Candide by Voltaire

Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire written in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone and its erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel with a story similar to that of a more serious bildungsroman, it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism.

The 52nd greatest fiction book of all time


This book is on the following lists:

  1. - 7th on For The Love of Books (For The Love of Books)
  2. - 14th on Top 100 World Literature Titles (Perfection Learning)
  3. - 58th on Pour une Bibliothèque Idéale (Raymond Queneau)
  4. - 80th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
  5. - 95th on 100 Best Books (Montana State University)
  6. - 99th on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
  7. - Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
  8. - The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
  9. - From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
  10. - Best Books Ever (bookdepository.com)
  11. - The Graphic Canon (Book)
  12. - The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Easton Press)
  13. - Select 100 (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
  14. - Great Books of the Western World (Great Books Foundation)
  15. - 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
  16. - The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written (Martin Seymour-Smith)
  17. - The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
  18. - ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
  19. - Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) (Tidningen Boken)
  20. - The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)

Buy This Book

Name Binding Sales Rank Lowest New Lowest Used Published
Candide Annotated Paperback 582802 $7.40 2021
Candide Hardcover 2089326 $5.78 $7.87 2009
Candide & Zadig Mass Market Paperback 3628505 $4.77 $3.47
Candide and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) Kindle Edition 473911 1990
Candide: and Related Texts (Translated & Annotated) Kindle Edition 521646 $5.78 2010
Voltaire Collection: Micromegas, Candide, and Zadig Paperback 1605670 $12.95 2020
Candide Ou l'Optimisme: CANDIDE: édition intégrale avec résumé de l'oeuvre, analyse, étude des personnages, thèmes principaux (French Edition) Paperback 1787198 $12.84 $16.99 2018
Candide... (French Edition) Hardcover 3478175 $23.95 2019
Candide (Cover to Cover) Audio CD 639831 $5.96 $5.97 2012
Candide (Modern Library) Hardcover 1890784 $8.00 $0.18 2002
Candide Annotated Paperback 1617494 $23.99 2021
Candide ou L'Optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 4975052 $21.45 2020
Candide Hardcover 2414994 $19.25 $2.99
Candide Annotated Paperback 1781243 $8.99 2021
Candide (Franklin Library) Hardcover 2140701 $8.95 $5.00
Candide(Illustarted) Paperback 1679690 $12.99 2022
Candide, or Optimism by Voltaire (All Time Classics) Paperback 1034560 $10.99 2020
Candide and Other Stories (World's Classics) Paperback 2001133 $5.95 $0.01 1998
Candide (Royal Collector's Edition) (Annotated) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket) Hardcover 666566 $32.14 $59.93 2020
Candide By Voltaire Illustrated Novel Paperback 1664518 $13.00 2020
Candide: or Optimism Paperback 1811432 $12.42 $1.55 2006
Candide or Optimism Mass Market Paperback 8161118 $0.01
Candide Paperback 985280 $3.99 $2.10 2013
Candide (Bedford Cultural Editions Series) Kindle Edition 152262 2016
Candide, Zadig, and Selected Stories (Signet classics) Mass Market Paperback 2171969 $0.78 $0.01 1961
Candide: or, All for the Best Paperback 601507 $6.99 $8.27 2019
Candide (100 Copy Limited Edition) Hardcover 866447 $59.95 $53.96 2018
Candide: Great Classics Paperback 990036 $5.75 2019
Candide, or The Optimist Hardcover 168063 $10.99 $12.99 2020
Candide Kindle Edition 354371 2015
Candide or Optimism (Crofts Classics) Paperback 332588 $1.36 $0.01 1946
Candide: or Optimism Kindle Edition 437053 $8.12 2005
Candide: or, Optimism (Modern Library) Hardcover 1408525 $2.58 $0.99 2005
Candide Kindle Edition 330058 $0.99 2013
Candide (Illustrated) Kindle Edition 127599 $0.99 2014
Candide: Voltaire (French Edition) Paperback 2650394 $12.00 2021
Candide: Ou L'optimisme (Larousse Petits Classiques) (French Edition) Paperback 3430182 $28.41 $1.95 2007
Candide (Classiques) (French Edition) Kindle Edition 1545636 2012
Candide (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 2041818 $12.97 $0.01
Candide Paperback 129523 $3.16 $0.01 2012
Candide Mass Market Paperback 4870328 $2.95
Candide ou l'optimisme: Conte philosophique (French Edition) Kindle Edition 1384683 2016
Candide (Barnes & Noble Classics) Hardcover 278608 $4.39 $0.01 2005
Candide Paperback 1119722 $5.99 $0.20 2011
Candide Kindle Edition 450277 $1.99 2004
Candide (Illustrated) Kindle Edition 325370 $2.99 2013
Candide Paperback 873926 $6.88 $3.20 2013
Candide Paperback 253140 $8.32 2016
Candide (Xist Classics) Kindle Edition 207612 2015
Candide Paperback 9228529 $13.09 $16.79 2007
Candide ou L'Optimisme (French Edition) Kindle Edition 594720 $0.99 2010
Candide (Ldp Classiques) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 1201954 $3.99 $0.01
Candide, Ou L'Optimisme (1771) (French Edition) Hardcover 3228030 $28.74 $30.95 2009
Candide: A Dual-Language Book: Dual Language Edition (Dover Dual Language French) Kindle Edition 587616 $8.55 2012
Candide (Enriched Classics) Mass Market Paperback 533103 $0.84 $0.01 2005
Candide (Bedford Cultural Editions) Paperback 75913 $12.49 $11.43 2016
Candide (Annoté) (French Edition) Kindle Edition 2004589 2016
Candide: New edition complete version Beautiful fonts and formatting or Optimism Paperback 427548 $5.88 2021
Candide (Illustrated) Kindle Edition 279307 2014
Candide Kindle Edition 471930 $1.99 2014
Candide (Large Print Edition) Hardcover 7912736 $27.00 $32.03 2008
Candide Paperback 556050 $4.50 2015
Candide: or Optimism Hardcover 2121693 $12.89 $0.66 2005
Candide (Dover Thrift Editions) Kindle Edition 125689 2012
Candide by Voltaire ''Annotated Classic Edition'' Paperback 940806 $12.00 2020
Candide (Modern Plays) Paperback 4286971 $11.69 $4.53 2013
Candide Audio CD 6359910 $24.68 $2.13
Candide, Zadig and Selected Stories Paperback 7345337 $3.50
Candide (illustré avec gravures) (French Edition) Kindle Edition 541998 $0.99 2011
Candide Paperback 5321455 $8.99 $8.64
Candide Zadig & Selected Stories Paperback 2254442 $3.00
Voltaire's Candide Zadig and Selected Stories Hardcover 7186949 $3.45
Candide (French Edition) Paperback 578745 $7.00 2016
Candide and Other Stories (Collector's Library) Hardcover 5320928 $26.02 2006
Candide (French Edition) Paperback 319122 $5.80 2017
Candide (Large Print) Paperback 193667 $7.67 $7.04 2016
Candide Audible Audio Edition 33095 $11.95 2012
Candide Audible Audio Edition 41548 $13.08 2016
Candide Paperback 944280 $4.15 2014
Candide "Teacher's Choice" Annotated Novel By: Voltaire Paperback 780522 $9.99 2021
Candide (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) Paperback 1289029 $56.07 $1.21 1998
Candide, Ou L'optimisme, (French Edition) Hardcover 4942510 $24.99 $37.94 2018
Candide: or, Optimism (Modern Library Classics) Paperback 310428 $4.19 $0.01 2005
Candide Hardcover 1210311 $19.77 $1.74 2009
Candide by Voltaire Kindle Edition 375164 $2.99 2022
Candide Hardcover 1632107 $5.95 1930
Candide Hardcover 1900564 $15.56 $0.47
Candide, Zadig, and selected stories Paperback 11895937 $3.10
Candide Paperback 448546 $7.89 $20.00 2017
Candide Kindle Edition 580876 2016
Candide Audio CD 2563795 $15.22 $15.18 2016
Voltaire - Candide Kindle Edition 510115 2016
Candide (Bantam Classics) by Voltaire (1984-05-01) Paperback 1152003 $5.35 $5.35
Candide ou l'Optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 1548117 $13.66 2020
Candide Paperback 437534 $5.00 $0.01 2013
Candide ou l'optimisme: (Candide or The Optimist) (Dans la Meme Collection) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 1329250 $2.00 $2.45 2003
Candide Ou L'Optimiste (Folio (Gallimard)) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 1503414 $3.97 $3.59
Candide (European Masterpieces Moliere & Co. French Classics) (French Edition) (European Masterpieces. Moliaere & Co. (Series). French Class) Paperback 659003 $9.27 $0.54 2007
Candide Hardcover 250901 $13.99 $17.72 2016
Candide, French Edition Mass Market Paperback 1625089 $9.95 $0.01 2003
Candide, ou l'optimisme Audio CD 16823027 $94.99
Candide Kindle Edition 46894 2017
Candide Paperback 7218634 $4.95 2011
Candide (Illustrated) Kindle Edition 1231016 2011
Candide (Unabridged Classics in Audio) Audio CD 1953151 $14.50 2005
Candide Paperback 4563701 $45.17 $9.99 2012
Candide Hardcover 7457725 $29.95 $29.95 2010
Candide Paperback 219309 $5.99 2017
Voltaire - Candide Paperback 77149 $3.88 2016
Candide (French Edition) Kindle Edition 745080 2016
Candide, ou l'Optimisme (French Edition) Kindle Edition 390488 2016
Candide Ou L'Optimisme (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 3062779 $5.04 $3.70 2003
Candide Paperback 240814 $5.50 2017
Candide By Voltaire: Commentary and Illustrations by Andrew Kelly Kindle Edition 909220 2016
Candide and Other Stories (Everyman's Library) Hardcover 159737 $14.91 $6.28 1992
Candide Hardcover 923147 $10.98 $13.09 2017
Candide (A CSA Word Classic) Audio CD 2744864 $15.90 $16.12 2010
Candide (AmazonClassics Edition) Paperback 329414 $5.99 2017
Candide Hardcover 6365458 $12.99
Candide (Bantam Classics) Paperback 63288 $0.94 $0.01 1984
Candide Mass Market Paperback 5456394 $1.00
Candide: or Optimism Paperback 746059 $3.98 2017
Candide: Or, Optimism (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Paperback 21902 $5.53 $0.99 2005
Voltaire Collection: Micromegas, Candide, and Zadig Audible Audiobook 67874 $12.99 2020
Candide (French Edition) Paperback 154575 $9.59 $11.12 2012
Candide (Classic Books on CD Collection) [UNABRIDGED] Audio CD 2589791 $19.99 $14.99 2007
Candide, ou l'optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 1019098 $4.01 $4.00 2014
Bibliolycee Candide ou l'Optimisme (Dans La Meme Collection) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 2884911 $6.00 $2.35 2002
Candide Paperback 559514 $2.68 $6.33 2017
Candide Paperback 101441 $5.95 2013
Candide Kindle Edition 85105 2013
Candide Hardcover 263601 $20.00 $6.12
Candide Kindle Edition 691352 2017
Candide, ou l'Optimisime (Focus Student Edition) (French Edition) Paperback 774256 $11.69 $7.49 2007
Candide and Zadig (Naxos Complete Classics) (The Complete Classics) Audio CD 5174883 $18.91 $33.48 2008
Candide, ou l'Optimisme: conte philosophique de Voltaire (texte intégral) (French Edition) Paperback 7494454 $9.99 $6.00 2017
Candide, ou l'Optimisme (Annotated) (French Edition) Kindle Edition 879023 2017
Candide and Other Stories Paperback 3182360 $5.95 2006
Candide Paperback 98157 $6.99 $2.95 2014
Candide (Librio Litterature) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 2933475 $2.70 $0.01 2004
Candide Ou L'Optimisme: et autres contes (Pocket Classiques) (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 2262027 $3.96 $3.57 2010
Candide, Ou L'optimisme, (French Edition) Paperback 2551870 $15.16 $0.87 2010
candide Hardcover 7200953
Candide Paperback 2117635 $20.00 2021
Candide (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 6393160 $6.00 $5.95 2008
Candide (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition) Paperback 318445 $9.63 $9.45 2022
Candide: or Optimism by Voltaire, 18th Century French Historical Classic (Annotated) Paperback 885722 $8.49 2022
Voltaire ; Candide (Annotated) Kindle Edition 276345 $3.99 2022
Candide (AmazonClassics Edition) Kindle Edition 50914 2017
Candide (French Edition) Paperback 890734 $3.89 2019
Candide Ou L'Optimisme Mass Market Paperback 5676236 $4.84 $8.00 2013
Candide Paperback 1030175 $1.53 $0.01 2013
Candide: Or Optimism (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Kindle Edition 128904 $5.18 2005
Candide; Mass Market Paperback 12158423 $9.25 $1.22
Spark Notes Candide Paperback 353736 $1.93 2002
Candide ou l'optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 477330 $4.40 2017
Candide, Ou, L'Optimisme Et Autres Contes = Ingenuous, Or, Optimism and Other Tales (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 2425051 $8.99 $0.01 1998
Candide, Ou L'Optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 3003600 $1.46
Candide By Voltaire Hardcover 7382125 $4.04
Candide: Penguin Classic Edition Fully (Annotated) Paperback 345962 $9.99 $9.68 2021
Candide Paperback 12838642 $4.75
Candide (MANUSCRIT): (Le manuscrit original de Voltaire - Illustrations : Moreau Le Jeune) (2015) Hardcover 1605279 $133.85 $140.49 2015
Candide Paperback 563980 $8.99 2008
Candide (1000 Copy Limited Edition) Hardcover 1264906 $39.30 $52.47 2019
Candide Kindle Edition 125475 2019
Candide (Chump Change Edition) Hardcover 800320 $8.99 $7.50 2017
Candide (Recorded Books Unabridged Classics) Audio CD 2563754 $3.50 $0.99
Candide Mass Market Paperback 4202744 $14.97 $0.01
Candide (Wisehouse Classics Edition): With Illustrations by Jean-Michel Moreau Paperback 807932 $6.06 2020
Candide: Large Print Paperback 824769 $8.99 2020
Candide (Third Edition) (Norton Critical Editions) Paperback 320804 $23.49 2016
Candide (Deluxe Library Edition) (Annotated) Hardcover 1205635 $29.95 $46.55 2020
Candide Paperback 21048 $6.75 2019
Candide, Ou L'optimisme (French Edition) Hardcover 2640767 $24.95 2018
Candide and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback 212918 $45.26 $3.66 2006
Candide Paperback 285422 $6.00 $1.48 2013
Candide (Dover Thrift Editions) Paperback 22765 $2.50 $0.01 2016
Candide and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback 267322 $4.33 $1.99 2008
Candide (A Norton Critical Edition) Paperback 112146 $7.87 $0.01 1991
Candide (Illustrated) Kindle Edition 52716 $0.99 2013
Candide, Zadig, and Selected Stories (Signet Classics) Mass Market Paperback 1170940 $8.00 $0.01 2001
Candide: Or Optimism (Penguin Classics) Paperback 17073 $3.52 $0.01 1950
Candide Kindle Edition 188101 $1.99 2003
Voltaire : Candide (Annotated) Kindle Edition 342290 $3.99 2022
Candide, ou, L'optimisme .ANNOTATED (French Edition) Kindle Edition 513816 $3.99 2022
Candide: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Language Guides French) Paperback 261019 $10.26 $1.44 1993
Candide (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Paperback 39398 $1.29 $0.01 2003
Voltaire's Candide Paperback 567744 $10.00 2019
The Voltaire Anthology: Candide, Zadig and Seventeen Plays Hardcover 870689 $34.99 $51.82 2018
Candide: Candide: Bilingual Edition (English - French) Paperback 419997 $9.90 2015
Candide, Ou L'Optimisme (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 18971111 $1.67 2008
Candide: Tobias Smollett’s Original 1759 English Translation of Voltaire’s Classic Satiric Novel, Candide! [Annotated] Paperback 653647 $9.99 2022
Micromégas, Zadig, Candide N.É. (French Edition) Mass Market Paperback 873200 $6.14 $3.21 2015
Candide Paperback 1161883 $6.83 $2.52 2013
Candide Voltaire (Larousse) (French Edition) Pocket Book 585017 $4.65 $2.42 2011
Candide and Related Texts Paperback 109140 $10.00 $2.50 2000
Candide: Or Optimism Paperback 686799 $12.95 2010
Candide Paperback 701354 $4.09 2016
Candide, ou l'Optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 877197 $3.99 2017
Candide: Zadig and Selected Stories Mass Market Paperback 338768 $4.52 $1.33 2009
Candide: Bilingual Edition: English-French (English and French Edition) Paperback 628975 $13.65 $13.59 2013
Candide, ou l'optimisme (French Edition) Paperback 2942393 $5.29 $6.20 2014
Candide: Or Optimism (Penguin Drop Caps) Hardcover 852812 $17.20 $18.88 2014
Candide: The Original Unabridged And Complete Edition (Voltaire Classics) Kindle Edition 7558 $0.00 2023
Candide: Or Optimism (Penguin Classics) Paperback 107118 $7.49 $1.68 2009