Candide and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics)

by Voltaire (Author), RogerPearson (Translator)

• Used

  Paperback
  1998

  $3.27

  'If this is the best of all possible worlds, then what must the others be like?' Candide , published simultaneously in five European capitals in 1759, became an instant bestseller and is now regarded by many as one of the key texts of the Enlightenment. A master story-teller, Voltaire found the philosophical tale the perfect vehicle for his preoccupations with evil, human folly, and intolerance. He combined often wildly entertaining action with profoundly serious sense, parodying the traditional chivalric and Oriental tales with which his public was more familiar. This brilliant new translation of five of the major stories - Micromegas , Zadig , The Ingenu , and The White Bull , as well as Candide - is accompanied by a full introduction and notes which are indispensable to the modern reader.

• Used

  Paperback
  1990

  $3.27

• New

  Paperback
  2008

  $8.89

  'If this is the best of all possible worlds, then what must the others be like?' Young Candide is tossed on a hilarious tide of misfortune, experiencing the full horror and injustice of this 'best of all possible worlds' - the Old and the New - before finally accepting that his old philosophy tutor Dr Pangloss has got it all wrong. There are no grounds for his daft theory of Optimism. Yet life goes on. We must cultivate our garden, for there is certainly room for improvement. Candide is the most famous of Voltaire's 'philosophical tales', in which he combined witty improbabilities with the sanest of good sense. First published in 1759, it was an instant bestseller and has come to be regarded as one of the key texts of the Enlightenment. What Candide does for chivalric romance, the other tales in this selection - Micromegas, Zadig, The Ingenu, and The White Bull - do for science fiction, the Oriental tale, the sentimental novel, and the Old Testament. This new edition also includes a verse tale based on Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale, in which we discover that most elusive of secrets: What Pleases the Ladies. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.