Title: Candide
Author: Voltaire
Format : kindle edition
Reading level : adult
Genre : Classic
Rating :3 stars
A sharp satire of mindless optimism. Candide is a sweet-tempered young man raised in a castle and given the best of educations by the renowned Professor Pangloss. He is given the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds, and that everything is exactly as it should be — we have no other recourse than to be content. Candide then falls in love with his Lord's daughter and is kicked out of his home, flogged, beaten, drafted, nearly executed, and much more, which causes him to rethink this simplistic worldview.
My thought
Candide written by voltaire during the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a period of time where ideas flourished and people started to become more independent from the Church and its beliefs. This is a great book which integrates the story of a man, Candide, during this period of enlightenment and the unfortunate events he has to face and overcome to be reunited with his beloved Cunegonde. This book starts out as Candide living with his relatives and his cousin Miss Cundegonde who he loved dearly. After showing affections to Cunegonde at the dinner table Candide was kicked out of his uncles castle. soon after Candide experiences horrible treatments throughout Europe and when he seems to get waves of good fortune his luck turns around. Candide loses many friends, commits many crimes, travels to many countries and more. Throughout this book Candide learns what the world around him was like instead of learning it from his teacher Pangloss. There are also many comical references and references to the opposers of voltaire. For some this book may be hard to understand and it is recommended to be read by a mature adult with a lot of knowledge about the renaissance to understand the humor.
