Well, I can say with full confidence that I absolutely did not like reading Candid. Yuck! However, I resolved to make the best of it, and I must admit that there are some very humorous lines throughout the text. I will not quote all of them here because I am not sure if the quotes I find funny are actually supposed to be funny. It could just be my sense of humor and I’d hate to look ridiculous ;). However, I will attempt to convey how absolutely hilarious I find it when people pass out throughout the story – especially when they do it more than once! They hear bad news – and they faint! They see something that disturbs them – and they faint! I can understand a woman fainting at a gruesome scene or upon hearing news of the death of a loved one. But a grown man! Maybe this should not make me giggle, but it literally cracks me up! I keep thinking back to Dante’s Inferno when he faints over and over…it just makes me laugh. I’m not sure if there is any real significance to these episodes, but if there is, I will find it before this semester is over. I love that literature can be humorous. Serious stuff is good, but we need to laugh a little! So this is how I made it through Voltaire…laughing all the way.
I commented on Malory's post, "Why do we try to box God in???"
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I had to laugh all the way too! I felt like it just kinda dragged on and on.. I understand he was trying to make a point by being sarcastic, but you would be reading this long boring paragraph, and then it would have a funny line. Maybe he was satirizing that Literature is too long :p
ReplyDeleteI laughed when reading your post and remembering the fainting all the time!!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did like Candid, I thought it was very funny how Voltaire omits so many environmental and atmospheric details. Actually it doesn't really have any details, well, only when Pangloss is talking about his philosophy. I really find it funny that so many things can happen in such short chapters. It is like a whole story in just three pages.
I believe that comedy in literature, though not necessary, is always a plus and also can prove to be effective. When an author writes a book they often have something to say, some point to make. They usually make this through the book. However, the only way others will hear/read their point is by reading their book. And, if a book is completely boring and lacks humor or interest, people won't read it. So, I love humor, but it's also an effective way to make a book successful. (I hope that makes sense.)
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