Despite his illegitimate birth, Candide grows up in his uncle's castle, enjoying all the status and luxuries on offer. He is a firm believer in the teachings of his tutor, Dr. Pangloss, that this is the best of all possible worlds. Candide is devoutly in love with the beautiful Cunegonde, his cousin. Her father, the Baron, catches them in a kiss and banishes him to make his fortune elsewhere in the wide world of mankind. Thus begins the young Candide's real education. He travels the wide world, experiencing the dangers of nature and the complexity of mankind. He witnesses both kindness and cruelty, experiencing them directly as he searches for and at times mourns his beloved Cunegonde. Will he find her? And what happens to the other characters in the story, Dr. Pangloss, the baron, and all the people, both good and evil, Candide meets along the way?
Voltaire, 1694 to 1778, irritated the established order throughout his life. His father wanted him to be a lawyer like himself, but Voltaire was determined to write. He wrote in all forms: drama, poetry, fiction, satire, history, philosophy. He became a major influence Voltaire was the rarest bright star among the intelligentsia, not just of his age, but of all ages, and his writing kept him in trouble for most of his career. He supported civil rights, freedom of speech and religion, and the separation of church and state. He was especially despised by Catholic hierarchy, and spent time in several famous jails. He had friends at the highest levels of European society and regularly corresponded with heads of state from Catherine the Great of Russia to Frederick the Great of Prussia. Candide, an answer to the philosopher Leibniz, who posited the theory that this is the best of all possible worlds, in his most well-known work. He died with a sincere belief in God, but not the Church.
What's so controversial? Short answer: you name it. Politics, religion, social norms. This is the ultimate satire, with caricatures as characters. Voltaire spares no institution, no moral certainty of his era. He pokes fun, extends ideas into absurdities, and weaves a fantastical tale of fortune and atrocity in search of a philosophical proof that this is the best of all possible worlds. It is an entertaining exploration of the question of evil. The book was in danger from censors and authorities from the get-go and continues to be disfavored by nations, religions, and libraries, and by quite a few schools.