Zadig, or the Book of Fate: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Zadig, or the Book of Fate, credited to Voltaire, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Zadig, or the Book of Fate, by Voltaire. Zadig, ou La Destinée, ("Zadig, or The Book of Fate") (1747) is a famous novel written by Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. It tells the story of Zadig, a philosopher in ancient Babylonia. The author does not attempt any historical accuracy, and some of the problems Zadig faces are thinly disguised references to social and political problems of Voltaire's own day. The book is philosophical in nature, and presents human life as in the hands of a destiny beyond human control. It is a story of religious and metaphysical orthodoxy, both of which Voltaire challenges with his presentation of the moral revolution taking place in Zadig himself. Voltaire's skillful use of the literary devices of contradiction and juxtaposition are shown in beautiful form in this prose. Behind Candide, it is one of his most celebrated works. (Wikipedia)

Recording facts

• Recording title: Zadig, or the Book of Fate
• Author credits: Voltaire
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 19
• Listed recording duration: 3:47:00

Catalogue topics

• philosophy
• enlightenment
• satire

Track guide

1. 00 - Frontmatter — 5:19
2. 01 - The Blind Eye — 9:34
3. 02 - The Nose — 6:08
4. 03 - The Dog And The Horse — 13:19
5. 04 - The Envious Man — 13:18
6. 05 - The Force of Generosity — 6:34
7. 06 - The Judgments — 9:49
8. 07 - The Force of Jealousy — 13:49
9. 08 - The Thrash'd Wife — 9:18
10. 09 - The Captive — 9:20
11. 10 - The Funeral Pile — 7:36
12. 11 - The Evening's Entertainment — 12:07
13. 12 - The Rendezvous — 12:55
14. 13 - The Free-Booter — 11:00
15. 14 - The Fisherman — 11:05
16. 15 - The Basilisk — 30:58
17. 16 - The Tournaments — 14:30
18. 17 - The Hermit — 18:54
19. 18 - The Aenigmas or Riddles — 11:36

Listen to this recording

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.