"Candide" by Voltaire

I had never read anything by Voltaire. I knew very little about him, other than that he was an accomplished and famous french author. "Candide" was recommended to me by a friend, in part, for the everyman character played by Candide. The book follows our protagonist through the most outstanding adventures. Starting with the protagonist being banished from his home because he is in love with a girl in a higher caste than his own, through his trial, tribulations, reunions, blessings and near death experiences we gain insight into the soft-minded characters philosophical evolution. It seems that each new chapter either confirms, contests or disproves his prior philosophical bent or he adopts a new one from a chance interaction with a stranger. In truth, I found myself becoming angry with Candide as his unsubstantial nature was tossed to whichever direction the wind seemed to blow at any given time. Nonetheless, through it all, Candide holds strong to his eternal Optimism, which is an alternative title for this piece 'Candide, ou l'Optimisme'. Through the ups and downs of this simpleton's years we are taken on a far-fetched but entirely appreciated trip to many well known locales, some real, some fictional, in the world of his time. Voltaire writes in a manner fairly normal for his era. The characters, their motivations and outlook all reflect a time long past. That said, this book is still a fantastic read and I hope i will find more Voltaire to enjoy. Perhaps a more philosophically based piece next time.