Hitchings sometimes casts himself as Candide, viewing with dismay the vile underbelly of the linguistic world.

NEWYORKER: The English Wars

This book won't make life's vicissitudes go away, nor will it give you a Candide-like view of the world.

FORBES: Brrr!

And yet he has the air of a political Candide he is always earnest, capable of disappointment but not cynicism.

NEWYORKER: The Empty Chamber

Together, they create a unique character a not-so-candid Candide.

NEWYORKER: Europa, Europa

Whereas the Candide-like picaresque of the first half persuasively evokes life under brutal totalitarianism, the identity-switching and intrigue of the second part seem to originate in little more than the need to spin a yarn.

NEWYORKER: Dear Leader

Cook is best known for her 1950s Broadway performances in shows like Candide and The Music Man, while Grammy-winner Rollins is regarded as one of the country's most influential jazz musicians from a career spanning six decades.

BBC: Meryl Streep to receive Kennedy Center honour

Whereas the Candide-like picaresque of the first half with its absurd but fully plausible turns of the screw persuasively evokes life under brutal totalitarianism, the identity-switching and intrigue of the second part seem to originate in little more than the need to spin a yarn.

NEWYORKER: Dear Leader