Random Number Lit - Small Works List Voltaire came to me, like Bana, from the small works list - just a name. I knew who Voltaire was. I had read Candide as a teenager and hated it. It is short and sometimes my attention span cannot hold ideas in my mind for very long so as you may notice the books I am familiar with are the shorter ones. Voltaire's name appeared on the World Lit - 1600 to 1800 list. I did not put a title forward then because I had read Candide which is also on the Big Book List because I wanted to do a little research. I thought that I would reread Candide to get a sense of the story because it had been so long since I read it before but then to try something else. The copy that I had also included Zadig which I read this time. I hated them both again. The words just fell out of my brain as soon as I read them. Voltaire is a funny writer but he is cold and ruthless in a way that I just cannot keep appraised of while engaging with. Voltaire seeks to put forward his nihilistic view of life through humor which is endearing if you care for his viewpoint or laugh at his wit. He is unbelievably sharp and beats the read to the punch at each turn but because I do not resonate with his point of view the work seems hostile and unapologetic. He is contending with another prominent philosopher and thinker at his time, Leibniz who is remembered differently than Voltaire. I also read Micromegas, or I listened to it through the sort of sleep time reading of it which was bizarre and affecting in a beautiful way. This edition I have here has all three works of Voltaire: Candide, Zadig, and Micromegas in just the order you should read them in. There is also a Youtube Channel, Substack, Twitter and Instagram for this project: randomnumberlit.substack.com and @randomnumberlit – Simply Search for Random Number Lit on Youtube and my playlists will come up. Every book sold will come with a short reflection on my experience reading the text. I will also include a bookmark and sticker with each volume. Each book bought is an invitation to a conversation with me about your reading experience in whatever method and medium you would prefer. #classics#classicbooks#classicliterature#classiclit#frenchlit#frenchliterature#fiction#novel#paperback#satire