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Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

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About this listen

Candide is a French satire written in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. One of the finest satires ever written, this lively tale follows the absurdly melodramatic adventures of the youthful Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, shipwrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cunégonde, and tortured by the Inquisition. As Candide witnesses calamity upon calamity, he becomes disillusioned and discovers that all is not always for the best.

Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, dark humor, and erratic, fantastical, fast-moving plot. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies and philosophers, and romance.

Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. It was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. Voltaire never admitted to having written the highly controversial Candide; instead, the work was signed Mister Doctor Ralph.

Public Domain (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp Classics Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Psychological Satire Comedy Witty Fiction
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Voltaire was so far ahead of his time he could babysit his own mother. The way he accurately describes the reality of life in the most brutal manner and juxtaposes it with the naivest of protagonists to lead the plot makes for an amusing read. Voltaire is one-of-a-kind, and Candide was excellent.

Narration is great, but 1.3x the speed.

There is no one like Voltaire

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As for the story and, the history of book, the publishers summary says it all.

Always a delightful book - perfectly narrated.

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great book, well read but let down by the quiet level of the sound. turn it up

great but...

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