Candide, or Optimism

By: Francois Voltaire, Michael Wood, Theo Cuffe

Narrated by: Ben Lloyd Hughes

Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Ben Lloyd-Hughes, best known for Divergent, Me Before You and The Inbetweeners. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Michael Wood.

Brought up in the household of a powerful baron, Candide is an open-minded young man whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that 'all is for the best'. But when his love for the baron's rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own way in the world. And so he and his various companions begin a breathless tour of Europe, South America and Asia, as an outrageous series of disasters befall them - earthquakes, syphilis, a brush with the Inquisition, murder - sorely testing the young hero's optimism.

Public Domain (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Incredibly modern satire

Despite being very dark indeed, this is surprisingly fun and readable. Definitely the first I've binge read a work of classic fiction, much less philosophy!

Fantastic narration

After finally getting my hands on this audiobook, I can happily say it was worth the wait! Ben Lloyd Hughes did an amazing job with the narration. Distinct voices and accents, the perfectly jolly pace for a character like Candide. (Are you a fan of Ben's work as Constantin in Greedfall? You are in for a treat!!)

And as a book itself, of course, highly enjoyable as a classic! Insightful!

A wonderful and witty read

I very much enjoyed this read through and theincluded follow-up analysis of the book was a wonderful surprise at the end.

Narrator turned me around on this story

This is probably the sixth time I've read Candide in my life but the first I actually enjoyed it. This narrator does excellent voices, and the mouth full of marbles voice for Martin was brilliant.

An Absolutely Stunning Performance and Brilliant satire

The narrator’s several voices as Candide, Cacambo, Martin, Cunegonde ,etc. were masterful. His was a brilliant display of Voltaire’s withering wit and observant eye of our failings as a species. Recommend listening and then reading this masterpiece!!!

The narrator’s voice makes a great difference in the listener’s commitment to the tale.

Great story told beautifully by Ben Lloyd Hughes. Placing the Introduction and Notes at the end was a good approach.

AMAZING!!!

Amazing and amuzing reading. As for the plot, it shows a great lot of human nature, beliefs and behaviour.
I’m giving it 5 stars, because I couldn’t stop listening to it.

Ben Lloyd-Hughes Brings Candide to Life

I read Candide in French many years ago and looked forward to this reading to remind myself of Voltaire's classic and hear Ben Lloyd-Hughes read it. He is very talented and, after seeing him in several captivating performances, I thought his expressive voice would "act" out this classic in an engaging way. I anticipated his reading would be excellent, but was drawn into it beyond what I expected. I hope Mr. Lloyd-Hughes will be persuaded to read other classics so I can brush up on my literature background in an entertaining way!

Super narration of a superb and still funny tale

It’s a superb satire and funny due to its big ideas. It isn’t dated - testament to its author. Having listened to numerous versions, this narrator stands out for his excellence. Just brilliantly told. Even the accents have just the right amount of satire.

I could listen to Lloyd-Hughes all day, and did.

This was an excellent rendition of Candide. I read the book as a teenager but fell in love with Ben Lloyd-Hughes narration. I listened to it on my drive from Texas to Missouri! Greg way to pass the time.