cause; and, that in this best of all possible worlds, the baron's castle was the most magnificent of all castles, and my lady the best of all possible baronesses.

It is demonstrable, said he, that things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for as all things have been created for some end, they must necessarily be created for the best end. Observe, for instance, the nose is formed for spectacles, therefore we wear spectacles. The legs are visibly designed for stockings, accordingly we wear stockings. Stones were made to be hewn, and to construct castles, therefore My Lord has a magnificent castle; for the greatest baron in the province ought to be the best lodged. Swine were intended to be eaten, therefore we eat pork all the year round: and they, who assert that everything is right, do not express themselves correctly; they should say that everything is best.

Candide listened attentively, and believed implicitly; for he thought Miss Cunegund excessively handsome, though he never had the courage to tell her so. He concluded that next to the happiness of being baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, the next was that of being Miss Cunegund, the next that of seeing her every day, and the last that of hearing the doctrine of Master Pangloss, the greatest philosopher of the whole province, and consequently of the whole world.

If all you want is an interesting version of "Candide" to read straight through, this text is an attractive, economical choice.

*****

A much better choice at the same price point, with superb Kindle navigation and in a very attractive translation by Peter Constantine is Candide (mobi). The same paragraphs read as follows in this edition:

Pangloss taught metaphysico-theologo-cosmonigology. He proved admirably that in this best of all possible worlds, His Lordship's castle was the most beautiful of castles, and Her Ladyship the best of all possible baronesses.

"It is demonstrated," he said, "that things cannot be otherwise: for, since everything was made for a purpose, everything is necessarily for the best purpose. Note that noses were made to wear spectacles; we therefore have spectacles. Legs were clearly devised to wear breeches, and we have breeches. Stones were created to be hewn and made into castles; His Lordship therefore has a very beautiful castle: the greatest baron in the province must have the finest residence. And since pigs were made to be eaten, we eat pork all year round. Therefore, those who have maintained that all is well have been talking nonsense: they should have maintained that all is for the best."

Candide listened attentively and believed innocently, for he found Lady Cunegonde extremely beautiful, although he was never bold enough to tell her so. He concluded that, after the good fortune of having been born Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh, the second greatest good fortune was to be Lady Cunegonde; the third, to see her every day; and the fourth, to listen to Dr. Pangloss, the greatest philosopher in the province, and therefore in the whole world.

This edition also contains a very interesting discussion of the novel as well as the life of Voltaire. Altogether a much better choice in the Kindle world.

***

However, if you are really interested in both an excellent translation and a number of fascinating insights into the meanings of the work, you really have to turn to a hard cover book, Candide (A Norton Critical Edition) edited by Robert Martin Adams. His translation is excellent. The Amazon editorial material barely hints at the treasures in this book; this description comes from Norton:

Overview | Contents
Robert M. Adams's superlative revised translation of Candide provides the basis for this widely adopted Norton Critical Edition.

The accompanying apparatus has been revised in accordance with recent biographical and critical materials. The Backgrounds and Criticism sections provide important essays that shed light on major critical issues relevant to Candide and to the intellectual climate of the period. In addition to the reports of five English visitors to Ferney, essays by Haydn Mason, Erich Auerbach, Ernst Cassirer, and Robert M. Adams are included. The final section of the edition, "The Climate of Controversy," summarizes the debate surrounding Voltaire's works and includes essays by Peter Gay, Raymond Naves, Gustave Lanson, and John Morley. Also included are a series of quotations about Voltaire by such prominent figures as Gustave Flaubert, Frederick the Great, and Stendhal, as well as the text of "Pangloss's Song," a ballad from the 1956 Candide-based operetta by Richard Wilbur.


Robert C. Ross 2010 ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more