Zadig; Or, The Book of Fate

"Zadig; Or, The Book of Fate" by Voltaire is an 18th-century story set in the Orient, which follows the intellectual voyage of Zadig, a bright young man living in ancient Babylon, as he experiences love, luck, and the hard parts of life. His story begins with a note to Sultana Sheraa, then quickly moves to detail a set of adventures about destiny, right and wrong, and what it means to be human. Zadig starts out as a kind and smart man, respected by all who know him. He is about to marry Semira, who is beautiful; however, their joy is cut short by jealous enemies, which causes many problems for Zadig. Semira ends up with Orcan, who is a mean and strong person. Zadig gets hurt during the chaos and the events set the scene for all the troubles and questions he will face as he searches for love and purpose.