Candide (Gildan Media Edition) Audiobook By Voltaire cover art

Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

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Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

By: Voltaire
Narrated by: Don Hagen
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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 Funny Fiction
Enduring Humor • Brilliant Satire • Pleasant Narrator Voice • Classic Philosophical Tale • Deep Life Lessons
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I really enjoyed this recording. The narrator's voice was very pleasant - easy to understand. Voltaire's wit was a wonderful discovery for me. I had just finished the Teaching Company's course on Voltaire (which was excellent) and decided I needed to sample Candide for myself. I was not at all disappointed. I'm sure to come back to this recording in the future.

Very enjoyable recording

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after the strange choice in intro music, the rest is a well narrated and unabridged version of candide by voltaire. I liked it. very well done.

great unabridged version

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Deeply moving! Hilariously heartbreaking! Voltaire skewers religion, the philosophy of leibnitz, the sovereignty of God, and the idea of the goodness of man. This almost three century old book still speaks to us today. There are laugh out loud moments, but there are also deeply head-shaking moments. I cannot say enough about how much I love this novel.

259 year old read still speaks to the 21st century

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Voltaires coming of age classic is beautifully executed by this talented narrator. If you enjoyed Zadig, Siddhartha, or The Alchemist, you will enjoy Candide.

perfectly narrated classic.

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The reader makes a challenging text not only easy to understand but enjoyable! Candide is a rich, worthwhile satire that is worth the challenge.

Great voice!

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For me, the narrator had the perfect tone and delivery for this very funny and insightful classic

guess what.......this is funny

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The story focuses on the philosophy of optimism in the face of overwhelming obstacles and misfortune. It seems modern given the fast-pace of the narrative. The theme remains relevant today. A great story and well narrated.

Well Done Narration for a Classic

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I like the theme. It really sticks with it too. Optimism is a slippery thing....

It was alright

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Everything negative that could have happened to the main character in this story came to pass. I get what the author was going for here but it was a world bereft of goodness and chaos reigned supreme. People were the worst versions of themselves, races were characterized in the most stereotypical way possible. it's not that it was a bad story: the ending has a moral lesson to be learned but even the ending isn't necessarily happy. This was a story written as a spectacle to turn heads and make people gawk.

Story of misfortune written by a pessimist.

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This is a classic of satire, with Voltaire's particular puckishness all over it. It skewers every sort of righteous scoundrel who still walks our world, in politics, religion or elsewhere, pronouncing this or that fancy moralistic sermon while mocking poor fools like this hapless sincere fellow Candide, and divesting the latter of every penny. It is a lesson we could use today! It perhaps gets a little repetitive toward the end, but it was fun getting there.

The narrator, Don Hagen, is a favorite of mine, especially with humorous content. His voice has an understated whimsy in it that makes me laugh a lot.

Amusing, a favorite, well read

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