Ever since 1759, when Voltaire wrote "Candide" in ridicule of the notion that this is the best of all

possible worlds, this world has been a gayer place for readers. Voltaire wrote it in three days, and five
or six generations have found that its laughter does not grow old."Candide" has not aged. Yet how
different the book would have looked if Voltaire had written it a hundred and fifty years later than 1759.
It wouldhave been, among other things, a book of sights and sounds. A modern writer would have tried
to catch and fix in words some of those Atlanticchanges which broke the Atlantic monotony of that
voyage from Cadiz to Buenos Ayres. When Martin and Candide were sailing the length of
theMediterranean we should have had a contrast between naked scarped Balearic cliffs and headlands
of Calabria in their mists. We should have hadquarter distances, far horizons, the altering silhouettes
of an Ionian island. Colored birds would have filled Paraguay with their silver or acid cries.Dr. Pangloss,
to prove the existence of design in the universe, says that noses were made to carry spectacles, and so
we have spectacles. Amodern satirist would not try to paint with Voltaire's quick brush the doctrine that
he wanted to expose. And he would choose a more complicateddoctrine than Dr. Pangloss's optimism,
would study it more closely, feel his destructive way about it with a more learned and caressing malice.
Hisattack, stealthier, more flexible and more patient than Voltaire's, would call upon us, especially when
his learning got a little out of control, to bemore than patient. Now and then he would bore us.
"Candide" never bored anybody except William Wordsworth.Voltaire's men and women point his case
against optimism by starting high and falling low. A modern could not go about it after this fashion.
Hewould not plunge his people into an unfamiliar misery. He would just keep them in the misery they
were born to.But such an account of Voltaire's procedure is as misleading as the plaster cast of a dance.
Look at his procedure again. MademoiselleCungonde, the illustrious Westphalian, sprung from a family
that could prove seventy-one quarterings, descends and descends until we find her earning her keep by
washing dishes in the Propontis. The aged faithful attendant, victim of a hundred acts of rape by negro
pirates, remembers thatshe is the daughter of a pope, and that in honor of her approaching marriage
with a Prince of Massa-Carrara all Italy wrote sonnets of which not onewas passable. We do not need to
know French literature before Voltaire in order to feel, although the lurking parody may escape us, that
he ispoking fun at us and at himself. His laughter at his own methods grows more unmistakable at the
last, when he caricatures them by casuallyassembling six fallen monarchs in an inn at Venice. A modern
assailant of optimism would arm himself with social pity. There is no social pity in "Candide." Voltaire,
whose light touch on familiar institutions opens them and reveals their absurdity, likes to remind us that
the slaughter and pillage and murder which Candide witnessed amongthe Bulgarians was perfectly
regular, having been conducted according to the laws and usages of war. Had Voltaire lived to-day he
would havedone to poverty what he did to war. Pitying the poor, he would have shown us poverty as a
ridiculous anachronism, and both the ridicule and the pitywould have expressed his
indignation. Almost any modern, essaying a philosophic tale, would make it long. "Candide" is only a
"Hamlet" and a half long. It would hardly have been shorter if Voltaire had spent three months on it,
instead of those three days. A conciseness to be matched in English by nobody except Pope, who can
saya plagiarizing enemy "steals much, spends little, and has nothing left," a conciseness which Pope
toiled and sweated for, came as easy as wit toVoltaire. He can afford to be witty, parenthetically, by the
way, prodigally, without saving, because he knows there is more wit where that came from.One of Max
Beerbohm's cartoons shows us the young Twentieth Century going at top speed, and watched by two of
his predecessors. Underneathis this legend: "The Grave Misgivings of the Nineteenth Century, and the
Wicked Amusement of the Eighteenth, in Watching the Progress (or whatever it is) of the Twentieth."
This Eighteenth Century snuff-taking and malicious, is like Voltaire, who nevertheless must know, if he
happens tothink of it, that not yet in the Twentieth Century, not for all its speed mania, has any one
come near to equalling the speed of a prose tale by Voltaire."Candide" is a full book. It is filled with
mockery, with inventiveness, with things as concrete as things to eat and coins, it has time for the
neatestintellectual clickings, it is never hurried, and it moves with the most amazing rapidity. It has the
rapidity of high spirits playing a game. The dry highspirits of this destroyer of optimism make most
optimists look damp and depressed. Contemplation of the stupidity which deems happinesspossible
almost made Voltaire happy. His attack on optimism is one of the gayest books in the world. Gaiety has
been scattered everywhere upand down its pages by Voltaire's lavish hand, by his thin fingers.Many
propagandist satirical books have been written with "Candide" in mind, but not too many. To-day,
especially, when new faiths are changingthe structure of the world, faiths which are still plastic enough
to be deformed by every disciple, each disciple for himself, and which have not yetreceived the final
deformation known as universal acceptance, to-day "Candide" is an inspiration to every narrative satirist
who hates one of thesenew faiths, or hates every interpretation of it but his own. Either hatred will
serve as a motive to satire.That is why the present is one of the right moments to republish "Candide." I
hope it will inspire younger men and women, the only ones who can beinspired, to have a try at
Theodore, or Militarism; Jane, or Pacifism; at So-and-So, the Pragmatist or the Freudian. And I hope, too,
that they willwithout trying hold their pens with an eighteenth century lightness, not inappropriate to a
philosophic tale. In Voltaire's fingers, as Anatole Francehas said, the pen runs and laughs


he Project Gutenberg EBook of Candide, by VoltaireThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no
cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under
the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.orgTitle: CandideAuthor: VoltaireCommentator: Philip LittellRelease Date: November
27, 2006 [EBook #19942]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CANDIDE
***Produced by Chuck Greif, Fox in the Stars and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team
at http://www.pgdp.net
Transcriber's Note:
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected in this text. For a complete list, please seethe bottom
of this document.
THE MODERN LIBRARY
OF THE WORLD'S BEST BOOKS
CANDIDE BY VOLTAIRE
The Publishers will be glad to mail complete list of titles in the Modern Library. The list is representative
of the Great Modernsand is one of the most important contributions to publishing that has been made
for many years. Every reader of books willfind titles he needs at a low price in an attractive form.
CANDIDE 17:51

Candide a fost influenat de mai multe dezastre de la jumtatea veacului
XVIII, n special de cutremurul din Lisabona, izbucnirea ngrozitorului Rzboi
de apte Ani din statele germane i nedreapta execuie a amiralului englez
John Byng. Aceast poveste filozofic, adesea considerat ca definitorie pentru
Iluminism, este, n acelai timp, o critic a optimismului iluminist, ndreptat
mpotriva principiului raiunii suficiente al lui Leibniz, potrivit cruia oricare
lucru se ntmpl cu un motiv. Consecina acestui principiu este credina c
lumea real este cea mai bun dintre lumile posibile. La nceputul romanului,
eroul eponim, tnrul Candide, colit n filozofia optimist de tutorele su,
Pangloss, este dat afar din magnificul castel n care a copilrit. Restul
romanului detaliaz greutile i dezastrele ntlnite de Candide i nsoitorii
si n cltoriile lor. Printre acestea, rzboaie, violuri, hoii, execuii prin
spnzurare, naufragii, cutremure, canibalism i sclavie. Pe msur ce aceste
experiene erodeaz treptat optimismul lui Candide, romanul ironizeaz
necrutor tiina, filozofia, religia, sistemul guvernamental i literatura.
Satir caustic i comic a relelor epocii, Candide conine reflecii la fel de
actuale i astzi.

Its apparent in Candide that Newtons influence had permeated to hisVoltaires very core. He
challenged the theory of Leibniz, which stated that we lived in the bestof all possible worlds.
In the satire, he retold the story of the protagonist Candide who had a
mind filled with naivety. With his unruly understanding of the world, Candide is
entangled inconvoluted situations to which he would always hold an optimistic view. It satirizes
the French
peoples lack of political knowledge as they would blindly follow the government thinking it
wasthe best

of all possible governments (Black).
Through all the troubles and follies, Voltairerenounced the extravagant beginnings he was
accustomed to and favored a more modestlifestyle, one that consisted of being an observer as
opposed to a full participant to the corruption
Burrow, J. W. A History of Histories: Epics, Chronicles, Romances and Inquiries from Herodotus and
Thucydides to the Twentieth Century
. New York: A.A. Knopf, 2008.Print
18:13


Studies on Voltaire and the eighteenth century- edited by Theodore Besterman, volume CXX
The Voltaire Foundation , Thorpe Mandevile House, Banbury, Oxfordshire, 1974

The world was a tumultuous place in the 1700's. Wars were fought, corruption was rampant, and a
wave of philosophers were beginning to question the social order in a barrage of thought which we
now know as the Enlightenment. Most men, while picking out their own convictions from
the torrentof ideas swirling about in such a world, might have quietly reflected and been satisfied. In
this way, Voltaire was extraordinary: he made his own convictions, and then laid them out for the
whole world to evaluate in what would become, arguably, the finest satires of all time. One of the
most poignant of these is Candide, the sharply witty story of a nave young man whose
misadventures lead him from a dull life of study to one of adventure, misery, and evanescent fortune.
Rejecting both the high-minded doctrines of the Enlightenment movement, and the stagnant
opinions of traditional society, Voltaire's ideas represented a unique and volatile hybrid, which
garnered him generous praise and plenty of time in exile. Voltaire uses Candide as a chronicle of his
personal criticisms of philosophy, religion, and even the Enlightenment movement.
One of Voltaire's premier criticisms in Candide is quite in alignment with Enlightenment teachings:
the belief that the church has become irrevocably corrupt and hypocritical and is in need of reform is
a central theme of the novel. As Candide and his companions travel to a place called Cadiz, they come
upon an assembling military fleet, and the narrator provides this reason for the congregation: "A
fleet was there getting ready, and troops assembling to knock some sense into the reverend Jesuit
Fathers of Paraguay, accused of having made one of the native tribes in the neighborhood of San
Sacrament revolt against the Kings of Spain and Portugal" (23). The common association of priests
with peace and purity is blown apart by the notion that they may also be the driving forces behind
secular disputes. Though the involvement of the church in political affairs has never exactly been a
secret, to come right out and insinuate that a society's supposed holy men are responsible for its wars
is extremely irreverent. The genius of the way Voltaire brings the reader to this conclusion is his
subtlety. Voltaire doesn't need to viciously bash the church; he simply makes acute and slightly
slanderous observations, and lets the reader calculate what the subsequent situation actually implies.
Further evidence of clerical corruption is throughout the tome, and is especially startling in one
incident when Candide is dealing with his lover Cunegonde's brother, the Baron, a Jesuit Priest.
Candide and the Baron get along very well, but relations between them turn suddenly sour when
Candide mentions that he intends to marry Cunegonde. The Jesuit Baron is so infuriated by this
news that he, "[Strikes Candide] across the face with the flat of his sword" (38). The baron's anger
arises chiefly from the fact that his sister and Candide belong to different social classes, and his
extreme anger seems unusual and ultra-conservative, even in context. The central point of this
exchange is to remove the pious guise behind which most clergy members have the convenience of
hiding, and exposing the baron for what he truly is: a bigoted, uncompromising, class-conscious
man, who, though pious, is unwilling to leave the business of making judgments to god.
Though many of the book's criticisms concern the corruption and hypocrisy of the church, much of
Voltaire's critical black humor also centers on the inherent futility of philosophy. As Candide and his
companion Pangloss are traveling through Lisbon, there is an unfortunate succession of earthquakes
which nearly level the city. The local university-educated philosophers decide on the best way to
prevent such disasters: "It had been decided by the University of Coimbra, that the burning of a few
people alive by a slow fire, and with great ceremony, is an infallible secret to hinder the earth from
quaking" (13). The obvious ineffectuality of such a proclamation aside, the townspeople proceed to
burn, hang, and flog several innocent citizens, Pangloss and Candide included. The obvious value of
such a scenario is not only to question all of society's guiding principles, but also to bring to task
those public officials who we are trusting to create them. Voltaire not only weaves this singular story
of philosophical folly, but he also crafts a parallel situation to further ridicule the school of elevated
thought. As Candide and Pangloss weather the initial brunt of the city's earthquakes, Candide is half-
crushed by a wall of falling stone and nearly killed. Instead of taking action to assist Candide,
Pangloss, whose only real skills are in the area of philosophy, is completely useless. Because of this,
as Candide lay bleeding, Pangloss attempts to engage him in debate, proving himself thoroughly ill-
suited to the substantial requirements of life in the real world:
"Some falling stones had wounded Candide. He lay stretched in the street covered with rubbish.
"Alas!" said he to Pangloss, "get me a little wine and oil; I am dying."
"This concussion of the earth is no new thing," answered Pangloss. "The city of Lima, in America,
experienced the same convulsions last year; the same cause, the same effects; there is certainly a
train of sulphur under ground from Lima to Lisbon."
"Nothing more probable," said Candide; "but for the love of God a little oil and wine."
"How, probable?" replied the philosopher. "I maintain that the point is capable of being
demonstrated" (13).
Though his friend lay incapacitated in the street, Pangloss has no practical skills, and symbolizes the
futility of convoluted philosophical musings. The point, then, is to illustrate that while a man might
spend his entire life becoming a scholar of book knowledge, he might still be thoroughly inept at
dealing with life's realistic, daily hazards. Thus, Voltaire asserts that spending one's life in pursuit of
philosophy is fundamentally fruitless, and that vital, functioning individuals should invest
themselves in more practical pursuits.
Voltaire lambasts the occupation of philosophy, but he also spends many pages ridiculing the foolish
optimism he associates with the Enlightenment. Candide is often cited as one of the premier texts of
the enlightenment era, but in fact many of the convictions conveyed through the text are critical of
the Enlightenment movement, chiefly those expressed through Voltaire's characters. Candide, for
instance, is possessed with an extreme optimism and navet which is subtly articulated through his
actions and words. Though we are to assume he is a grown man, he lacks basic common sense, and is
utterly bereft of any knowledge which would normally be gained from life experience. He's somewhat
slow on the uptake, and believes wholeheartedly whatever he is told. This innocent gullibility and
general dimness is a reflection of Voltaire's criticism of Enlightenment followers. Candide does begin
to draw his own conclusions near the end, when he concludes, from all of his life experience, that
man's only real obligation in life is to "cultivate [his] garden" (88). Generally, Voltaire's satire is
critical of anyone who jumps on any bandwagon too readily, and his opinion of the followers of the
enlightenment was that most of them were quickly supporting something which they did not yet fully
understand. The main flaw in Candide, then, is not that he is something of a simpleton, but that he
allows his lack of knowledge to lead him into undesirable situations. Pangloss, on the other hand, is
the model of the ideal enlightenment philosopher. He is thoughtful and contemplative, and though
he is not good for anything more than his philosophy, that, at least, is mostly sound. The criticism
comes when Pangloss shares his philosophy with others. He spends much of his time filling
Candide's impressionable head with his convictions, many of which are overly idealistic and
optimistic. This is where Voltaire meets his chief disagreement with the Enlightenment movement:
Voltaire sees the Enlightenment's philosophy as much too optimistic, and therefore deeply flawed.
This sentiment is reflected in one of Pangloss's most common phrases: "This is the best of all
possible worlds" (4). This is the sort of logic that Pangloss applies to everything in Pangloss's life. It
leaves him perfectly content, of course, but his philosophy leads him to ignore the real flaws in his
society. Voltaire's voice enters the novel later in the form of Candide who, after witnessing the
horrific atrocities and hearing stories of rapes and murders asks: "If this is the best of all possible
worlds, then what must the others be like?" (15). In the end, the reader is left with the feeling that all
of Pangloss's theories might be fundamentally false, but that he, like any philosopher in the real
world, does the best he can with whatever he has to work with. It becomes clear that while Voltaire is
criticizing social institutions and infrastructure, he's not really asking for impossible changes: he
simply strives to reduce the folly of the status quo.
Voltaire lived in a time period rife with change, in a time when new ideas were brewing and old
traditions were being abandoned forever. His satire, all at once political, critical, and philosophical,
did not attack any one agenda, but didn't align with any single institution either. Voltaire wasn't an
orthodox follower of anything, and his often scathing humor exposed the silliness in all parts of
society, laying bare the flaws in institutions of religion, philosophy, and even the popular all-
encompassing movement, the Enlightenment.
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Voltaire is well known for his suggestive satirical work, especially his
masterpiece Candide. Candide is a timeless piece still relevant today, that was written to
warn the public about the consequences of radical optimism (Online-Literature 1). The main
character, Candide, is a nave and trusting young man who is banished from his home.
Despite his life being filled with a series of bizarre disasters, Candide holds fast to his
optimism which serves as an example to readers. Voltaire emphasizes the dangers of
radical optimism by incorporating tone, themes and utilizing satire in Candide.
Naturally, tone is incorporated into any written piece. Voltaire uses utilizes this tool to
emphasize his attitudes towards those who are radically optimistic, as well as the concept of
radical optimism, creating a dual attitude system. This helps him prove his point by forcing
the reader to see from his point of view. For instance, in the beginning Voltaire openly
mocks the audience and anyone whos radically optimistic with the names of his two main
characters; Candide and Pangloss. Candide literally means nave and childlike honesty,
while Pangloss is Greek for all tongue (Sime 537). This suggests that Pangloss has no real
meaning or substance to his teachings, and ignorant Candide is mislead by his teachers
words. To emphasize Candides devotion to Pangloss teachings, he refuses to stray from
them easily even after he hears of the death of his love (Candide 4), witnesses Pangloss
hanging, and is whipped for his association with Pangloss (6), among other horrible
occurrences. This interpretation would make Candide, and anyone else who believes in the
philosophy of optimism blindly, an idiot.
Voltaires real life experiences are incorporated into Candide, and although hidden, these
explain Voltaires attitude towards radical optimism. The two main events incorporated into
the story are the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake (Novel Guide 1;
Porterfield 83). During these times society was taken by the philosophy that everything was
for the best (via religion), and Voltaire felt that this was dangerous and ignorant because it
stifled peoples ability to think for themselves (Porterfield 83). His attitude is portrayed
throughout the story in the narration style; the matter of fact and detached commentary
makes the story more of a mocking lesson than a learning experience for a reader. By
mocking the believers of radical optimism Voltaire has lowered their intelligence and dignity
in the eyes of the audience, causing readers to think twice before adopting any philosophy
without thinking for themselves first.
As might be expected, Voltaire incorporates many different themes into his
masterpiece Candide, embracing each one individually to help explain the dangers of radical
optimism. The two main themes from the story are childlike belief and navet, as well as
destructive (radical) optimism, which are embodied in the characters of the story. Candide
embodies both themes because his childlike naivety and belief in Pangloss teachings causes
him to suffer through many different disasters until he is willing to adopt another
philosophy; his inability to construct his own only further illustrates his naivety and
inexperience with the world. This ignorance is the root of the dangers behind radical
optimism as it prevents informed, logical, and rational thinking about the world. Even after
being enlisted in the army that destroys his old home, and apparently rapes and slaughters
his love Cunegonde (Candide 4), Candide remains nave and trusting. Candides constant
loop of disasters happens only because of his naivety, and the repetition emphasizes that
warning that Voltaire is trying to present to his audience.
Pangloss personifies radical optimism as he is the driving force behind Candides belief
and trust in the subject. By his own philosophy Pangloss later contracts Syphilis, which eats
away at his body until he is unrecognizable, and is hung for practicing against Christianity
(Candide 6). Although he suffers these two near death experiences he still preaches his
optimism philosophy. This emphasizes his stance and helps to reinforce Candides belief,
effectively making Pangloss a sort of prophet for Candide. Because of his preaching and
apparent authority over the subject, the audience comes to recognize him as a symbol for
radical optimism. As a result of his symbol status and his experiences the audience begins
to doubt his integrity, and therefore the integrity behind radical optimism.
Finally, for emphasis, exaggeration, and blatant honesty, Voltaire uses a mild form of
Juvenalian Satire to attack and warn the public about radical optimism (Juvenalian satire).
Voltaire masterfully utilizes the strongest tool at his disposal, which integrates with tone in a
mocking, condescending way in order to belittle the theme. His constant barrage of attacks
helps to shame any potential believers into rethinking their ideals through Candides
disasters and his reactions to them. Each disaster is countered by a smaller miracle, making
each twist of the tale a direct attack against Candides naivety, and therefore his belief in
radical optimism. At each miracle Candides faith in Pangloss teachings seems to be
strengthened, effectively making Candide a fool of sorts. He blindly wanders into the same
situations expecting a different result each time. This loop stems from his optimism this is
the best of all worlds and everything is going to be alright (Candide 1).
Each disaster should rationally weaken Candides belief and trust in the philosophy, or
cause him to challenge it; however, each disaster seems to strengthen his commitment. In
one instance Candide doubted the theory stating that, If this is the best of all possible
worlds, then what must the others be like? (Candide 6), however, he readily pushed those
doubts aside when he got lucky. This not only makes Candide look pathetic and nave, but it
shows a blatant truth to people already in Candides position: especially those following
religion blindly. In reality, disasters can strengthen beliefs, but they are more likely to
destroy or weaken them because the subject begins to question the theory. A good example
of this is the Jews following the Holocaust (Signer 118). Because of their ill treatment, many
strayed from Judaism and stopped believing in God (19). Candide seems oblivious to the
faults in his optimism because each time he doubts it something good happens. This irony is
used repeatedly, causing the audience to think of Candide, and other nave and blind
followers, as fools.
To further satirize Candides inability to think for himself, when he later decides that
Pangloss theory is inadequate he adopts a farmers theory instead; substituting hard labor
with no time to think about philosophies for radical optimism. This would seem to be an
improvement in Candide, but it proves his navet even more, as he is still blindly following
a philosophy. Voltaires message is embodied in Candides actions, especially his simple
mindedness and navet. Candides willingness to be swayed from one philosophy to
another, and to blindly be committed to follow that philosophy despite evidence of its
falsehoods, is a direct attack on people who fail to think for themselves (Porterfield 86).
Candide is a tool created to mock anyone who follows anything without rationalizing it first
for themselves, as Candide failed to do.
Pangloss, on the other hand, is a blatant example of those leading the people to blindly
follow them. Pangloss could be compared to a priest in this instance, gaining followers and
swearing by his beliefs, and stooping as low as adding his downfalls with the philosophy as
testimonies to its worth. Pangloss tries to rationalize how his philosophy fits into Christianity
(Candide 5), and even when this almost causes his death he remains adamant that his way
is the right way. He later admits that he doesnt really believe it, however, he continues
enthusiastically teaching it; just like a priest with no belief left in Jesus, who still gets up at
the altar and excites his followers with his sermon. This is not only hypocritical, but points
the finger to all prophets of philosophies who are trying to sway people to wholly believe
their theories. Pangloss seems to be a tool created to attack religious leaders because they
are leading people to believe that God will make everything perfect.
Voltaires main use of satire is the critical analysis of the narrator (Juvenalian satire).
The matter of fact tone throughout the piece makes the issues more serious, while the
hilarity of the events seems to mock not only the seriousness, but the characters as well.
The tone of the tale seems to call on the audience to judge each character and theme
subconsciously (Juvenalian satire). This allows the audience to decide for themselves if they
will heed the warning or not.
In essence, Voltaires masterful use of the literary tools at his disposal helps bring
Candide to life. His use of tone helps us form our own attitudes about the themes of the
story, while the satirical elements help us enjoy the story while still receiving the message.
This satire was intended to be boarder than just radical optimism, however, and can thus be
relevantly applied to many different topics today.


Works Cited (Lost formatting)

"Juvenalian satire." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. 26 Apr.
2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/308986/Juvenalian-satire>.

"Candide". Jalic Inc.. 20 April 2009 <http://www.online-literature.com/voltaire/candide/>.

NovelGuide, "Candide". NovelGuide.com. 25 April 2009
<http://www.novelguide.com/candide/>.

Signer, Michael Alan. Humanity at the Limit. Bloomington Indiana: Indiana University Press,
2000.

Portrfield, Jason. Voltaire: Champion of the French Enlightenment. New York, NY: The Rosen
Publishing Group, Inc, 2006.

SIME, RICHARD, ed. Elements of Literature. sixth ed. Orlando, Florida: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, 1997.








Romanul, aprut postum, este constituit dintr-un lung dialog dintre Jacques i stpnul lui n timpul unei
cltorii.

Propagnd o filozofie care reflect sub o form elementar concepia lui Diderot, Jacques crede ntr-un
destin care determin cursul evenimentelor i cruia nimeni nu-i poate scpa
Povestirea de ctre Jacques a vieii i iubirilor sale alterneaz cu povestirile stpnului su i ale altor
personaje (hangia, clugrul, etc.)
Opera sa literar, n mare parte postum, relev un scriitor maestru n arta dialogului, care realizeaz,
ntr-o modalitate foarte modern, n Nepotul lui Rameau, portretul unui boem nonconformist.


n romanul Clugria prezint absurditatea i cruzimea instituiei mnstireti.


Diderot este, de asemenea, autor de drame (Tatl de familie), de eseuri (Paradox despre actor) i critic
de art (Saloanele).
Important reprezentant francez al iluminismului, Denis Diderot a fost iniiatorul i unul din
autoriiEnciclopediei.

http://literaturapopoarelor.blogspot.ro/2011/09/denis-diderot-1713-1784.html 18:47