April book: Voltaire's classic, Candide
Pat Priest has done a wonderful job with Dancing with Athens and Oconee Stars as well as this book club. Please attend their festivities if you can.
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:13:09 -0400
Subject: [oconee] April book: Voltaire's classic, Candide
Woven brightly, 
Daniel J. Matthews, Jr. Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:13:09 -0400
Subject: [oconee] April book: Voltaire's classic, Candide
Hello!
We've changed* our selection for our April book to Candide . . . a
strange and interesting classic that's a quick and sometimes-witty read.
It's cheap, too -- just $3.75 at Books Galore in Watkinsville.
We've also changed our meeting date to the last Wednesday of each month,
which puts us at April 29th for our next discussion. We meet at Five
Points Deli on Epps Bridge Parkway -- at 6 PM.
We read really fine books about history, politics, and the natural
world. While Candide was first published in 1759, the satire still
resonates today. The full title (though versions differ) is "Candide:
Or, the Optimist." Some scholars have pointed out that President Reagan
evinced an optimism quite similar to that of one of the central
characters: Dr. Pangloss.
Our discussions, sponsored by the Oconee Democrats, draw a diverse
group, with folks from Clarke, Jackson, Oconee, and Barrow County.
Drop in sometime for our interesting conversations!
Pat Priest,
Member, Oconee Democrats
----------------------------------------------------------
*We had planned to read "The Black Swan" next month, but that isn't yet
out in paperback (except in an international edition that's rather
expensive). We'll get to that book later.
Here's a little bit about "Candide" from Wikipedia:
Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately
after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it
contained [what was considered] religious blasphemy, political sedition
and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté.
However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human
condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists
to mimic and adapt it; most notably, Leonard Bernstein produced a 1956
comic operetta whose libretto is closely based on the novella. Today,
Candide is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is likely
taught more than any other work of French literature.
We've changed* our selection for our April book to Candide . . . a
strange and interesting classic that's a quick and sometimes-witty read.
It's cheap, too -- just $3.75 at Books Galore in Watkinsville.
We've also changed our meeting date to the last Wednesday of each month,
which puts us at April 29th for our next discussion. We meet at Five
Points Deli on Epps Bridge Parkway -- at 6 PM.
We read really fine books about history, politics, and the natural
world. While Candide was first published in 1759, the satire still
resonates today. The full title (though versions differ) is "Candide:
Or, the Optimist." Some scholars have pointed out that President Reagan
evinced an optimism quite similar to that of one of the central
characters: Dr. Pangloss.
Our discussions, sponsored by the Oconee Democrats, draw a diverse
group, with folks from Clarke, Jackson, Oconee, and Barrow County.
Drop in sometime for our interesting conversations!
Pat Priest,
Member, Oconee Democrats
------------
*We had planned to read "The Black Swan" next month, but that isn't yet
out in paperback (except in an international edition that's rather
expensive). We'll get to that book later.
Here's a little bit about "Candide" from Wikipedia:
Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately
after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it
contained [what was considered] religious blasphemy, political sedition
and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté.
However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human
condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists
to mimic and adapt it; most notably, Leonard Bernstein produced a 1956
comic operetta whose libretto is closely based on the novella. Today,
Candide is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is likely
taught more than any other work of French literature.
__._,_.___
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