num_pages: 307
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 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.
language: English
title: Candide and Other Stories
titlecomplete: Candide and Other Stories
genres: Fiction, France, Short Stories, Philosophy, French Literature, Literature, 18th Century, Classics, Novels, Historical Fiction
ratings_count: 4743
places: Westphalia, Lisbon, Paris, Buenos Aires, Bordeaux
publisher: Alfred A. Knopf