Preview
  • Candide (AmazonClassics Edition)

  • By: Voltaire
  • Narrated by: James Langton
  • Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (229 ratings)

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Candide (AmazonClassics Edition)

By: Voltaire
Narrated by: James Langton
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Publisher's summary

Candide, the illegitimate nephew of a German baron and student of eternal optimist Pangloss, is living a simple and sheltered life in "the best of all possible worlds."

But when Candide falls in love with the wrong woman, his uncle's young daughter, he is exiled from the baron's castle and suffers great tragedy and catastrophe, which leaves him disillusioned and questioning the goodness of the universe.

Penned in just three days - and published in secret because of its blasphemous and seditious nature - Voltaire's legendary satire deftly skewers religious, romantic, and political naïveté with an acerbic and ribald wit that delights to this day.

Revised edition: Previously published as Candide, this edition of Candide (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Public Domain (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved
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What listeners say about Candide (AmazonClassics Edition)

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    3 out of 5 stars

A classic!

A long, long tortuous tale but nicely told and one that I consider to be An Essential.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Voltaire was a genius. A thoroughly enjoyable read

it is hard to imagine that Candide was written so long ago and in such a short time. it's both witty and thought provoking at the same time.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Classic of the Western Canon for Reason

Charming, amusing, and quick! It's also no wonder Leibniz' work was lost for so long--it was savaged here!

Seemed to have some audio glitches toward the end.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I never saw or expected anything close to this.

I went into this book, waiting to be done with it. But as went along, finishing it in one go, I realized what amazing piece Voltaire have created.
He created such a simple story, at times ridiculous, but also delivered such a noble message through it.
A new book in my top 5 books

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Who would Voltaire have chosen for president

Oh who would vote for Voltaire....alas he is not available for the nomination....is this why fantasy football is popular?
Thank you reality for allowing fantasy to be so valuable
If reality were enough surely the loss of what is not real could never again be reclaimed

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Great narrator!

All is for the best. Narrator really captures the folly in this piece. Would recommend

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Fantastic Tale, Well Performed

Voltaire’s story is an entertaining and fantastical tale. It is at times funny, tragic, and clever. I found it fascinating to learn through the introductory remarks that it was written in just a few days. Obviously the plot is very contrived but enjoyable nonetheless. I loved the performance and was totally engaged.

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A tale of constant misery

Really struggled to finish this book. It's one catastrophe after the next, and the casual raping and mutilation is horrifying and a regular feature of the book. It's a quest to discover whether an optimistic philosophy of life has any merit. Pass.

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3 people found this helpful