{"product_id":"candide-and-lingzsnu-9781454959632","title":"Candide and l'Ingénu","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCandide\u003c\/i\u003e is 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. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that -- contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss -- all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, \u003ci\u003eCandide\u003c\/i\u003e has become Voltaire's most celebrated work. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This edition also includes Voltaire's satirical novella, \u003ci\u003eL'Ingenue\u003c\/i\u003e, which tells the story of a Frenchman named \"Child of Nature\" who had been raised by Hurons and who has returned to his fatherland, in the French province of Brittany. Once there, he gets a glimpse of the corruption of the realm and befalls victim of it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVoltaire\u003c\/b\u003e (1694-1778), born François-Marie Arouet, launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which he adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote \u003ci\u003eLettres philosophiques\u003c\/i\u003e, which galvanized French reform and satirized the religious teachings of René Descartes and Blaise Pascal. After his release, he purchased a chateau in Geneva, where he wrote \u003ci\u003eCandide\u003c\/i\u003e, among other works. To avoid Calvinist persecution, he moved across the border to Ferney, France, where he lived as a wealthy man for 18 years until his death.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Union Square \u0026 Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51359022612754,"sku":"9781454959632","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_98c3dc50-9843-43ad-a724-cf3acedb10b5.jpg?v=1749576496","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/candide-and-lingzsnu-9781454959632","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}