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theoverflowingbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
A funny satire that seems super bizarre and absurd (but that’s the point)! While i found myself confused and sometimes rolling my eyes at the antics that Candide and Co. get up to, it's still a pretty funny book. This is a quick read that will have you questioning the stupidity of society back then and maybe even how you view life right now.
lev0001's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
emmacy's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kavitari's review
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
claraldt's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
alihaider's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
grubstlodger's review against another edition
3.0
Sharper, funnier and nastier than Johnson’s Rasselas (which came out in the same month) - Candide runs out of steam before the end of its 100 pages.
Voltaire is funny though - he can spin a grand paragraph and cut it with a bottom with great skill.
I love how Candide responds to the terrible things that happen to him with a belief that all is for the best, it is a funny refrain and Voltaire takes great pleasure in finding new horrors to befall his characters.
However, in trying to find new things that happen, the book disproves itself. It turns out that much of what happened in the book was indeed for the best, that the trials and tribulations of the characters made them better people and more dependent on each other and if they ‘tend their garden’ together, they will actually achieve happiness - and a happy ending.
I’m completely fine with this moral to the story, for hard on your little patch and work together - but it defanged everything that came before it. I’d have ended it with a Bulgar raid on the farm and have them start over again.
Voltaire is funny though - he can spin a grand paragraph and cut it with a bottom with great skill.
I love how Candide responds to the terrible things that happen to him with a belief that all is for the best, it is a funny refrain and Voltaire takes great pleasure in finding new horrors to befall his characters.
However, in trying to find new things that happen, the book disproves itself. It turns out that much of what happened in the book was indeed for the best, that the trials and tribulations of the characters made them better people and more dependent on each other and if they ‘tend their garden’ together, they will actually achieve happiness - and a happy ending.
I’m completely fine with this moral to the story, for hard on your little patch and work together - but it defanged everything that came before it. I’d have ended it with a Bulgar raid on the farm and have them start over again.
naufalahmads's review against another edition
3.0
This particular edition is translated by Roger Pearson and collects several of Voltaire's work, namely Candide, Micromegas, Zadig, The Ingenu, and The White Bull. I'll do a general overview of the book first followed by individual review of the stories in later updates.
I'm still not fully sure what to make of the book, but it's definitely interesting, insightful, enjoyable, and often times funny. I feel like a greater understanding of western philosophy would make Voltaire's writings more appreciable.
Candide
Often cited as the forefather of satire and philosophical novels, Candide had me laughing from the very first page. So story wise it's about a young man who traveled the world due to his relatively unfortunate circumstances. His former philosophy teacher had taught him that all is for the best, that is to say, because everything is made for a purpose then everything is necessarily for the best purpose. Or in other words, everything is the way it's meant to be and for the best (or at least that's my take on it), and so Candide traveled the world with this philosophical lens. During which, he experienced so many extraordinary things, almost all of which challenged his philosophical senses.
Though it may be a serious work, Voltaire delivered Candide in perfectly humorous way. It was just so amusing, I had so many, "What the fuck just happened? Did that really happen?" moments throughout my read. It's definitely a book for all ages, regardless when and where you are when you read it, it's always going to be relevant as its philosophical underlying is to do with inherent nature of human to take meaning and ask questions of themselves, nature, and fate.
I'm still not fully sure what to make of the book, but it's definitely interesting, insightful, enjoyable, and often times funny. I feel like a greater understanding of western philosophy would make Voltaire's writings more appreciable.
Candide
Often cited as the forefather of satire and philosophical novels, Candide had me laughing from the very first page. So story wise it's about a young man who traveled the world due to his relatively unfortunate circumstances. His former philosophy teacher had taught him that all is for the best, that is to say, because everything is made for a purpose then everything is necessarily for the best purpose. Or in other words, everything is the way it's meant to be and for the best (or at least that's my take on it), and so Candide traveled the world with this philosophical lens. During which, he experienced so many extraordinary things, almost all of which challenged his philosophical senses.
Though it may be a serious work, Voltaire delivered Candide in perfectly humorous way. It was just so amusing, I had so many, "What the fuck just happened? Did that really happen?" moments throughout my read. It's definitely a book for all ages, regardless when and where you are when you read it, it's always going to be relevant as its philosophical underlying is to do with inherent nature of human to take meaning and ask questions of themselves, nature, and fate.