Candide, or Optimism Audiobook By Francois Voltaire, Michael Wood, Theo Cuffe cover art

Candide, or Optimism

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Candide, or Optimism

By: Francois Voltaire, Michael Wood, Theo Cuffe
Narrated by: Ben Lloyd Hughes
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Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Ben Lloyd-Hughes, best known for Divergent, Me Before You and The Inbetweeners. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Michael Wood.

Brought up in the household of a powerful baron, Candide is an open-minded young man whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that 'all is for the best'. But when his love for the baron's rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own way in the world. And so he and his various companions begin a breathless tour of Europe, South America and Asia, as an outrageous series of disasters befall them - earthquakes, syphilis, a brush with the Inquisition, murder - sorely testing the young hero's optimism.

Public Domain (P)2021 Penguin Audio Classics Philosophy Funny Witty
Brilliant Satire • Relevant Commentary • Excellent Character Voices • Classic Literature • Philosophical Insights

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Despite being very dark indeed, this is surprisingly fun and readable. Definitely the first I've binge read a work of classic fiction, much less philosophy!

Incredibly modern satire

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Had me laughing and the guys impressions are really funny. They story was a bit dramatic and pretty short

Its funny lowkey

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Amazing and amuzing reading. As for the plot, it shows a great lot of human nature, beliefs and behaviour.
I’m giving it 5 stars, because I couldn’t stop listening to it.

AMAZING!!!

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I read Candide in French many years ago and looked forward to this reading to remind myself of Voltaire's classic and hear Ben Lloyd-Hughes read it. He is very talented and, after seeing him in several captivating performances, I thought his expressive voice would "act" out this classic in an engaging way. I anticipated his reading would be excellent, but was drawn into it beyond what I expected. I hope Mr. Lloyd-Hughes will be persuaded to read other classics so I can brush up on my literature background in an entertaining way!

Ben Lloyd-Hughes Brings Candide to Life

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It’s a superb satire and funny due to its big ideas. It isn’t dated - testament to its author. Having listened to numerous versions, this narrator stands out for his excellence. Just brilliantly told. Even the accents have just the right amount of satire.

Super narration of a superb and still funny tale

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