Candide

Or Optimism (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Fiction & Literature, Classics, Literary
Cover of the book Candide by Francois Voltaire, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Francois Voltaire ISBN: 9781101549742
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: October 25, 2005
Imprint: Penguin Classics Language: English
Author: Francois Voltaire
ISBN: 9781101549742
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: October 25, 2005
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Language: English

"All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds"

It was the indifferent shrug and callous inertia that this "optimism" concealed which so angered Voltaire, who found the "all for the best" approach a patently inadequate response to suffering, to natural disasters, not to mention the questions of illness and man-made war. Moreover, as the rebel whose satiric genius had earned him not only international acclaim, but two stays in the Bastille, flogging, and exile, Voltaire knew personally what suffering entailed. In Candide he whisks his young hero and friends through a ludicrous variety of tortures, tragedies, and a reversal of fortune, in the company of Pangloss, a "metaphysico-theologo-comolo-nigologist" of unflinching optimism. The result is one of the glories of eighteenth-century satire.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds"

It was the indifferent shrug and callous inertia that this "optimism" concealed which so angered Voltaire, who found the "all for the best" approach a patently inadequate response to suffering, to natural disasters, not to mention the questions of illness and man-made war. Moreover, as the rebel whose satiric genius had earned him not only international acclaim, but two stays in the Bastille, flogging, and exile, Voltaire knew personally what suffering entailed. In Candide he whisks his young hero and friends through a ludicrous variety of tortures, tragedies, and a reversal of fortune, in the company of Pangloss, a "metaphysico-theologo-comolo-nigologist" of unflinching optimism. The result is one of the glories of eighteenth-century satire.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Death to the BCS by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book A Covert Affair by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Sweetness by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Desolate Angel by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Your Spiritual Power by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Stalkers and Shooters by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book World's End by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Fable: Blood Ties by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Dead, White, and Blue by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Dirt Track Chassis and SuspensionHP1511 by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book The King of Vegas' Guide to Gambling by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Hornet's Nest by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Aftermath by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book A Cookbook Conspiracy by Francois Voltaire
Cover of the book Pretty Much Screwed by Francois Voltaire
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy