Candide is the most famous of Voltaire's "philosophical tales," in which he combined witty improbabilities with the sanest of good sense. First published in 1759, it was an instant bestseller and has come to be regarded as one of the key texts of the Enlightenment. What Candide does for chivalric romance, the other tales in this selection--Micromegas, Zadig, The Ingenu, and The White Bull--do for science fiction, the Oriental tale, the sentimental novel, and the Old Testament. The most extensive one-volume selection currently available, this new edition includes a new verse translation of the story Voltaire based on Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale: What Pleases the Ladies. Opening with a revised introduction that reflects recent critical debates and including a new section on Voltaire's verse, this edition also features updated translations, revised notes, and an updated bibliography.
Author(s): Voltaire
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 352
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 8
Translator’s Note and Acknowledgements......Page 45
Select Bibliography......Page 46
A Chronology of Voltaire......Page 49
CANDIDE......Page 54
MICROMEGAS......Page 140
ZADIG......Page 158
WHAT PLEASES THE LADIES......Page 229
THE INGENU......Page 241
THE WHITE BULL......Page 305
Explanatory Notes......Page 338
