Candide

5b Voltaire, Illustrations by A. Hallman. Stockholm: Jan Forlag, 1946. In FRENCH

Notes

Voltaire’s Candide is a biting philosophical satire that follows the misadventures of a naive young man named Candide, who is raised in a sheltered castle and taught by his tutor, Pangloss, that this world is “the best of all possible worlds.” When Candide is abruptly cast out after falling in love with the Baron’s daughter, Cunégonde, he begins a harrowing journey across Europe and the Americas. Along the way, he witnesses and endures a staggering range of human suffering—wars, earthquakes, executions, slavery, and betrayals—that repeatedly challenge the optimistic worldview instilled in him by Pangloss. Despite these horrors, Candide clings to the hope of reuniting with Cunégonde and finding some kind of peace or meaning in life.

The novel serves as a sharp critique of blind optimism, religious hypocrisy, corrupt institutions, and philosophical abstraction divorced from reality. Voltaire uses absurdity, dark humor, and vivid, often grotesque scenarios to expose the cruelty and irrationality of the world. Rather than offering easy answers, Candide concludes with a practical, almost stoic message: instead of theorizing about the nature of good and evil, we must “cultivate our garden”—that is, focus on concrete, personal effort and improvement. Through its witty, fast-paced narrative and philosophical depth, Candid remains one of the most powerful and enduring works of Enlightenment literature.

Description

Carmel leather binding with gilt boarders to boards and five raised bands. Gilt lettering to spine with ornamentations to each compartment. Gilt edges. Colored paste down images throughout. FRENCH. Fine condition.