Candide, ou l'optimisme

"Candide, ou l'optimisme" by Voltaire is a satirical novel written in the mid-18th century. The book follows the misadventures of Candide, a young man raised in a sheltered and privileged environment, as he is expelled from his idyllic life and embarks on a tumultuous journey filled with suffering, absurdity, and a critique of optimistic philosophy. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Candide, who lives a sheltered life in the castle of Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh, in Westphalia. He is educated by Pangloss, a philosopher who teaches that everything is for the best in this "best of all possible worlds." This naive belief is shattered when Candide experiences a series of misfortunes—being expelled from the castle after a romantic encounter with Cunégonde, fleeing to the town of Waldberghoff-trarbk-dikdorff, and ultimately being conscripted into the Bulgarian army. These events set the stage for Candide’s exploration of the harsh realities of life, questioning the optimistic outlook instilled in him by Pangloss. (This is an automatically generated summary.)