Candide and Zadig
- Author Voltaire Voltaire
- Narrator Clive Chafer
- Publisher Craig Black
- Publish Date 10 May 2011
- Run Time 6 hours and 25 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Classic fiction.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £8.99
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
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 expos├® of the ideas and institutions men live by. In this philosophical fantasy, the na├»ve 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.
Critics Review
“This most popular of Voltaire’s works is a masterful satire on the follies and vices of men, particularly the belief embodied by Pangloss that ‘all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.’ The author, through the outrageous misadventures of his hero, disproves this theory utterly, taking to task all of man’s most prized institutions: science, philosophy, religion, government, and romance.”
“The wittiest and best-loved book of a genius who is still unequaled in his ability to spin art out of philosophy…Candide is considered one of the most important texts of the enlightenment.”
| Author | Voltaire Voltaire |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Clive Chafer |
| Duration | 6 hours and 25 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9781481554855 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Craig Black |
| Genre | Classic fiction |
| Availability | AU, GB, IE, US |
More from the same
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.