<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><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><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. Alive with wit brilliance and graceful storytelling <I>Candide</I> has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.