Candide is Voltaire's razor-sharp philosophical satire that follows the naive young man Candide as he travels the world, enduring war, betrayal, natural disasters, and heartbreak — all while clinging to his mentor Pangloss's absurd claim that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." Through Candide's misadventures, Voltaire mercilessly mocks blind optimism, organized religion, and the cruelty of human institutions.
Packed with irony, wit, and fast-paced action, Candide remains one of the most influential works of the Enlightenment. Beneath its humor lies a serious call for reason, practical action, and compassion — a reminder that cultivating one's own garden may be the truest form of wisdom.