Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire first published in 1759 by
Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has
been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All
for the Best; Candide: or, The Optimist; and Candide: Optimism. Candide
is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every
direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in
"the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering
tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric
thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster
and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny,
often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes
Candide around the world to discover that -- contrary to the teachings
of his distringuished tutor Dr. Pangloss -- all is not always for the
best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, Candide has
become Voltaire's most celebrated work.