Reviews

Candide, by Voltaire

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variousfictions's review against another edition

5.0

The satirical romp of globetrotting optimist, Candide. A man of unimaginable naivety, going from one tragedy to the next while maintaining the adage that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds", despite his and others' repeated suffering. What a wonderful little book. Voltaire trolled Leibniz with supreme wit, and quite rightly. I laughed. A lot. Even at a disembowelment.

belatoast's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

adrianlwaller's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bbbeatrisss's review against another edition

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5.0

fantastica serie di avventure per dimostrare che questo NON È il migliore dei mondi possibili. ho riso molto alle frecciatine di Voltaire per altri pensatori e in genere per tutta la satira presente nel libro. ottimo spunto di riflessione

pascalthehoff's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

With works this old, you always expect a certain quaintness and unwieldiness. Imagine my surprise when I realized that Voltaire was actually a very funny writer, with this one. The vignettes in this fable-like tale are often absurd, favoring elements of surprise over strict narrative coherence.

Between its major philosophical turning points, Candide feels too long-winded for what is actually a fairly straightforward discussion of Leibnizian optimism. But that doesn't make this very lively way of discussing the subject any less interesting from a historical point of view.