Episode 534 - Candide - Part 1

Late commenter here, just catching up with my backlog of episodes - highly serendipitous as I was just looking at a photograph I took of Voltaire's resting place from a trip to Paris a few years ago. I find the 'Chapter Title that acts as a kind of punchline to the previous line' motif really interesting, because that's a very specific storytelling beat that is used to good effect in comedy (I'm thinking very specifically about the title sequences in episodes of Always Sunny...). I wonder if the origins of that lie with Voltaire or if it was something he picked up from other writers at the time? Great coverage as always, chaps.

Penguin Island sounds way more fun than the other bird based philosophical novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Great job on the crossover with BBC's In Our Time, I don't know how you managed that. (Maybe Spielberg helped?) This week's episode is about Emilie du Châtelet, and Voltaire features heavily: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000rvnj

Cunégonde is indeed a female genitalia pun, as in cunny, the archaic English word, and "con" in modern French. Something my brother's mother in law shouted at the local mayor in France when he prevented their wedding because he wasn't happy with the paperwork - outside the town hall just before the ceremony! Helpful my mum translated this for my wife - the only time I've heard my mum use that word. French diction is far less accented than English. So catastrophe in French sounds very flat to an English ear Cat-Ass-Troff. And the same with Cunégonde = Coo-Nay-Gond.

Steve

I thought Voltaire was an anagram of Arouet Le Jeune, as in AROVET LI using Roman letters.

Steve

So is this the resurrection of “Chris & Chad Go Back to School”? In any case, this was awesome! You make Candice and Voltaire fascinating, and I can’t believe you even tied it back to Lovecraft! 😂👍

Jason Thompson

Candide not Candidn't!

Steve

James Branch Cabell could be on the list. I'd love to read the full Jurgen but so far have only seen four of the 18 books.

Steve

It has been decades since I read this book, thank you for the reintroduction. Listening to.it now, though, it reminds me of a book called Penguin Island (I believe that was the name) that I came across on Librivox back in the day. A similar social commentary/satire set on an island of anthropomorphic penguins. If you have a chance to check it out, you may find it entertaining.

Psuke Bariah

Why does Voltaire sound like the type of person that when you accuse them of being a 'smart ass' they immediately retort "Better than a dumb-ass!", then tip their hat, wiggle their nose and levitate jauntily into the sky like Peter Pan .... ?

Murder She Rothenberger (Wrote In Burger)

Wow, I love Candide. I never expected such a text on your podcast, but I am interested to see the results.

This may be the second time I pick something up and read it because of you guys; I'm loving Voltaire and this wacky story so far (a little Barry Lyndon-esque?). Your episodes break down this way for me (and maybe lots of others?): 1) Things I've read, but love hearing you talk about anyway 2) Things I haven't read, but am inspired to (last time was Dracula. I actually got a Middle School book club of mine to read along with me. haha) and 3) Things I'll never read and don't remember now, but that are still hilarious and entertaining because you guys are just loveable. Hoping Candide runs into the 2000 year old man next week.

Here in Ireland we have the Lisbon earthquake to thank for the lovely beaches on our south west coast. I'm sure there's some philosophical lesson in that.

Lord Rancid

"Candide" is an excellent choice for the podcast, and a great transition from your coverage of stories by Clark Ashton Smith last month. Perhaps the takeaway here is that Smith's Averoigne is in fact the best of all possible worlds?

Jeff

Such a pleasure to hear you gents taking such pleasure in this!

Thanks for doing this. This is one of the first "Great Books" that I stopped just a few chapters in and exclaimed, "wait a minute, this 'Great Book' is actually great!"

Jimmy Mac

Like both you guys were, I am in college as I am reading Candide for the first time and only read it because you were going to cover it. I thought it would be kind of boring and only picked it up because my local bookstore had a copy for $3. I was incredibly wrong, the book was pretty damn funny and enjoyable. Thanks for getting me to read it.

James Branch Cabell wrote in The Silver Stallion, “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true.”

Ben Gilbert

Ooooooo I’m excited for this one. You’ve legitimately made me excited to go do frontline wage labor. Congrats gents, you’re wizards.

Evan

I thought everyone knew of Voltaire from an obscure Duran Duran sing that only big time fan girls listened to.