Candide and l'Ingénu - (Signature Editions) by Voltaire (Paperback)

About the Book

Candide is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that -- contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss -- all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, Candide has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.

This edition also includes Voltaire's satirical novella, L'Ingenue, which tells the story of a Frenchman named "Child of Nature" who had been raised by Hurons and who has returned to his fatherland, in the French province of Brittany. Once there, he gets a glimpse of the corruption of the realm and falls victim of it.

Book Synopsis

Candide is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that -- contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss -- all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, Candide has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.

This edition also includes Voltaire's satirical novella, L'Ingenue, which tells the story of a Frenchman named "Child of Nature" who had been raised by Hurons and who has returned to his fatherland, in the French province of Brittany. Once there, he gets a glimpse of the corruption of the realm and befalls victim of it.

About the Author

Voltaire (1694-1778), born François-Marie Arouet, launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which he adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques, which galvanized French reform and satirized the religious teachings of René Descartes and Blaise Pascal. After his release, he purchased a chateau in Geneva, where he wrote Candide, among other works. To avoid Calvinist persecution, he moved across the border to Ferney, France, where he lived as a wealthy man for 18 years until his death.