The Classics Club - my favourite Classic

In the newly-published site for the Classics Club, you will find a plethora of information about this community bringing all the enthousiasts for classic literature together - from proposals of titles for the book list, to interactions with other members of the club.  There is also a new feature, a monthly meme, aiming to get some insight into a particular subject.  For August, the question is pretty straight-forward:  what is your favourite classic and why?

I love classic literature because it has opened up my knowledge of the world.  More than modern literature, which I also read and enjoy, classic works leave a much stronger mark on me and for a much longer period of time.  I appreciate the effort that goes into these novels and little ideas that stick to my mind and are analysed and digested...

The Classics Club: Candide

In order to avoid an almost-exclusivity of English literature in the Classics Club, I thought I would read some of the literature gems found in other countries. Case in question, Candide by Voltaire, a precious little novel that hits so many notes...

Candide tells the story of a young man, full of the optimistic teachings of Pangloss (btw, following this novel, Pangloss is an official entry in the English dictionary meaning a person who views a situation with unwarranted optimism), who sees only the best possible scenario in anything happening in the world around him.  Voltaire is using extra-ordinary circumstances to make the point that not everything is for the best in humanity. Moreover, he proves that not everything we see is real and the truth may be totally different.