Melissa
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
This proves to be an extraordinary satire, for those of us who are willing to go beyond what lies just on the surface of this novel. Voltaire, being a philosopher himself, knows not only how to make people feel but how to to make them think. This is not meant to be taken literally at all : it is meant to convey an opinion; a view of life; a brutal rebuke of other philosophies of Voltaire's time. Yes, I do understand that Candide's journeys are unbelieveable are never failed to be far-fetched. But it's all for a reason. Voltaire's aim with this work was not to be merely entertaining or necessarily a "good read", he was a philosopher, after all, not an author. I admit that this can be hard to read for those of us who are optimists, but it's good to see the other side of things. Think about "Candide" not so much as a story, but as a philosophy. Can you truly deny, after reading this, that your opinions were attacked, that you THOUGHT about what Voltaire was trying to say in the course of the story?? <br><br>Not everything you'll ever read is truly well-written. Or is it? What is "well-written?" I admit the plot of "Candide" is not the best; I've read better, don't get me wrong. But it IS well-written in the fact that readers take away more than just a good story. They gain opinions, views, and it's something that truly makes you think about life. The problem with so many people nowdays is that they don't ever get beyond the surface of works such as this, that can change you forever.