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It's a pretty fun book with surprising amounts of comedy on nations, which was amusing at best, but the real comedy stems from the discussions between total optimists, total pessimists, and everything in between. The making fun of the enlightenment's optimism is, while a bit sad to read, warranted. Also love how characters compete with who's got the worst life of the group, but my absolute favourite is the old woman.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Full of adventure but dispassionately narrated. Not for me
Apparently I read this in 2015 as well as in 2019. I have no memory of the first reading. I read this in 2019 for a course in World Literature through EdX/Harvard. It was ok. Very "over the top" satire.
This book is good, and I do see why it's a classic, but ultimately I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The point of the book, while true and relevant today, is spelled out plainly in the last few pages, leaving me wondering why I read the previous 110 pages.
I definitely need to re read this book. I remember reading it when I was 13 and really disliking it. I just could not get the humour at all. Then I had to study it for the Baccalaureat and loved diving into Voltaire's world. I would be very curious to read Candide 20 years after my French exam.
Satire. Oddly funny at times. Tedious reading because of the forced political humor.
Candide on läpeensä satiirinen teos, joka irvailee aikakautensa optimismille ja sokealle uskolle ihmisen järkeen. Nimihahmo seikkailee ympäri maailman todistamassa toinen toistaan suurempia kauheuksia, mutta takertuu silti Leibnizia ivailevan Panglossin opetuksiin siitä, kuinka ”kaikki on hyvää”. Toisaalta: onko pessimismi yhtään sen parempi ideologia, vai tulisiko meidän vain keskittyä inhimilliseen kokemukseen korkealentoisten ja meitä ohjaavien ajatusrakennelmien sijaan? Nykylukijalle Voltairen teksti tuntuu hyvin riisutulta ja suoraviivaiselta hulluttelulta. En usko, että olisin nauttinut yhtä paljoa, jollen tuntisi jonkin verran teoksen yhteiskunnallista ja kirjallista kontekstia.
Read in one sitting, a good way to end the year.