Candy. Illustrated edition. Complete and Unabridged.

Candy. Illustrated edition. Complete and Unabridged.

<p> Candy (1958), written under the pseudonym Maxwell Kenton by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, is a provocative satirical novel that blends bawdy humor with social critique. Originally published by Olympia Press as part of its "Traveller's Companion" series, the book gained notoriety for its explicit content and controversial themes. </p> <p> The novel follows Candy Christian, an 18-year-old ingénue whose naïveté and altruistic desire to help others lead her into a series of absurd and farcical sexual escapades. The plot satirizes Voltaire's Candide, replacing philosophical misadventures with sexual misadventures, as Candy encounters a variety of eccentric characters, including her lecherous philosophy professor, a hunchback performance artist, and a fraudulent spiritual guru. Each interaction underscores the predatory nature of those around her, while Candy remains obliviously well-meaning. </p> <p> The book’s creation was itself unconventional. Southern and Hoffenberg collaborated through letters while living in different cities, exchanging chapters like jokes. They completed the manuscript in France but later battled over copyright issues with Olympia Press when the book became a bestseller in the U.S. </p> <p> Despite being banned in some regions for obscenity, Candy achieved significant cultural impact. It was listed by Playboy in 2006 as one of the "25 Sexiest Novels Ever Written," praised for its satirical take on mid-20th-century societal obsessions. The novel inspired adaptations, including Christian Marquand's 1968 film Candy and elements in the adult film The Erotic Adventures of Candy (1978). </p> <p> Southern's son Nile detailed the book's tumultuous history in The Candy Men (2004), highlighting its accidental uncopyrighted status and subsequent rampant piracy. Today, Candy is remembered as a parody that critiques free love and societal hypocrisies while pushing the boundaries of literary satire. </p>