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katya_m's review against another edition
A este não faço review com medo de arder no inferno...
Candide, ou l'optimisme foi provavelmente escrito entre os anos de 1757 1758 e publicado pela primeira vez em 1759. Sabemos, através da correspondência e dos diários de Voltaire e dos seus próximos que nos últimos meses de 1758 o autor decidiu fazer uma revisão final ao texto e preparar a publicação. Sabendo que o conteúdo do livro daria origem à sua proibição, Voltaire optou directamente por uma edição clandestina, como já havia feito outras vezes. Para dificultar a vida às autoridades, o livro foi impresso separadamente e distribuído a partir de vários centros de edição em simultâneo - na Suiça, na Holanda e em França. Foi uma ampla manobra de logistica e promoção editorial que permitiu rapidamente encher o mercado europeu de exemplares do Candide. Para baralhar as pistas, eram falsos os locais de impressão e os nomes das oficinas indicados nas folhas de título, e o livro foi arribuido a um pseudónimo evidente.
N. do tradutor
"Trabalhemos sem dissertar, disse Martinho; é o único meio de tornar a vida suportável..."
170
E está tudo dito.
Candide, ou l'optimisme foi provavelmente escrito entre os anos de 1757 1758 e publicado pela primeira vez em 1759. Sabemos, através da correspondência e dos diários de Voltaire e dos seus próximos que nos últimos meses de 1758 o autor decidiu fazer uma revisão final ao texto e preparar a publicação. Sabendo que o conteúdo do livro daria origem à sua proibição, Voltaire optou directamente por uma edição clandestina, como já havia feito outras vezes. Para dificultar a vida às autoridades, o livro foi impresso separadamente e distribuído a partir de vários centros de edição em simultâneo - na Suiça, na Holanda e em França. Foi uma ampla manobra de logistica e promoção editorial que permitiu rapidamente encher o mercado europeu de exemplares do Candide. Para baralhar as pistas, eram falsos os locais de impressão e os nomes das oficinas indicados nas folhas de título, e o livro foi arribuido a um pseudónimo evidente.
N. do tradutor
"Trabalhemos sem dissertar, disse Martinho; é o único meio de tornar a vida suportável..."
170
E está tudo dito.
dharma_s's review against another edition
5.0
I was actually laughing, loudly and in public as I read this book. Who knew Voltaire was funny?
serafim's review against another edition
3.5
genuinely funny and i appreciate the philosophical thesis
french level: surprisingly easy to understand for an 18th century text
french level: surprisingly easy to understand for an 18th century text
spadeano's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
dyno8426's review against another edition
3.0
Voltaire has created a parody of a romantic and an optimist through this funny, fast and succinct book - a modern satire on the philosophical optimism of our inhabited world being "the best of all possible worlds", under the design and will of some metaphysical power like "God". The force of cynicism is strong with this one. Gods across cultures and history have taken precedence and responsibility to man's actions and relieved them of the moral responsibility to some extent. By presenting a continuous degradation of the protagonist Candide, as he travels around the world in the cycles of hopes and despair over his pursued love of Cunegonde, the author puts the classic contradiction of all existing misery, suffering and evil of the world against the watchful eyes of a benevolent God or a meaningful, pleasure-filled playground of humans to play upon. Candide's journey and all the fellow travellers he encounters on his way are all sufferers of violence, deceit, greed, molestation, selfishness, cruelty, dishonesty, and all other sorts of vices the extremes of which have made life unbearable and metaphorical hell on earth for some. The pervasiveness of evil in human beings without a counterbalance of reinforcing morality is hopeless, and definitely irreconcilable in the realm of optimism. Despite continuous challenges to Candide's philosophical teachings, he stubbornly tethers himself to the ledge of optimism, resting on a "grander design" at some metaphysical level, trying not to fall in the abyss of a meaning-devoid existence. His ridiculous devotion to such a placating thought is heightened to levels of irrationality when he gives up a happily fulfilled future in an almost perfect place just in the pursuit of his ever-pursued vision of beauty. There is a strong enough analogy with anything religious that has divided and destroyed civilisations - largely due to differences in their answers on the topic of leading happy and meaningful lives. The author has wittily criticised all the terrible examples of religious and political leaders from his time and even personally ridiculed few of his competitors and unabashedly and tacitly. The book calls out the pervasive hypocrisy in the value of undeserving things, which again ties up with the dishonesty that human condition supports to hide the vacuity of anything worthy. The book closes in a strange enough, almost absurdist way according to me where, having gone through all the troubles and losing all that he ever wanted and once-acquired that could have made him happy, Candide and some of his fellow sufferers fall back to the modesty of "tending their gardens" - an unclear symbol to me, but tending on the lines of Sisyphus-like tasks that will never appear meaningful unless we reconcile to the absurdity of this burden of life.
“What is this optimism?” said Cacambo.
“Alas!” said Candide, “it is the madness of maintaining that everything is right when it is wrong.”
“Master,” said he, “we come to beg you to tell why so strange an animal as man was made.”
“With what meddlest thou?” said the Dervish; “is it thy business?”
“But, reverend father,” said Candide, “there is horrible evil in this world.”
“What signifies it,” said the Dervish, “whether there be evil or good? When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?”
“But for what end, then, has this world been formed?” said Candide.
“To plague us to death,” answered Martin.
“What is this optimism?” said Cacambo.
“Alas!” said Candide, “it is the madness of maintaining that everything is right when it is wrong.”
“Master,” said he, “we come to beg you to tell why so strange an animal as man was made.”
“With what meddlest thou?” said the Dervish; “is it thy business?”
“But, reverend father,” said Candide, “there is horrible evil in this world.”
“What signifies it,” said the Dervish, “whether there be evil or good? When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?”
“But for what end, then, has this world been formed?” said Candide.
“To plague us to death,” answered Martin.
sade's review against another edition
4.0
First off shout out to Le_fino , because i only picked up this book after it popped up on my feed and i saw you gave it 5 stars.. so yeah i totally rate your reviews highly.
Candide is basically a character who could rival the Baudelaire children in the unfortunate stakes. After certain matters causes him to get ejected from his home Candide falls (i say "fall" because these adventures found him no matter what he did) into numerous adventures which test his optimistic take on the world and people in general.
Like most old ass books classics, the fear is it might be highly difficult to understand, what, with the dead english and penchant for characters to speak in riddles get philosophical just to convey a point. but, even though Candide did have a few philosophical speaking moments, the book was mainly an easy, enjoyable, humorous read, spiced up with some wickedly gruesome parts.
I'd definitely read more of Voltaire's work.
krysa_'s review against another edition
challenging
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
lduubs's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ticha_bugalho's review against another edition
3.0
"Candide" by Voltaire is a satirical adventure that follows the protagonist through a series of misfortunes and fortunate events, reminiscent of the 1001 Nights or Emilio Salgari stories. Despite its straightforward narrative, the story delves into deep philosophical issues, particularly challenging Leibniz's theory of optimism. Voltaire's use of irony to critique social, religious, economic, and military aspects of his time is both sharp and thought-provoking. The book's ending offers a pessimistic view, suggesting humans shouldn't grapple with philosophical issues beyond our understanding. Overall, it's a thought-provoking read that left me pondering its raw and sarcastic message.