voltaire

Each volume provides discussions of the literary and historical background of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes concise synopses of plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism.

Bibliography: p. 179-186. An introduction to selected Voltaire works.

Provides in-depth analysis of the life, works, career, and critical importance of Voltaire.

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Candide, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author.

The classical satire that traces the misadventures of Candide who is shipwrecked, robbed, tortured, and separated from his love without losing his will to live a happy life.

Presents the eighteenth-century social satire of a gentle and kind man who is thrashed by fate and his fellow man yet continues to believe that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." Includes background information, explanatory notes, author chronology, and critical analysis.

The story of a simple, optimistic man whose travels take him from one disaster to another.

The young man Candide is expelled from the castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh for making love to the Baron's daughter and embarks on a series of adventures.