One of Voltaire's earliest tales, Zadig is set in the exotic East and is told in the comic spirit of Candide; L'Ingenu, written after Candide, is a darker tale in which an American Indian records his impressions of France
Zadig and L'Ingénu (Classics)
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About the Author
François-Marie Arouet, writing under the pseudonym Voltaire, was born in 1694 into a Parisian bourgeois family. Educated by Jesuits, he was an excellent pupil but one quickly enraged by dogma. An early rift with his father--who wished him to study law--led to his choice of letters as a career. Insinuating himself into court circles, he became notorious for lampoons on leading notables and was twice imprisoned in the Bastille. By his mid-thirties his literary activities precipitated a four-year exile in England where he won the praise of Swift and Pope for his political tracts. His publication, three years later in France, of Lettres philosophiques sur les Anglais (1733)--an attack on French Church and State--forced him to flee again. For twenty years Voltaire lived chiefly away from Paris. In this, his most prolific period, he wrote such satirical tales as "Zadig" (1747) and "Candide" (1759). His old age at Ferney, outside Geneva, was made bright by his adopted daughter, "Belle et Bonne," and marked by his intercessions in behalf of victims of political injustice. Sharp-witted and lean in his white wig, impatient with all appropriate rituals, he died in Paris in 1778--the foremost French author of his day.
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There lived at Babylon in the time of King Moabdar a young man called Zadig, whose amiable character had been improved by a good education. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
There lived at Babylon in the time of King Moabdar a young man called Zadig, whose amiable character had been improved by a good education. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Inquisio
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Written by a master back in the mid 1700's. Voltaire, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, regales us with two tales here, the first 'ZADIG', a lively tale of love, lost love, fantasy, imprisonment, rediscovery and, loss again. This was years before The Count of Monte Cristo, but, the parallels can be read here.
The second tale 'L'Ingenu', is different, still rather moralistic, but very interesting. It features religious conviction, nature, a Huron Indian and the French. A bizarre mix for any story. Neither tale is like Aesops fables in moral stance, but an enjoyable read which leaves you thinking, which isn't bad for these days...
The second tale 'L'Ingenu', is different, still rather moralistic, but very interesting. It features religious conviction, nature, a Huron Indian and the French. A bizarre mix for any story. Neither tale is like Aesops fables in moral stance, but an enjoyable read which leaves you thinking, which isn't bad for these days...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.8 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Zadig:
13 April 2000
By "exon"
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Voltaire chooses an oriental tale as setting for an analysis of human traits and the influence of good and evil on human destiny. The essentialy good Zadig suffers setback after setback on his quest to reunite with his true love and after having almost lost all hope of finding happiness he suceeds in overcoming the evil and jealous medlings of the people around him and is able to lead a content and prosperous life. In essence the story shows how human destiny is undisputable and that the road to a fullfilled life is long and hard. "Zadig" is a nice example of 18th century French Enlightment, questioning old traditions and social structures in combination with showing new views on humanity and ideals.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hello Voltaire. Hello old friend
15 Oct 2009
By D. Roberts
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
These are two of Voltaire's more beloved short stories. Those who have read his more the more famous Candide (Dover Thrift Editions) will find many of the same traits in these stories; an efervescent cynicism, characters constantly caught in notorious Catch-22 scenarios, love stories gone awry and (most importantly) Voltaire's timeless wit.
Zadig takes place in the middle east. The title character is a well-meaning chap (in many ways he is much like Candide himself). He encounters a great many perilous situations which make his demeanor more and more melancholy. In a sort of Deus ex machina (which I'm sure was a deliberate satire in & of itself on Voltaire's behalf) he experiences a reversal-of-fortune. Voltaire singles out those who believe in astrology / fate / divine plans in gently revealing how silly those belief systems are.
L'Ingenu is an interesting story about a Huron Indian who ends up (in of all places!) France. The Huron has learned to speak French, but he struggles mightily in trying to understand French customs as well as the way the French think. L'Ingenu is called the "child of nature" as he is so oblivious to the supposed "superior" and more civilized French. Voltaire subtly points out the flaws of French society by juxtaposing the Huron who ends up being unjustly jailed by an oppressive and unjust government.
For fans of the French Enlightenment, reading Voltaire is a must. And, for that matter, most Americans SHOULD be fans of Enlightenment thinking as it helped to inspire the American revolution which threw off the yoke of British oppression. The seeds of those revolutionary ideas can be found in the writings of Voltaire. That alone should compel you to read his works (I hope?). One is bound to find Voltaire to be like a historical old friend to us all.
Zadig takes place in the middle east. The title character is a well-meaning chap (in many ways he is much like Candide himself). He encounters a great many perilous situations which make his demeanor more and more melancholy. In a sort of Deus ex machina (which I'm sure was a deliberate satire in & of itself on Voltaire's behalf) he experiences a reversal-of-fortune. Voltaire singles out those who believe in astrology / fate / divine plans in gently revealing how silly those belief systems are.
L'Ingenu is an interesting story about a Huron Indian who ends up (in of all places!) France. The Huron has learned to speak French, but he struggles mightily in trying to understand French customs as well as the way the French think. L'Ingenu is called the "child of nature" as he is so oblivious to the supposed "superior" and more civilized French. Voltaire subtly points out the flaws of French society by juxtaposing the Huron who ends up being unjustly jailed by an oppressive and unjust government.
For fans of the French Enlightenment, reading Voltaire is a must. And, for that matter, most Americans SHOULD be fans of Enlightenment thinking as it helped to inspire the American revolution which threw off the yoke of British oppression. The seeds of those revolutionary ideas can be found in the writings of Voltaire. That alone should compel you to read his works (I hope?). One is bound to find Voltaire to be like a historical old friend to us all.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
What's happening to Penguin Classics!?!
15 Jun 2012
By Fb Negem Jr.
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
After writing a review of the Penguin Inferno by Dante and saying it was the worst translation I've ever read of any work; now this. The Penguin crew can't even spell the author's name correctly! In the "Biographhical Note," instead of François-Marie Arouet (the correct masculine spelling of Voltaire's name), there is printed Françoise-Marie Arouet (with the feminine Françoise). Unbelievably sloppy "scholarship." Also, they didn't even bother to include footnotes in the text. Correction: No scholarship.
It's a good thing that this isn't a dual edition French/English text. We would probably see the plethora of mistakes that occur in the Penguin Inferno. Pitiful. Fred Negem
It's a good thing that this isn't a dual edition French/English text. We would probably see the plethora of mistakes that occur in the Penguin Inferno. Pitiful. Fred Negem
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2.8 out of 5 stars
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