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_rg's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly great!
I was expecting a philosophy heavy treatise that was halfway funny, but I was blown away by it.
It was greatly funny, coherent, with a full, mature story.
The philosophy department did not let me down either.
It was such a great read!
I was expecting a philosophy heavy treatise that was halfway funny, but I was blown away by it.
It was greatly funny, coherent, with a full, mature story.
The philosophy department did not let me down either.
It was such a great read!
ozyoscar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
A little hard to follow at times but great ending and very witty overall.
I can see why this shit popped off in 1759
I can see why this shit popped off in 1759
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
On its face, Voltaire seems to be just giving a list of tragedies. There is very little by way of story.
Candid seems to have suffered every misery under the sun, and characters of the stories, specially dead ones, keep coming back with their own stories full of miseries.Candid, inspired by his teacher, Dr. Pangloss starts his journey with optimism-to-point-of-fault attitude and ridiculously maintains it on face of much of misery. He is though still better than others, including Pangloss, who maintain their extreme philosophies and are set in their ways. Candid is more open to reason and is very simple minded; yet leaves the land of plenty in search of his love (I mean how stupid is that, and, Voltaire didn't liked it either.)
Voltaire brought out the ugliness of humanity -questioning slavery; the miseries on which luxurious life of French rich is based, absurdity of motion of class (look at Byron's reaction towards the end where Candid tells him about his wish to marry his sister); the forms passion would take (incidence with girls and monkeys) and everything. The mood shifts from sheer optimism to sheer pessimism, to characters who reject everything (including works of art, society etc)
There is very little that Voltaire is willing to offer by way If compensation in conclusion - something to lines of work to survive. The book is a perfect satire on ways of society, and argues that you have to make your peace with it.
Voltaire runs through what he is willing to say quickly, giving no time to think about what he had said, and so, you stand to lose a lot if you are not careful.
Candid seems to have suffered every misery under the sun, and characters of the stories, specially dead ones, keep coming back with their own stories full of miseries.Candid, inspired by his teacher, Dr. Pangloss starts his journey with optimism-to-point-of-fault attitude and ridiculously maintains it on face of much of misery. He is though still better than others, including Pangloss, who maintain their extreme philosophies and are set in their ways. Candid is more open to reason and is very simple minded; yet leaves the land of plenty in search of his love (I mean how stupid is that, and, Voltaire didn't liked it either.)
Voltaire brought out the ugliness of humanity -questioning slavery; the miseries on which luxurious life of French rich is based, absurdity of motion of class (look at Byron's reaction towards the end where Candid tells him about his wish to marry his sister); the forms passion would take (incidence with girls and monkeys) and everything. The mood shifts from sheer optimism to sheer pessimism, to characters who reject everything (including works of art, society etc)
There is very little that Voltaire is willing to offer by way If compensation in conclusion - something to lines of work to survive. The book is a perfect satire on ways of society, and argues that you have to make your peace with it.
Voltaire runs through what he is willing to say quickly, giving no time to think about what he had said, and so, you stand to lose a lot if you are not careful.
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
2.0
I need some background on what was going on in France/Europe/the World at the time this was written.
jlcarvalhal's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annawiththebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Hätte ich das 1759 gelesen (und wäre ich vllt schon etwas aufgeklärt) dann hätte ich auf jeden Fall 5/5 gegeben. Aber da Voltaires Kampfschrift seit so langer Seit zu den größten Werken der Literatur zählt, und damit auch der Inhalt schon so natürlich in unser Weltwissen eingeflossen ist, gab es wenig Erkenntnisse oder Denkanstöße die wirklich überraschend für mich waren. Ich fände es außerdem noch interessanter zu lesen, wie genau Voltaire seine Ansichten zu Gut und Böse in der Welt mit seinem Deismus vereint.
In seiner Einzigartigkeit und im historischen Kontext ist Voltaire aber natürlich ein Genius. (Und er ist mega lustig, was ich nicht erwartet hatte)
In seiner Einzigartigkeit und im historischen Kontext ist Voltaire aber natürlich ein Genius. (Und er ist mega lustig, was ich nicht erwartet hatte)
trashstar333's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
couuboy's review against another edition
4.0
How does one successfully resolve satire? William F. Bottiglia, who, as far as I can tell, is still regarded as one of the better scholars on Voltaire’s Candide, suggested the conclusion progresses from the pessimism that marked the first 19/20th’s of this book towards melioristic affirmation. That our protagonist had grown beyond being the object of satirical critique into the mouthpiece of Voltaire and his positive philosophy of the redemptive potential within production. On the other hand, Roy S. Wolper, holding one of the more provocative interpretations, stated that we may still yet interpret Candide as being satirised until the very end, rejecting the edifying message that many critics propagated.
That’s hermeneutics for you.
I first became aware of this book when I was 17 and had a pretty textbook teen-aged interest in black comedy films like ‘Withnail and I’ and ‘Trainspotting’. But the film that left the biggest impression was Mike Leigh’s ‘Naked’ in which David Thewlis (who played Johnny, the main character) said he read Candide as inspiration. I haven’t rewatched ‘Naked’ since I was 17 but as far as I can remember it didn’t come to the same conclusions that I believe Voltaire did. Which is to say, regardless of what colours – be it Bottiglian or Wolperian – you choose to nail to the mast, I think Candide is, as Ludwig Kahn said, “a diatribe against those mistaken philosophers who consider the actual world as incapable of further improvement”. This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.
That’s hermeneutics for you.
I first became aware of this book when I was 17 and had a pretty textbook teen-aged interest in black comedy films like ‘Withnail and I’ and ‘Trainspotting’. But the film that left the biggest impression was Mike Leigh’s ‘Naked’ in which David Thewlis (who played Johnny, the main character) said he read Candide as inspiration. I haven’t rewatched ‘Naked’ since I was 17 but as far as I can remember it didn’t come to the same conclusions that I believe Voltaire did. Which is to say, regardless of what colours – be it Bottiglian or Wolperian – you choose to nail to the mast, I think Candide is, as Ludwig Kahn said, “a diatribe against those mistaken philosophers who consider the actual world as incapable of further improvement”. This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.
alligracestory's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0