num_pages: 384
description: "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 distringuished 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.
language: English
title: Candide and Other Stories
titlecomplete: Candide and Other Stories (World's Classics)
genres: Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, French Literature, Novels, 18th Century, Literature, Classics, Fiction, France
ratings_count: 4742
places: Paris, Westphalia, Bordeaux, Buenos Aires, Lisbon
publisher: Oxford University Press