--- product_id: 105036382 title: "Candide Paperback – 18 Aug. 2010" brand: "voltaire" price: "€ 8.66" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 21 url: https://www.desertcart.fr/products/105036382-candide-paperback-18-aug-2010 store_origin: FR region: France --- # Candide Paperback – 18 Aug. 2010 **Brand:** voltaire **Price:** € 8.66 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Candide Paperback – 18 Aug. 2010 by voltaire - **How much does it cost?** € 8.66 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fr](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/105036382-candide-paperback-18-aug-2010) ## Best For - voltaire enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted voltaire brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Candide Paperback – 18 Aug. 2010 - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5163eWkS0IL.jpg) ![Candide Paperback – 18 Aug. 2010 - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31GfsjJop+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐ A French Swift, a good read! *by J***H on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2017* "Those who make you believe absurdities can also make you commit atrocities". Voltaire said that and his dictum seems to run to the core of Pangloss's optimistic belief in this, "the best of all possible worlds." Candide's ingenuousness turns him into a flimsy protagonist at times and, like the raging torrent that rushes him down a river outside El Dorado, he is simply at the effete end of a flawed quietism. Voltaire exposes Pangloss's all-smiles view of the world when he justifies the drowning of the monk Jacques off Portugal on the grounds that the sea was made for that purpose. The relationship between Martin and Candide is based on often irate debate and difficult self-questioning, something Voltaire adopted in his diatribes against all forms of religious propaganda and corrupt clericalism. Something of a fairy tale here, but with a robust, subversive challenge to power freaks everywhere. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Outrageous, shocking, scandalous.... *by A***L on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 December 2017* ....were, I am sure, words used about "Candide" when it was first published.Candide is a naïve, gullible, quixotic innocent, who is launched on a fantastical journey around Europe, South America and returning to the Eastern Mediterranean, in his search for his true love, Cunegonde, and answers to the philosophical questions raised by his mentor, Pangloss.He suffers disaster after disaster and is mistreated, cheated and betrayed time after time but just keeps bouncing back.The story is written in a light, humorous style, with echoes of Gabriel García Marquez's magic realism; with an overlying cynicism it is used to lampoon and satirise the venality of the establishment, particularly the Roman Catholic Church.It is an easy and very good read and it just flows along; it is hard to imagine that it was written more than 250 years ago, although at least some of the credit for this may be down to skilful translating and editing.One passage really caught my eye - writing in 1759, Voltaire has Martin saying: "It is said [of] Venice....that strangers meet with a very good reception if they have a good deal of money." - just a few weeks ago, in late 2017, in response to a Brit who complained about being stuffed with a bill for EUR 526 for lunch for him and his parents, Luigi Brugnaro, the Mayor of Venice, called him a cheapskate and said: "If you come to Venice, you need to shell out a bit. You’re welcome, but you need to spend.” - plus ça change.... ### ⭐⭐⭐ Candide: A glass-half-full kind of a guy. *by S***H on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 April 2018* So. One finally catches up with Candide, the 84-page novella dashed off by Voltaire in three days and recognised as one of the most influential books ever written. It is the story of a young man who is persuaded of the doctrine of optimism by his mentor Professor Pangloss: “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds”.This is a strange dark fairy tale riddled with allegory and overburdened with an exaggerated, almost cartoonish brutality. Also cartoon-like is the resurrection of bumped-off characters, however welcome their return. (I’m looking at you, Pangloss.) Less welcome was the undercurrent of antisemitism I detected in certain parts of this story. (Et tu, Voltaire?)It is only really possible to understand Voltaire’s great work as a satire of its times thanks to the rather odd but undoubtedly helpful footnotes. (I am referring to the Amazon Classics edition with Philip Littell’s introduction - one of the most bizarre pieces of writing I have ever read. Or, to be more precise, skipped.)I close with my favourite quote: “Fools admire everything in an author of reputation. For my part, I read only to please myself. I like only that which serves my purpose.” Quite so. And now the sun has come out and I must cultivate my garden. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fr/products/105036382-candide-paperback-18-aug-2010](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/105036382-candide-paperback-18-aug-2010) --- *Product available on Desertcart France* *Store origin: FR* *Last updated: 2026-04-25*