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Candide
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Summary
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What listeners say about Candide
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michael Webb
- 01-04-20
Excellent
This has been on my ‘must read’/‘must hear’ for so long : i’m glad I finally did. Voltaire is a great storyteller, and it is clear that Candide is his magnum opus. Beautifully narrated by Andrew Sachs, with excellent choice of background music
3 people found this helpful
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- Dulcie
- 16-02-20
An intriguing tale ..
I will be listening to this again! There’s a lot of ideas to take in and it really is laugh out loud funny if your into philosophical irony/satire. A great voice and delivery too. Thanks Audible!
3 people found this helpful
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- Alex
- 28-03-21
Spoiled by narration and music.
Andrew Sachs is a good actor, but as a narrator he falls foul of one of my (admittedly many) pet hates. His intakes of breath close to the microphone are very off-putting, especially if you listen on headphones as I do. I did make it through the book, but it is short, I don't think I could listen to him reading anything longer.
I know there is a case for making use of the audio format to 'enhance' readings with music and, worse, sound effects, but it is not for me. In this case it almost turned a classic satire into a cartoon.
I would have to recommend anyone considering Candide to go for a different version, and to play the samples before deciding which one best meets your requirements.
1 person found this helpful
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- alison o'neill
- 08-01-21
Great classic tale
Tís is a very funny book at times, the hapless cadide loveable and yet detestable at times undertaking his personal journey through life is something everyone should enjoy.
Andrew Sachs is a great narrator, I'm not a huge fan of the background chapter music myself but it wouldn't dissuade me from recommending this recording
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 19-10-20
Mad but magnificent
This story is crazy and seems illogical but somehow fuses meaningful philosophy without us even noticing. It’s definitely the funniest philosophy book I’ve ever read. The problem with all the silliness is that it’s hard to get a real connection with the characters. What stood out to me is the incredible voice acting by Andrew Sachs, sometimes I would forget that it’s just one person.
1 person found this helpful
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- SjC
- 19-08-20
In This The Best Of All Possible Worlds.
Who would have thought you could make philosophy funny, This is a great production and well performed by the ever reliable Andrew Sachs. Not sure what else there is to be said if you know of the story that's all you need to hear. If you don't I would urge you to give it a try it's short, moves at a fast pace and is still very funny even if a lot of the original impact have faded. The trick is not to think too hard about the practicality's but to enjoy the absurdity and remember All is for the Best in This Best of all Possible Worlds.
1 person found this helpful
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- Midge
- 06-02-22
The best of all possible audible renditions.
Truly well narrated by Andrew Sachs. Each character retained their personality throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable audio book.
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- Justashopper
- 18-11-21
A brilliant reading of an odd book
I struggled a bit with the book, but the delivery made it worth listening to the end. I'm glad I persevered.
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- Jacqui T-S
- 01-11-21
A classic
I loved Andrew Sachs narration of this satirical novella, and laughed out loud at some points, however, it’s most bizarrely edited with inconsistent lengths of musical interlude between chapters. Did they get the work experience kid to do it? Thankfully it doesn’t spoil the book. Just made me roll my eyes at the end of each chapter!
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- B O'Donnell B
- 18-10-21
Andrew Sachs great, musical interludes rubbish
Can’t fault the story or the narration. I just wish this version didn’t have ridiculous musical interludes at the end of each chapter and section
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- MH
- 23-02-17
Why the music?
Story was good, narrator, very good; but the musical interludes were too frequent and much too long. The music didn't enhance the experience, but rather seemed out of place
7 people found this helpful
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- Kaui
- 13-11-12
WONDERFUL
I join the thousands - millions? - who adore this book. hilarious, skillful and downright stunning, this gripper of a tale mocks the Enlightenment with such wit one cannot put this down!!!!!!
6 people found this helpful
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- OffaMyLawn
- 11-04-15
SO glad I picked this up.
I have learned a bit about the French Revolution and I had learned that very much of it was inspired by Voltaire and it made me we want to understand a bit about him. I got this with a pretty good deal and I absolutely adore it. The reading, or should I say acting, is completely superb. The characters all have such wonderful voices that really bring out the characteristics of that person. the attitude, the humor, and the tragedy are so wonderfully displayed in this I really recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for fun, almost satirical poke at the world, and the ways of the human race. I just finished it, and the next book I'm going to listen to? This one. Again.
1 person found this helpful
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- Katherine
- 12-06-12
Beautifully performed!
Would you consider the audio edition of Candide to be better than the print version?
The audio edition brings clarity to the multiplicity of characters and the performance animates each one in a memorable way. To me, this makes the audio version compelling in a much different way from the book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
All of the characters are compelling. The pastiche created by the entirety is what makes the work great.
Have you listened to any of Andrew Sachs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not listened to any other Andrew Sachs performances but plan to.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The book is hilarious and, as a result, horrifying because of the compelling and biting satire ensconced within the clever and brilliant writing.
2 people found this helpful
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- M. J. Walsh
- 05-10-21
Candidly; brevity yes, sparkling wit no
Voltaire was thought to be one of the greatest wits of his time but this slight, sketchy book provides no matter to support that belief. Perhaps much has been lost in translation. In a short work, clearly intended as a light satire, topical references would also have been present but they are obscure today.
All we get is a brief, sketched out account of the catastrophic travails of an innocent abroad. He is repeatedly brought low by the mendacity and stupidity of almost all those he encounters on a quest to find his lost love.
An entertainment that largely fails to entertain.
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- Carlos M. Gonzalez
- 16-05-21
A pleasant audio listening experience
I enjoyed listening to this recording. It was easy to allow my imagination to picture the story.
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- Francisco
- 11-05-20
Well read, very well acted!
Agreeable voice. Even narration. Read with a happy heart and parts acted out just right.
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- Jeff Lacy
- 10-02-20
Quaint story; well performed; irritating interlude music
Andrew Sachs performs Lowell Blair’s translation of Candide very nicely. The only irritating thing about this audio version is the irritating interlude music.
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- Liv B. Lov
- 14-01-18
I was completely enthralled!
To my surprise, I loved it! It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was very interesting and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for every next word lol.
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- Mark Owens
- 15-12-17
Prescient
Hilarious book that shows how little human nature has changed It even predicted hipsters and internet trolls in a roundabout way