Zadig ou La Destinée Orientale — Résumé 🇺🇸 English
This section of the text contains supplementary front matter and scholarly notes related to the historical publication and reception of the work. It opens with an official approbation featuring a satirical statement from a reader who pretends to dislike the manuscript despite finding it clever, moral, and philosophic. This introductory remark highlights the humorous and critical tone surrounding the early distribution of the text.
Following the approbation, the text consists of extensive editorial and authorial notes that provide background context for various chapters. These notes reference historical figures, linguistic translations, and literary sources that influenced the creation of the narrative. They explain specific allusions, track alterations made across different editions, and point out thematic connections to Chinese tales and other historical writings. Through these annotations, readers gain insight into the textual history and the editorial choices that shaped the published version of the story over time.