Before reading further, let me share a word of caution. This book is filled with human atrocities of the most gruesome sort. Anything that you can imagine could occur in war, an Inquisition, or during piracy happens in this book. If you find such matters distressing (as many will, and more should), this book will be unpleasant reading. You should find another book to read.

The book begins as Candide is raised in the household of a minor noble family in Westphalia, where he is educated by Dr. Pangloss, a student of metaphysical questions. Pangloss believes that this is the best of all possible worlds and deeply ingrains that view into his pupil. Candide is buoyed by that thought as he encounters many setbacks in the course of the book as he travels through many parts of Europe, Turkey, and South America.

All is well for Candide until he falls in love with the Baron's daughter and is caught kissing her hand by the Baron. The Baron immediately kicks Candide out of the castle (literally on the backside), and Candide's wanderings begin. Think of this as being like expulsion from the Garden of Eden for Adam. Soon the penniless Candide finds himself in the Bulgarian army, and receiving lots of beatings while he learns to drill.

The story grows more far-fetched with each subsequent incident. To the casual reader, this exaggeration can seem unnecessary and annoying. It will remind you of the most extreme parts of Swift in Gulliver's Travels and Rabelais in Gargantua and Pantagruel. But subtly, Voltaire is using the exaggeration to lure the reader into making complacent judgments about complacency itself that Voltaire wants to challenge. The result is a deliciously ironical work that undermines complacency at a more fundamental level than I have seen done elsewhere. Basically, Candide challenges any view you have about complacency that is defined in terms of the world-view of those who are complacent.

Significant changes of circumstances (good and ill) occur to all of the members of the Baron's household over the course of the story. Throughout, there is much comparing of who has had the worst luck, with much feeling sorry for oneself.

That is the surface story. Voltaire is, however, a master of misdirection. Beneath the surface, Voltaire has another purpose for the book. He also wants to expose the reader to questioning the many bad habits that people have that make matters worse for everyone. The major themes of these undercurrents are (1) competing rather than to cooperating, (2) employing inhumane means to accomplish worldly (and many spiritual) ends, (3) following expected rules of behavior to show one's superiority over others that harm and degrade others, (4) focusing on money and power rather than creating rich human relationships, (5) hypocritical behavior, and (6) pursuing ends that society approves of rather than ends that please oneself.

By the end of the story, the focus shifts again to a totally different question: How can humans achieve happiness? Then, you have to reassess what you thought about the book and what was going on in Voltaire's story. Many readers will choose to reread the book to better capture Voltaire's perspective on that final question, having been surprised by it.

Candide is one of my favorite books because it treats important philosophical questions in such an unusual way. Such unaccustomed matching of treatment and subject matters leaves an indelible impression that normal philosophical arguments can never match. Voltaire also has an amazing imagination. Few could concoct such a story (even by using illegal substances to stimulate the subconscious mind). I constantly find myself wondering what he will come up with next. The story is so absurd that it penetrates the consciousness at a very fundamental level, almost like doing improvisation. In so doing, Voltaire taps into that feeling of "what else can happen?" that overcomes us when we are at our most pessimistic. So, gradually you will find yourself identifying with the story -- even though nothing like this could ever happen to you. Like a good horror story, you are also relieved that you can read about others' troubles and can put your own into perspective. This last point is the fundamental humanity of the story. You see what a wonderful thing a kind word, a meal, or a helping hand can be. That will probably inspire you to offer those empathic actions more often.

After you have finished Candide, I suggest that you ask yourself where complacency about your life and circumstances is costing you and those you care about the potential for more health, happiness, peace, and prosperity. Then take Voltaire's solution, and look around you for those who enjoy the most of those four wonderful attributes. What do those people think and do differently from you?


Let Voltaire help you to laugh at war, disaster & death.   May 16, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Like most people, it seems, when I came across this book I expected it to be some ponderous, dry, eighteenth-century tract which wouldn't translate to the present day at all. But it does, perfectly. And it is REALLY funny, if you like gruesome, black humour - laughing at the misfortunes of man, and man's brutality to his fellow man. Hey, you've got to laugh. It is so relevant, and makes you realise that man as a race hasn't changed a jot since Voltaire's day, however much we may fool ourselves that we have. And this is what Voltaire does - punctures man's pride & egotism. Finally - it would make a fantastic film. Read it.


Timeless satire   March 8, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I re-read 'Candide' (this edition) and found myself humiliated. I hate people who chuckle over books on public transport, especially anything published over five years ago. How horrid then to be in this situation on the train... I did try not to, but I defy anyone not to be amused by this novel. It is as relevant today as when it was written. Shame Voltaire's dead.


Really good, funny and easy read.   December 4, 2000
I was shocked at how easily this book read for being written in the 1700's. It could've been written last year.

The story is fun, engaging--it's like an enjoyable Saturday afternoon matinee at the movies.

I was semi-expecting some heady Dostoyevsky or Neitchke type heavy philosophical stuff, but was fortuitously bowled over by the almost fairy tale, children's story style of writing. It's quite unbelievable to me that I was really reading Voltaire.

Check it out.


Delightful   August 12, 2000
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The name Voltaire sounds a bit intimidating, doesn't it? I bought this book not knowing what to expect, and prepared myself for possible hard going, but actually this book is simply delightful. It's written in an engaging style, is wonderfully witty, and often bitingly satyrical.

I'd recommend it to anyone. Don't be scared off by the fact it's written by an 18th century French intellectual!