• Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

  • By: Voltaire
  • Narrated by: Don Hagen
  • Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (543 ratings)

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Candide (Gildan Media Edition)  By  cover art

Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

By: Voltaire
Narrated by: Don Hagen
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Publisher's summary

Candide is a French satire written in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. One of the finest satires ever written, this lively tale follows the absurdly melodramatic adventures of the youthful Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, shipwrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cunégonde, and tortured by the Inquisition. As Candide witnesses calamity upon calamity, he becomes disillusioned and discovers that all is not always for the best.

Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, dark humor, and erratic, fantastical, fast-moving plot. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies and philosophers, and romance.

Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. It was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. Voltaire never admitted to having written the highly controversial Candide; instead, the work was signed Mister Doctor Ralph.

Public Domain (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

What listeners say about Candide (Gildan Media Edition)

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great unabridged version

after the strange choice in intro music, the rest is a well narrated and unabridged version of candide by voltaire. I liked it. very well done.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Very enjoyable recording

I really enjoyed this recording. The narrator's voice was very pleasant - easy to understand. Voltaire's wit was a wonderful discovery for me. I had just finished the Teaching Company's course on Voltaire (which was excellent) and decided I needed to sample Candide for myself. I was not at all disappointed. I'm sure to come back to this recording in the future.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

259 year old read still speaks to the 21st century

Deeply moving! Hilariously heartbreaking! Voltaire skewers religion, the philosophy of leibnitz, the sovereignty of God, and the idea of the goodness of man. This almost three century old book still speaks to us today. There are laugh out loud moments, but there are also deeply head-shaking moments. I cannot say enough about how much I love this novel.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

perfectly narrated classic.

Voltaires coming of age classic is beautifully executed by this talented narrator. If you enjoyed Zadig, Siddhartha, or The Alchemist, you will enjoy Candide.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great voice!

The reader makes a challenging text not only easy to understand but enjoyable! Candide is a rich, worthwhile satire that is worth the challenge.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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guess what.......this is funny

For me, the narrator had the perfect tone and delivery for this very funny and insightful classic

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Well Done Narration for a Classic

The story focuses on the philosophy of optimism in the face of overwhelming obstacles and misfortune. It seems modern given the fast-pace of the narrative. The theme remains relevant today. A great story and well narrated.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

It was alright

I like the theme. It really sticks with it too. Optimism is a slippery thing....

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Great book, mediocre narration

This is one of my favorite books. Its unrelenting pessimism is often laugh out loud funny, and I'm constantly amazed at just how well the humor holds up for a book written in 1759. I felt the narration in this version was a bit too dry, though, and lost some of the comedic elements in its flat delivery.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fine

I'm into classics but this one was beyond me. I guess one has to read it to say "Yes, I did." But beyond that, forget it.

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