Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives. Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900),
So I'm having issues finding the "great" in "great literature" of Voltaire. I'm presently reading Candide and seriously is this good? It's a fast read, I'm half way through it but seriously? This is "good" or even some people put it "great"? I just don't get it. Any insites that I'm missing anyone? Please enlighten me.
posted by Vanessa and Rebecca @ 5/17/2006 01:50:00 PM
4 comments
In reading about recent events going on in the world we felt that the women of the Relief Society needed a wake up call. The Relief Society was organized to "perform and extraordinary work". That through women, lives would be strengthened, testimonies uplifted and communities served. Somehow in our everyday lives we've forgotten that. Relief Society has turned into "some nice ladies benevolent auxiliary, of which the women of the Church could now amuse themselves socially." This IS NOT what we were organized to do. We were organized to do something extraordinary. With that in mind The Emma and Eliza Project was born. We are challenging every woman of the Relief Society to engage in their community.
4 Comments:
okay, i'm no great defender of the 'classics,' but as i recall, one of the 'great' things about candide is what it says about its time. according to wikipedia (my favorite reference), it satirizes a particular philosophy of the time (pangloss's 'best of all possible worlds) as well as showing off the horrors of the 18th century world (which it does reasonably well, no? remember what happened to that nurse!). i find it's definitely tougher to appreciate the 'greats' when they're not notable for their language or their craftmanship but rather for something specific to the period...
of course, i often don't appreciate these 'greats.' i know so many people who felt like 'guns, germs, and steel' (which won the pulitzer prize) was AWESEOME. i've tried to read it about 4 times and never gotten through it. or saul bellow's 'humboldt's gift' which also won the pulitzer in the 70s. i read it a couple of years ago and felt, that's it? so maybe i'm just plebeian, as evidenced by the fact that i just read a nicholas sparks novel.
OK since posting this I've finished Candide. You were right Dave as far as showing the horrors however I've found that the more philisophical the book as far as classics go the greater it is touted.
As for Candide I found the end quite interesting as well as having a great summation of what I think Voltaire was trying to express. Throughout the entire book there were misfortunes left and right. Candide kept an optomism throughout but at the same time trying to justify the horrors of the world. In the end he found happiness from a farmer where he hadn't found it with kings and riches. Upon asking the farmer how he found his happiness the farmer said "we find that the work banishes those three great evils, boredom, vice and poverty." After hearing this Candide and friends proceed to live the rest of thier lives by "working in the garden" every time they feel the least bit discontent or prone to wondering why bad things happen.
It was interesting to see how it correlates with life nowadays. When people start really complaining (i.e. Me) if I get to work I reduce the boredom and vice. I think I'm stuck with the poverty thing for a while but not for long because of hard work and the grace of God will make sure that we have enough. Personally I think if you have enough it doesn't equate to poverty, although some may have different opinions on the matter.
After plugging through it though I'd say it was worth the read for the ending. Although about half way though I had my doubts. :-)
it's just like living right: about halfway, we may have our doubts, but it always pays off in the end. ;)
By the way, I just posted my latest Spanish quiz. Let me know how you do. (I'll bet you'll do pretty well, this one's a little more normal.)
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