<P><I>Candide</I> is the story of a gentle man who though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate clings desperately to the belief that he lives in 'the best of all possible worlds.'<P> On the surface a witty bantering tale this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. <P>Fast funny often outrageous - the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that - contrary to the teachings of his distringuished tutor Dr. Pangloss - all is not always for the best. <P>Alive with wit brilliance and graceful storytelling Candide has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.<P>An Author's Republic audio production.