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Candide and Related Texts
David Wootton's scalpel-sharp translation of Candide features a brilliant Introduction, a map of Candide's travels, and a selection of those writings of Voltaire, Leibniz, Pope & Rousseau crucial for fully appreciating this eighteenth-century satiric masterpiece that even today retains its celebrated bite.
190 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2000
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About the author
Voltaire
9,425 books4,942 followersComplete works (1880) : https://archive.org/details/oeuvresco...
In 1694, Age of Enlightenment leader Francois-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. Jesuit-educated, he began writing clever verses by the age of 12. He launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which Francois adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques (1733), which galvanized French reform. The book also satirized the religious teachings of Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal, including Pascal's famed "wager" on God. Voltaire wrote: "The interest I have in believing a thing is not a proof of the existence of that thing." Voltaire's French publisher was sent to the Bastille and Voltaire had to escape from Paris again, as judges sentenced the book to be "torn and burned in the Palace." Voltaire spent a calm 16 years with his deistic mistress, Madame du Chatelet, in Lorraine. He met the 27 year old married mother when he was 39. In his memoirs, he wrote: "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did, and decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind." He dedicated Traite de metaphysique to her. In it the Deist candidly rejected immortality and questioned belief in God. It was not published until the 1780s. Voltaire continued writing amusing but meaty philosophical plays and histories. After the earthquake that leveled Lisbon in 1755, in which 15,000 people perished and another 15,000 were wounded, Voltaire wrote Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster): "But how conceive a God supremely good/ Who heaps his favours on the sons he loves,/ Yet scatters evil with as large a hand?"
Voltaire purchased a chateau in Geneva, where, among other works, he wrote Candide (1759). To avoid Calvinist persecution, Voltaire moved across the border to Ferney, where the wealthy writer lived for 18 years until his death. Voltaire began to openly challenge Christianity, calling it "the infamous thing." He wrote Frederick the Great: "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." Voltaire ended every letter to friends with "Ecrasez l'infame" (crush the infamy — the Christian religion). His pamphlet, The Sermon on the Fifty (1762) went after transubstantiation, miracles, biblical contradictions, the Jewish religion, and the Christian God. Voltaire wrote that a true god "surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough," or inspired "books, filled with contradictions, madness, and horror." He also published excerpts of Testament of the Abbe Meslier, by an atheist priest, in Holland, which advanced the Enlightenment. Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary was published in 1764 without his name. Although the first edition immediately sold out, Geneva officials, followed by Dutch and Parisian, had the books burned. It was published in 1769 as two large volumes. Voltaire campaigned fiercely against civil atrocities in the name of religion, writing pamphlets and commentaries about the barbaric execution of a Huguenot trader, who was first broken at the wheel, then burned at the stake, in 1762. Voltaire's campaign for justice and restitution ended with a posthumous retrial in 1765, during which 40 Parisian judges declared the defendant innocent. Voltaire urgently tried to save the life of Chevalier de la Barre, a 19 year old sentenced to death for blasphemy for failing to remove his hat during a religious procession. In 1766, Chevalier was beheaded after being tortured, then his body was burned, along with a copy of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary. Voltaire's statue at the Pantheon was melted down during Nazi occupation. D. 1778.
Voltaire (1694-1778), pseudónimo de François-
In 1694, Age of Enlightenment leader Francois-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. Jesuit-educated, he began writing clever verses by the age of 12. He launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which Francois adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques (1733), which galvanized French reform. The book also satirized the religious teachings of Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal, including Pascal's famed "wager" on God. Voltaire wrote: "The interest I have in believing a thing is not a proof of the existence of that thing." Voltaire's French publisher was sent to the Bastille and Voltaire had to escape from Paris again, as judges sentenced the book to be "torn and burned in the Palace." Voltaire spent a calm 16 years with his deistic mistress, Madame du Chatelet, in Lorraine. He met the 27 year old married mother when he was 39. In his memoirs, he wrote: "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did, and decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind." He dedicated Traite de metaphysique to her. In it the Deist candidly rejected immortality and questioned belief in God. It was not published until the 1780s. Voltaire continued writing amusing but meaty philosophical plays and histories. After the earthquake that leveled Lisbon in 1755, in which 15,000 people perished and another 15,000 were wounded, Voltaire wrote Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster): "But how conceive a God supremely good/ Who heaps his favours on the sons he loves,/ Yet scatters evil with as large a hand?"
Voltaire purchased a chateau in Geneva, where, among other works, he wrote Candide (1759). To avoid Calvinist persecution, Voltaire moved across the border to Ferney, where the wealthy writer lived for 18 years until his death. Voltaire began to openly challenge Christianity, calling it "the infamous thing." He wrote Frederick the Great: "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." Voltaire ended every letter to friends with "Ecrasez l'infame" (crush the infamy — the Christian religion). His pamphlet, The Sermon on the Fifty (1762) went after transubstantiation, miracles, biblical contradictions, the Jewish religion, and the Christian God. Voltaire wrote that a true god "surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough," or inspired "books, filled with contradictions, madness, and horror." He also published excerpts of Testament of the Abbe Meslier, by an atheist priest, in Holland, which advanced the Enlightenment. Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary was published in 1764 without his name. Although the first edition immediately sold out, Geneva officials, followed by Dutch and Parisian, had the books burned. It was published in 1769 as two large volumes. Voltaire campaigned fiercely against civil atrocities in the name of religion, writing pamphlets and commentaries about the barbaric execution of a Huguenot trader, who was first broken at the wheel, then burned at the stake, in 1762. Voltaire's campaign for justice and restitution ended with a posthumous retrial in 1765, during which 40 Parisian judges declared the defendant innocent. Voltaire urgently tried to save the life of Chevalier de la Barre, a 19 year old sentenced to death for blasphemy for failing to remove his hat during a religious procession. In 1766, Chevalier was beheaded after being tortured, then his body was burned, along with a copy of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary. Voltaire's statue at the Pantheon was melted down during Nazi occupation. D. 1778.
Voltaire (1694-1778), pseudónimo de François-
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 17, 2024
Candide is a short but very impactful read as it saterizes the concept of Optimism and that "all is as it should be/as good as it can be". I love the ending note that "one must cultivate their own garden", a very enlightenment notion that one should not rely on others, philosophical tradition, or anything else. Instead one should make their own world and their own path through the often bleak reality, instead of relying on things being where they should be and accepting the ills of life that come your way.
Voltaire is famous for his wit and this is he does not disappoint as this novella is often very funny due to Voltaires often impeccable comedic timing.
I do hold some problems with the story however. So spoilers ahead. I dislike the multiple fake out deaths and often paper think justification for survival. It got annoying. The amount of rape in this book is also unjustifiable. I understand violence and gruseomenes. The themes of the book often justify this, but the amount of rape is simply ludacris.
Voltaire is famous for his wit and this is he does not disappoint as this novella is often very funny due to Voltaires often impeccable comedic timing.
I do hold some problems with the story however. So spoilers ahead. I dislike the multiple fake out deaths and often paper think justification for survival. It got annoying. The amount of rape in this book is also unjustifiable. I understand violence and gruseomenes. The themes of the book often justify this, but the amount of rape is simply ludacris.
December 25, 2016
Reading this as a grown-ass philosophy-woman is considerably more rewarding than it was when I read (and enjoyed) it in high school. Its cynicism about the Leibnizian proposition--that we exist in "the best of all possible worlds"--is as pertinent today as it was in 1759. In a sense, Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign relied (and traded) on a Candide-like empty optimism which belied the true pessimism of enormous swathes of the American populace.
March 22, 2016
Voltair is a depressing mofo and should not be read
July 12, 2025
Pretty good, Voltaire legger mest vekt på de socio-filosofiske poengene han ønsker å få frem i boken enn selve fortellingen, som skaper en litt flat spenningskurve. Som en av kjernefigurene i opplysningstiden, så er det åpenbart hva han ønsker å få frem gjennom boken, og at han har kledd sin filosofi i denne fortellingsdrakten for å nå mengder, som vil ha stor innflytelse senere (franske revolusjonen). En stor ulempe med boken er fortellingens gang, og hvordan man nesten aldri får levd seg inn i fortellingen, få et slags forhold med karakterene. Det er som at det ikke var viktig for Voltaire å fortelle en gjennomført fortelling, men heller få frem visse poeng og idéer. Ellers ganske bra, sterk tréer👍
January 23, 2015
Though certainly not traditional philosophy (it is a novel written for the purpose of arguing against the philosophy of optimism), this little volume provides plenty to consider regarding the nature of evil in the world. Since it requires only minimal time-investment, I would recommend it.
April 4, 2018
In short, Candide offers a story of a fun journey with funny characters and interesting concepts. I recommend it for its comical situations and its commentary on life.
Candide is an interesting story of a stupid boy learning about the world around him and how to navigate life.
He's torn from his idyllic noble life and immediately thrown into the harsh realities of the world. He learns not to take everything he's told to heart and through various trials he begins to understand the world around him.
Candide is a good novel. I enjoyed it. The commentary of the church, philosophy, and society was interesting, and I recommend looking out for that.
Candide is an interesting story of a stupid boy learning about the world around him and how to navigate life.
He's torn from his idyllic noble life and immediately thrown into the harsh realities of the world. He learns not to take everything he's told to heart and through various trials he begins to understand the world around him.
Candide is a good novel. I enjoyed it. The commentary of the church, philosophy, and society was interesting, and I recommend looking out for that.
November 18, 2019
Very funny. Love the satire.
March 24, 2023
Great translation and very insightful notes
February 5, 2024
This edition is worth it for the introduction alone, but it also comes with a breezy English translation and an appendix STUFFED with relevant texts: poems and letters by Voltaire, philosophical essays from the same people that Candide lampoons, etc.
February 8, 2017
A hilarious and clever assault on religion, war, philosophy, and government in all their forms. The direct writing style, accentuated by the debauchery, depravity, tragedy, and comedy Voltaire employs so deftly, make this by far my favorite required reading.
The footnotes in this edition do wonders for informing the reader of crucial context, though Candide can be appreciated (and without a doubt enjoyed) without them.
Highly recommended reading for anyone! Though I can't understand why many are forced to read it in high school, where its profoundness is surely lost.
The footnotes in this edition do wonders for informing the reader of crucial context, though Candide can be appreciated (and without a doubt enjoyed) without them.
Highly recommended reading for anyone! Though I can't understand why many are forced to read it in high school, where its profoundness is surely lost.
December 29, 2016
Candide never gets old—it’s a short classic satire of ideas of human progress and a diss on philosopher Leibniz’s theodicy. I assigned it for several courses on evil in modern thought, and it’s a great way to open a discussion of Enlightenment ideas. This is a useful edition because of the collected supplementary texts: Pope’s Essay on Man, materials on the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, some Rousseau, letters to/from Voltaire, etc. Candide is a young nobleman who is cast out of his fortunes and tours through—and is victim of—many of the evils of the early modern period: earthquake, wars, slavery, Church dogma and corruption, colonialism and so forth. Accompanied by his optimistic philosopher Pangloss (where the phrase “panglossian” comes from—naïve optimism) asserting that all things happen for a reason, that this is the best of all possible worlds. My one complaint is that the ambivalent last line is translated “but we must work our land” rather than the usual “we must cultivate our garden.
January 4, 2023
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
This is one of many truths that this fabulous book illustrates. It is a tribute to Voltaire‘s genius that a book originally published in 1759 can so succinctly describe the absurdity of humanity.
This is one of many truths that this fabulous book illustrates. It is a tribute to Voltaire‘s genius that a book originally published in 1759 can so succinctly describe the absurdity of humanity.
July 29, 2023
I love Candide, one of my all-time favorite stories. It's just a glorious, savage, short yet epic story about how atrocious humanity is and I'm all for it. So good. This seemed like a good translation. The supplemental stuff in this collection is also all very relevant and interesting. Everyone should read Candide.
December 26, 2009
Read for "Satire: Swift to Stewart," FA09, John Sitter.
January 17, 2023
This is my favorite book of all time.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews