"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him." (Votaire)

"I do not agree with what you are saying, but I fight for the death in your right to say it." (Voltaire)

Without knowing why, I like Voltaire. I want to learn more of him. I even have seven plays of his, which are so narrowly distributed. Apart from anything he wrote, the man himself was to all ends a jumping soul. He knew how to stir things up. He knew how to seduce or how to aggravate. Yes, Voltaire had a sense of humour. But his social criticisms were important enough to land him in trouble. His twelve month stay at the Bastille was no comfort, though unlike other prisoners he had priviledges of everyday visitors.

On to Candide and Zadig. I never much liked Candide: it was too unbelievable and too episodic. Here, Voltaire shows that all is NOT for the best in 'the best of all the possible worlds.' The philosopher Leibnz, who held that our world is fine, is wrong says Voltaire. So, then, in the book he shows all the misfortune he can muster. But I came to see that Leibniz had meant, simply, that our world has possibility, growth, apparent free will, and a search-for-God. Even though things go wrong, this world is better than one of 'automatic goodness." T. S. Eliot urged the same thing to the behaviourist B. F. Skinner. Surely, then, the world is not so bad. The conditions, yes, but the gift of fighting for a greater good is of itself a greator good. Voltaire seems to have forgotten this, I think. And yet, he did not hate the world. He sneered to his France, but he lived in England for a year or two, where he praised English culture. Imagine a Frenchmen, of noteriety even, praising England, especially in that time! Voltaire had courage and is thus a kind of hero.

But Zadig I like: it had a gentle humour which can be read to small boys. It deals with morality, like the allegory of Adam and Eve do.Another story, called I think 'the Child of Nature' is as well smoothly written. It describes the development of a young man who discovers Christianity on the one hand, and Christendom on the other!

Voltaire has a touch of a poet in him. He can dress up language in clever little ways. One can tell, instantly, that he writes fast and wants to entertain. Some will say this wit not even Shakespeare had (at least not in person anyway).

His technique is satire: he likes to make fun of his enemy via mockery. He does not simply tell us freedom is the way, he goes on and on in bringing home the message that the men in power are laughable idiots.

Voltaire himself was a kind of showboat, with flashes of conceit I suspect. But I would have liked to have met the man. He seems to have known how to live fully.

I hope I have helped.

Although, perhaps, it wasn't ment to be, Volatire's work is uplifting. Sometimes a man faces something that enraged him to such a depth, he either has to cry or laugh about it. Its good to be able to laugh about injustice, betrayal, and every other inborn, basic flaw of the pompous human race we all have the pleasure to be part of. This is one of the best satires I've ever read.

Candide is one of my most favorite philosophical works because of the humor, honesty, and original perspective that Voltaire brings to this story. This translation is recommended because it also contains many other excellent works from Voltaire, such as Zadig and Micromegas. The translator's notes are very helpful, and in many cases shed light upon Voltaire's intended meaning when the English is not able to convey everything.