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This book is not for me. I found it utterly ridiculous and hard to read. Not because it is badly written but because it is just so cheesy. I'm sure there are those out there who love it, but it's not my cup of tea.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Brilliant and profoundly modern. I love that this picaresque novel gave us, in the end, something to mull over and something to take away.
Though Voltaire seemed hopeless about humanity and the things we are capable of doing to each other in name of ambition and greed, I was happy to see that he reached a conclusion - “Cultivating your own garden”. Indeed, a sound reason to live!
Though Voltaire seemed hopeless about humanity and the things we are capable of doing to each other in name of ambition and greed, I was happy to see that he reached a conclusion - “Cultivating your own garden”. Indeed, a sound reason to live!
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“But for what purpose was the earth formed?" asked Candide.
"To drive us mad," replied Martin.
[b: Candide|19380|Candide|Voltaire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345060082l/19380._SY75_.jpg|2833018] is a fast-paced, action-packed, and thoroughly enjoyable read. There is never a dull moment in the journey of its titular protagonist. While sometimes irritating, Candide's naivete makes him an endearing character that I can't help but find myself rooting for. He's a generally good guy with a great attitude in an extremely violent, terrifying world. I love a good dark comedy, and Voltaire perfectly captures the balance between sympathetic characters and hilariously awful situations.
This novel is grandly over the top. It's rare to get a story with as much range. From the wealthy villages of El Dorado to the peasant streets of Eastern Europe, it's truly a globetrotting adventure. The mix of mythical and real locations effectively matches the novel's debate between optimistic fantasy and pessimistic reality. Pangloss's philosophy of blind optimism is also so well countered by the grotesque descriptions of torture, r*pe, and murder. No one is having a fun time in this story, no matter what they may argue.
While I would have appreciated if Voltaire dedicated more development to the side characters, I understand that Candide's growth is the focus. As a massive roast on the philosophies of Rousseau and others, it's much more entertaining than I anticipated. This book is a nice interval between the depressing atmosphere of [b: Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1351051208l/1420._SY75_.jpg|1885548] and the massive slow burn that is [b: Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926]. Sometimes, we all just need a chaotically brilliant quick read to balance out the thick literature.
"To drive us mad," replied Martin.
[b: Candide|19380|Candide|Voltaire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345060082l/19380._SY75_.jpg|2833018] is a fast-paced, action-packed, and thoroughly enjoyable read. There is never a dull moment in the journey of its titular protagonist. While sometimes irritating, Candide's naivete makes him an endearing character that I can't help but find myself rooting for. He's a generally good guy with a great attitude in an extremely violent, terrifying world. I love a good dark comedy, and Voltaire perfectly captures the balance between sympathetic characters and hilariously awful situations.
This novel is grandly over the top. It's rare to get a story with as much range. From the wealthy villages of El Dorado to the peasant streets of Eastern Europe, it's truly a globetrotting adventure. The mix of mythical and real locations effectively matches the novel's debate between optimistic fantasy and pessimistic reality. Pangloss's philosophy of blind optimism is also so well countered by the grotesque descriptions of torture, r*pe, and murder. No one is having a fun time in this story, no matter what they may argue.
While I would have appreciated if Voltaire dedicated more development to the side characters, I understand that Candide's growth is the focus. As a massive roast on the philosophies of Rousseau and others, it's much more entertaining than I anticipated. This book is a nice interval between the depressing atmosphere of [b: Hamlet|1420|Hamlet|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1351051208l/1420._SY75_.jpg|1885548] and the massive slow burn that is [b: Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926]. Sometimes, we all just need a chaotically brilliant quick read to balance out the thick literature.