Candide and Zadig cover art

Candide and Zadig

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Candide and Zadig

By: Voltaire
Narrated by: Clive Chafer
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

These two classic coming-of-age stories by Voltaire parody the romanticism of his day with the ruthless wit that has made him the undisputed master of social commentary.

Candide, which is alternately titled Optimism, is a merciless satire and exposé of the ideas and institutions men live by. In this philosophical fantasy, the naïve Candide comes to witness and to suffer such misfortune that he rejects the philosophy of his tutor, Dr. Pangloss, who claims that “all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.”

Zadig is the story of another optimist—young, rich, beautiful, and engaged to a woman he loves. When his early hopes and assets are destroyed, he embarks on a journey that will systematically explore science, religion, and the military, contributing to each, betrayed by all. Through these trials, he will eventually win the kingdom of Babylon.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Classics Fiction Literary Fiction Short Stories Witty
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“A masterful satire on the follies and vices of men.” (Masterpieces of World Literature on Candide)

What listeners say about Candide and Zadig

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ddd adduce and Zadie

Really really interesting funny and very rested to Sherlock Holmes . I hate you are word counting and making me Review

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth a Listen

Written in yee oldie English I am not denying it was hard going but I am glad I took the trouble to listen to some of Voltaire’s work.
Unlike some of the reviews I did get used to Clive Chafer’s narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Cannot listen due to the reader

I had to abandon this book due to the reader. He reads wuth the monotony and pace af a gattling gun. There is a much better version. This one, for me, is torture.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Narrator Saps the Joy

What disappointed you about Candide and Zadig?

The narrator saps the joy from the piece, making it unlistenable to

What did you like best about this story?

I've been told it's very good and seemed funny

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Clive Chafer?

Interesting question; probably Johnathan Cecil, he'd get the comedy just right

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointingly dull and aged yarn.

I expected more from Voltaire.
what we have is an overly drawn out, somewhat ludicrous, medieval farce, satiring Leibniz' Theodicy of "The best possible world".

Not helped by a dreadfully dreary and robotic narration.

"Ivanhoe" for philosophers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

poor performance

The performance resulted in me stopping early. review needed fifteen words so here they are

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!