14th book - "Candide" - Voltaire - 8 points

Candide is a German figure from Westphalia. Really? Yes, this book is "one of the finest satires ever written ... this work says that it is possible to challenge blind optimism without losing the will to live and pursue a happy life".
In this 120 page book Voltaire satirically describes Candide's travel around the world with the statement that "everything happens for a reason". Imagine that we just past the 250th anniversary of the publication of this book, it is just incredible how Voltaire courageously wrote this story. The book was a "bestseller" of it's time and only sold "under the counter".
Francois-Marie Arouet alias "Voltaire" (1694 - 1778) was French.
On April 15th 2010 I attended a panel discussion and theatrical readings from Candide at New York's Public Library with Adam Gopnik and others. NYPL had an amazing exhibition going on, showing all 17 original editions from 1759, the year when Candide was published. I read the 2003 Barnes & Nobles Classics softcover edition in English language with intruduction and notes by Gita May. ISBN 978-1-59308-028-0