Lisa of Troy's Reviews > Candide

Surprisingly Funny

Candide was written in 1759 so I wasn’t expecting it to be laugh out loud funny, but it was.

Have you ever listened to someone who was so dead set in their ideals, but when you actually heard their logic for their ideals that it made absolutely no sense? That is this book.

Candide falls in love with a Lady Cunegonde, and for this he is unceremoniously thrown out of the castle. In his journeys, he meets many other people, and he befriends a philosopher, Pangloss, who says that everything is always for the best. However, how is everything for the best when they are suffering so?

For this read, I practiced immersion reading (following along in the text while listening to the audiobook), and I was able to do so for free by using the Libby app. Candide is a relatively short book. The audiobook is around 4 hours at a 1.0X speed.

Moreover, Candide is a bit spooky when read in today’s political and social climate. For example, there is the issue of global warming. Despite scientific proof, there are still some people who cling to the idea that it doesn’t exist. In the United States, most companies no longer offer a pension and starting in 2034, the Social Security Fund will run out of money. Yet if someone is poor, society tries to blame the individual despite society’s broken system.

At one point, Candide has many sheep laden with treasure. He appears to be set for life. However, life slowly erodes his sheep. Doesn’t that sound like the runaway inflation of today or perhaps the crushing mound of student loan debt?

If you enjoy 1984, this book is perfect for you. Also, I think that this is the good version of Catch-22.

Before I sign off, there are a few points that I did not appreciate in Candide. As mentioned above, Voltaire penned this in 1759 so not all parts have aged well.

Overall, a very interesting short story, well worth a read.

2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal

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