CANDIDE OR OPTIMISM Translated from the French by Richard Aldington, with an introduction by Paul Morand and twenty illustrations in color by Sylvain Sauvage.

Kein Titelbild — Voltaire: CANDIDE OR OPTIMISM Translated from the French by Richard Aldington, with an introduction by Paul Morand and twenty illustrations in color by Sylvain Sauvage. (1945, The Nonesuch Press)

hardcover

Am 28. August 1945 von The Nonesuch Press veröffentlicht.

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Candide, ou l'Optimisme ( kon-DEED, French: [kɑ̃did] (listen)) is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best (1759); Candide: or, The Optimist (1762); and Candide: Optimism (1947). It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow and painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes Candide with, if not rejecting Leibnizian optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds". Candide is characterized by its …

Candide, ou l'Optimisme ( kon-DEED, French: [kɑ̃did] (listen)) is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best (1759); Candide: or, The Optimist (1762); and Candide: Optimism (1947). It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow and painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes Candide with, if not rejecting Leibnizian optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds". Candide is characterized by its tone as well as by its erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel with a story similar to that of a more serious coming-of-age narrative (Bildungsroman), it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is bitter and matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so does Candide in this short theological novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers. Through Candide, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism.Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned to the public because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is considered as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon. It is among the most frequently taught works of French literature. The British poet and literary critic Martin Seymour-Smith listed Candide as one of the 100 most influential books ever written.

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AnnaCarina hat Candide von Voltaire besprochen

Review of 'Candide' on 'Goodreads'

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Ich liebe es wenn Bücher aus der Lektüre von Büchern hervorgehen!
In [b:Wie man mit Fundamentalisten diskutiert, ohne den Verstand zu verlieren : Anleitung zum subversiven Denken|1910988|Wie man mit Fundamentalisten diskutiert, ohne den Verstand zu verlieren Anleitung zum subversiven Denken|Hubert Schleichert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1190202339l/1910988.SY75.jpg|1912919] wir das Argument ad lapidem behandelt:

"Im Argument ad lapidem wird eine handfeste triviale Tatsache angeführt, durch welche eine subtile, theoretische Argumentation widerlegt werden soll, ohne im einzelnen auf deren eventuell raffinierte Gedankenführung einzugehen. Es macht den Reiz einer Figur aus, dass nicht ohne weiteres zu entscheiden ist, ob sie überzeugend sein wird oder nicht.
Ein geistesgeschichtlich berühmtes Beispiel ist der Roman Candide, der sich in satirischer Form gegen Leibnizens These richtet, diese unsere Welt mitsamt ihrem ganzen Elend sie die beste aller möglichen. Leibniz hatte das Problem der Theodizee dadurch gelöst, dass er philosophisch nachwies, eine bessere Welt als diese, unsere, sei gar nicht möglich, [b:Die …

Ich liebe es wenn Bücher aus der Lektüre von Büchern hervorgehen!
In [b:Wie man mit Fundamentalisten diskutiert, ohne den Verstand zu verlieren : Anleitung zum subversiven Denken|1910988|Wie man mit Fundamentalisten diskutiert, ohne den Verstand zu verlieren Anleitung zum subversiven Denken|Hubert Schleichert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1190202339l/1910988.SY75.jpg|1912919] wir das Argument ad lapidem behandelt:

"Im Argument ad lapidem wird eine handfeste triviale Tatsache angeführt, durch welche eine subtile, theoretische Argumentation widerlegt werden soll, ohne im einzelnen auf deren eventuell raffinierte Gedankenführung einzugehen. Es macht den Reiz einer Figur aus, dass nicht ohne weiteres zu entscheiden ist, ob sie überzeugend sein wird oder nicht.
Ein geistesgeschichtlich berühmtes Beispiel ist der Roman Candide, der sich in satirischer Form gegen Leibnizens These richtet, diese unsere Welt mitsamt ihrem ganzen Elend sie die beste aller möglichen. Leibniz hatte das Problem der Theodizee dadurch gelöst, dass er philosophisch nachwies, eine bessere Welt als diese, unsere, sei gar nicht möglich, [b:Die Theodizee|19042373|Die Theodizee|Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385732247l/19042373.SY75.jpg|336374]. Anstatt aber auf Leibnizens tiefgründige Argumentation einzugehen, schildert Voltaire im Candide ein einzelnes menschliches Leben, das buchstäblich von einem Unglück ins nächste taumelt. In die Schilderung aller Leiden und Unglücksfälle dieses Lebens werden gelegentlich Kommentare im Stile der Leibnizschen Philosophie eingeblendet. Voltaire erspart sich eine inhaltliche Auseinandersetzung mit dieser Philosophie, er konfrontiert sie einfach mit der Realität, dies allerdings tut er drastisch.Die Bewertung von Voltaires Argumentation hat immer geschwankt. Für deutsche Metaphysiker geht Voltaire an Leibnizens Argumenten vorbei, ohne deren Tiefgründigkeit zu begreifen. Die Anhänger Voltaires anderseits meinen, der Roman Candide zeige ein für allemal die Lächerlichkeit der Leibnizschen "Theo-Philosophie", an der nichts tief sei, außer ihrem Unsinn."

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ns@bookwyrm.social hat Candide, or, Optimism von Voltaire besprochen

comedy sketch

4 Sterne

The novel is about Candide, an extreme optimist who, along the journey, has his optimism worn down, until him and his friends find satisfaction in a simpler life.

The novel is very silly, a lot of good hoots to be had. The Old Woman With One Buttock and Martin the Philosopher are particularly funny sketches. Still, the characters are intentionally paper-thin plot devices.

Candide answered: —I have seen worse; but a wise man, who has since had the misfortune to be hanged, taught me that everything was marvelously well arranged. Troubles are just the shadows in a beautiful picture.

—Your hanged philosopher was joking, said Martin; the shadows are horrible ugly blots.

They make a trip to the legendary city of El Dorado, a utopia without suffering or conflict. That whole event was my favorite part. I think it's a statement about how people don't want what is good for …

The novel is about Candide, an extreme optimist who, along the journey, has his optimism worn down, until him and his friends find satisfaction in a simpler life.

The novel is very silly, a lot of good hoots to be had. The Old Woman With One Buttock and Martin the Philosopher are particularly funny sketches. Still, the characters are intentionally paper-thin plot devices.

Candide answered: —I have seen worse; but a wise man, who has since had the misfortune to be hanged, taught me that everything was marvelously well arranged. Troubles are just the shadows in a beautiful picture.

—Your hanged philosopher was joking, said Martin; the shadows are horrible ugly blots.

They make a trip to the legendary city of El Dorado, a utopia without suffering or conflict. That whole event was my favorite part. I think it's a statement about how people don't want what is good for them, even if it's right under their noses. They prefer the old way of life, to uphold old memories.

It's a fast paced book that doesn't take time to smell the roses. Voltaire writes like a scriptwriter, and a slurry of action inundates you. I'd say that the read itself isn't too bad. Since I read it in English instead of the French, it probably lost some flavor in translation.

Taken as a historical piece of fiction, it's insightful to study and you can tell the author is well read, but it's not a literary masterpiece. I think in an age where comedy standups and TV weren't as accessible as today, Voltaire filled the niche of a celebrity jester.