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This is one of those books that I'd heard about people reading in English classes, but had never been forced to read myself. I knew the name, but I knew nothing about what the book was actually about. So, when my boyfriend presented it to me as hilarious, I was cautious but intrigued.
Having read it, I can now say he was right. Candide is legitimately a funny book, if you get where Voltaire was going with it. It makes fun of everything and everyone and points out just how silly we can be in our pursuit of a happy life. Some of the descriptions in here are pure comic genius, in my opinion.
Beyond being just funny, though, I think it says some interesting things about life and how people tend to approach it. We see the bad and we lament it. Do we see the good quite as clearly? No. We run around seeking beauty and wealth, when maybe what we should be looking for is simplicity and something productive to do with our time.
In any case, it's a classic that I can definitely recommend. (Plus, it's short, which someone who hasn't read it may not realize, so you could get some serious reading cred - without a lot of effort - for saying that you have it in your repertoire.)
Having read it, I can now say he was right. Candide is legitimately a funny book, if you get where Voltaire was going with it. It makes fun of everything and everyone and points out just how silly we can be in our pursuit of a happy life. Some of the descriptions in here are pure comic genius, in my opinion.
Beyond being just funny, though, I think it says some interesting things about life and how people tend to approach it. We see the bad and we lament it. Do we see the good quite as clearly? No. We run around seeking beauty and wealth, when maybe what we should be looking for is simplicity and something productive to do with our time.
In any case, it's a classic that I can definitely recommend. (Plus, it's short, which someone who hasn't read it may not realize, so you could get some serious reading cred - without a lot of effort - for saying that you have it in your repertoire.)