Candy (The 1958 Novel) - Review

Candy is a 1958 graphic sex comedy and satire by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, under the psuedonym Maxwell Kenton. It was banned shortly after publication in France, and it was banned in the USA until 1964, and shortly after film development began in the US.

I saw the movie first, and then read the book. I disliked it because I didn't see that it was satire. I thought it was only sexualizing the female body. I was wrong.

Candy stars Candy Christian, an eighteen year-old college student interested in humanitarianism and aiding others. Unfortunately, due to her naivety, her perverted professor teaches her to help people by giving herself to them. Thus begins a series of chaotic sexual escapades among her gardener, a hunchback, her uncle, a doctor who studies masturbation, a head doctor, a gynecologist, a fake guru, and...if you read the book you know the final two characters. Yes, there is sexual assault. Yes, there is incest. There are plenty of references to Freud. But this is all satirical and played for laughs. The book is satirizing society's sexualization of women through a stereotypical dumb blonde blue-eyed innocent attractive woman. Candy wants to help people, but the cruel nature of mankind exploits her for their own gain, although she doesn't realize this. Obviously, this is a parody of the satirical novel Candide by Voltaire, where Candide has an optimistic view of people but keeps getting harmed by them. It's the same thing. Yes, both Candy and Candide are portrayed as humorously stupid but society is the ultimate thing being mocked. Whether it's imperialism or sexualization and abuse towards women, the cruelty of mankind is the lesson.

I laughed out loud multiple times at this book. It took me about a day's read (one half two days in a row.) My favorite parts were Candy falling in love with the hunchback whom she named Derek, Aunt Livia's degenerate dialogue (pretty based honestly, i wish i could be as unapologetic as her), the names for the vagina (jelly box, lamb pit, golden honey pot...), and the final threesome. It's more than just some smutty novel, or a sexy comedy. If you like Candide and/or counterculture then you will probably love it.