Best of All Possible Worlds — Gary Anderson

Author of the critically acclaimed novel "Animal Magnet" -- voted by Goodreads as among the "Best Literary Books of All Time" and "Best Books of the Decade" -- Anderson takes his readers on another epic journey. "Best of All Possible Worlds" continues the saga of Jacques the Anabaptist from the classic "Candide" in the satiric spirit of Voltaire. Anderson's novel begins with the return of Voltaire's Candide to find his beloved tutor, Pangloss, destitute and abandoned on the streets of Leyden, South Holland. Set in the mid-eighteenth century, the story then follows the lives of two brothers, Jakob and Robrecht Onderdonk, leading antithetical lives. At the heart of the novel is Jakob's quest to abandon his life as a sailor at sea for a more edifying life on land. In contrast Robrecht is determined fully to embrace a sinful life at sea. "Best of All Possible Worlds" explores like Voltaire's masterwork, with an air of irreverence and a witty view of the absurd, the universal problem of evil in a world created by a perfect God. "In 'Best of All Possible Worlds' Gary Anderson recreates Voltaire's narrative style, but with a conceptualist's eye. He takes a small fragment from 'Candide' and builds a rich story upon it that is full of comedic turns of phrase... I continue to be impressed with Anderson's literary genius and highly recommend 'Best of All Possible Worlds' to anyone looking for a critical and fresh look at the world." --Jacqueline Valencia, Author of "Tristise"