Reader discussion: Candide

Public reader discussion about Candide by Voltaire.

What classic book should I read

By tender-badger

Could someone recommend a classic book for me? I haven’t really gotten into many classics yet—only read Emma and I honestly loved it—but I’d rather not do another Jane Austen. I’m mostly into big philosophical questions (like meaning of life and ethics/morality), psychology stuff (personality and mental health/psychiatric conditions), and also physics/cosmology. I also like history a lot, especially European, Asian, and Middle Eastern. If you have any suggestions, I’d really appreciate it—and if you can point out which of those interests the book fits, that would be great. Thanks!

Exploring the link between Voltaire, Candide, and the French Revolution.

By nebula_harmony16

Just wrapped up Candide, and I’m honestly not sure I get what it’s trying to do. I started reading Voltaire more out of curiosity than anything else—I'd heard he was tied to the French Revolution and that he was one of the big Enlightenment thinkers, and his name keeps popping up in books I already love (even Dostoevsky comes to mind). I was especially wondering how his ideas might have fed into the revolt, and I kinda assumed Candide would be the big payoff of what he believed. But after reading it, that connection feels pretty unclear to me. So I keep asking: what was Voltaire actually trying to say here, and does Candide have any direct influence on the Revolution? I don’t know much about French history yet, but I’m getting more interested in this whole Enlightenment philosophy era—Voltaire’s the first one I’ve tackled. Still, Candide’s meaning is just not landing for me. If anyone has a clearer take, I’d really like to hear it.

Suggest me a pocket book to buy today...

By Mug-Couplet

I’m looking for something that’s fiction only—no sci-fi, no fantasy. Also not the “before the coffee” series. And preferably under 500 pages, though I’ll double-check. I also need it to be something I can find in English bookstores, but I guess I’ll confirm that myself.

"Fake" Classics? (NOT questioning what books can/should be classics)

By windcocoa89

Sorry for the kind of lousy title—I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to say what I mean, heh. I just learned that Avellaneda’s second part of *Don Quixote* came out before Cervantes had finished (and published) the “real” second part. That immediately reminded me of that whole “translation” of Stoker’s *Dracula*, *Powers of Darkness*—which didn’t feel like a true translation so much as its own take on the English book. Now I’m wondering how often this kind of thing happened with other classics that were published before copyright got more strict. If anyone knows of more stories like that, I’d really love to hear them.

Voltaire's Candide

By trail-pale

Candide asks if people have always been slaughtering each other the way they do now, and if they’ve always been liars and cheats and all that stuff—like traitors, ingrates, thieves, idiots, drunkards, and the rest. Martin basically just hits back with the question of whether hawks have always gone after pigeons whenever they get the chance.

Candide by Voltaire

By StoneWrites2004

Finally got around to this. It’s a pretty quick read, and somehow it’s also kind of charming. V definitely hammers the main idea home to the point where it starts feeling a little repetitive, but I still liked the way the characters keep getting shuffled around into the plot—it’s goofy fun. I feel like it lands the main message better than Notes from Underground, especially since it was written so long ago. And yeah, that ending people talk about is awesome and I’m not sure it’s wrong. It still feels relevant now, too. I’d definitely recommend it if you want something lighter between heavier reads.

Quick thoughts on Candide: or optimism

By dreamywonderticket

I read The Stranger first (which I really loved), and then picked up Candide since it felt kind of similar. Turns out I liked Candide a lot too. It’s funny, but still really makes you think, especially about staying optimistic even when everything goes wrong. I also thought the ending actually matched the point of the whole book and wrapped up Candide’s story in a way that felt like he finally learned something. Overall it was a great read, but I still think I liked The Stranger better.

How does Candide reflect Voltaire's religious beliefs?

By dreamywonderticket

I’m working on a research project right now. To kick it off, I read *Candide* to get a handle on Voltaire’s views on religion. My teacher basically told me that if I want to talk about why Voltaire matters, I should pay attention to what *Candide* is saying. The problem is a lot of it feels more symbolic than straightforward, and I’m kind of stuck trying to figure out what the point/messages are. Also, just to clear something up: I mentioned the project because I wanted to be upfront, but I could’ve just left that out. This isn’t a book report or anything like that—*Candide* is only one part of a larger project about Voltaire’s importance. I honestly only asked because I wanted clarification, not because I expected this to turn into someone else doing the work for me.