Candide

Candide is a whimsical and satirical picaresque novel that tells the story of Candide, a naive and optimistic young man who is raised in an idyllic castle. After being expelled and thrust into the real world, he travels across Europe and encounters a series of disastrous events, including war, natural disasters, slavery, and violence. Along the way, Candide is constantly challenged by the harsh realities of life and forced to confront the fundamental questions of human existence. Voltaire’s witty and irreverent prose is set against the backdrop of the Enlightenment and the philosophical ideas of Newton, and serves as a biting critique of the religious and political institutions of 18th century Europe. Despite being banned for containing blasphemous and seditious themes, Candide remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate and entertain readers today.

utopia ꞏ optimism ꞏ comical ꞏ enlightenment ꞏ parody ꞏ fiction ꞏ irony ꞏ blasphemy ꞏ enlightenment philosophy ꞏ picaresque ꞏ philosophy ꞏ censorship ꞏ satire ꞏ free will ꞏ novel ꞏ western canon ꞏ french literature ꞏ classic literature ꞏ voltaire ꞏ satirical