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Telling the tale of the good-natured but star-crossed Candide (think Mr. Magoo armed with deadly force), as he travels the world struggling to be reunited with his love, Lady Cunegonde, the novel smashes such ill-conceived optimism to splinters. Candide's tutor, Dr. Pangloss, is steadfast in his philosophical good cheer, in the face of more and more fantastic misfortune; Candide's other companions always supply good sense in the nick of time. Still, as he demolishes optimism, Voltaire pays tribute to human resilience, and in doing so gives the book a pleasant indomitability common to farce. Says one character, a princess turned one-buttocked hag by unkind Fate: "I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our most melancholy propensities; for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one's very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?"--Michael Gerber
In this new translation of Voltaire’s best-known work, distinguished translator Burton Raffel captures the irreverent spirit of Candide and renders the novel in clear, vivacious English. Stylistically superior to all predecessors, Raffel’s version now stands as the translation of choice for twenty-first-century readers.
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Book Description paperback. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_399368732
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.15. Seller Inventory # G0553210289I3N00
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Book Description Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Good. Sheilah Beckett (Illustrated by) (illustrator). Bantam Classic Edition/1st Printing. 122 pp. Solidly bound copy with moderate use. Fore edge of front cover slightly torn. Slightly creased and slanted spine. Light foxing on page edges. Seller Inventory # 5vHd0060
Book Description Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Near Fine. Sheilah Beckett (illustrator). Bantam Classic, March 1981. Mass Market Paperback. Second printing, August 1981. Near Fine. Lightly tanned, but unmarked. Spine straight, tight and uncreased. Covers clean. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. 122 pages. 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. Seller Inventory # RWARE0000000301
Book Description paperback. B015018; 122 pp paperback, good contents, good wraps 2 in A276. Seller Inventory # 15018
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: NF. Seller Inventory # 1140208
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Prompt shipment, with tracking. we ship in CLEAN SECURE BOXES NEW BOXES Very good some creasing to cover. Seller Inventory # bing98hhh6161