4.37

5

Oct 21, 2009

Revenge is a dish best served cold. And unabridged. And translated from the French by Robin Buss.

The greatness of this book can be illustrated by the following simple equations:

( + ) <

Whereas, the majesty of the Count of Counting added to the deliciousness of a Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigans still does not overmatch the inherent kickass value of the Dumas novel [which is, it can therefore be said, greater than the sum of its parts, both obsessive-compulsive (The Count) and Revenge is a dish best served cold. And unabridged. And translated from the French by Robin Buss.

The greatness of this book can be illustrated by the following simple equations:

( + ) <

Whereas, the majesty of the Count of Counting added to the deliciousness of a Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigans still does not overmatch the inherent kickass value of the Dumas novel [which is, it can therefore be said, greater than the sum of its parts, both obsessive-compulsive (The Count) and mouth-wateringly fattening (of Monte Cristo):].

Similarly:

( + + ) =

The coolness of Batman, once introduced into the equation, thus balances the scales, probably because the Count of Monte Cristo (character) is equal parts Wealthy OCD Recluse, Delicious Sandwich (um, metaphorically), and Batman-like avenger. QED.

I don't know how I can be any clearer.

Facebook 30 Day Book Challenge Day 16: Longest book you've read. ...more

5

Nov 09, 2015

Re-Read on audio and still on my favorites list!



ALL THE FREAKING FEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I never in a million years would have thought I would love this book! I never thought I would like something like this book. I never thought I would fall in love with Dantes! I never thought I would have so much anger, sadness, despair and happiness in this book! I never thought, did I!

*********SOME SPOILERS**********

Edmond Dantes was a wonderful man of 19-years-old. He Re-Read on audio and still on my favorites list! ❤️



ALL THE FREAKING FEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I never in a million years would have thought I would love this book! I never thought I would like something like this book. I never thought I would fall in love with Dantes! I never thought I would have so much anger, sadness, despair and happiness in this book! I never thought, did I!

*********SOME SPOILERS**********

Edmond Dantes was a wonderful man of 19-years-old. He had a woman he loved and was going to marry named Mercedes. A loving father. And he was going to be captain of the wonderful ship, Pharaon.

The the jealous bastards or just bastards in general ruined life for Dantes.

1. Danglars
2. Fernand
3. Villefort

I hate these men with such a passion I just wanted someone to kill their evil selves.



All of the jerks had a hand in putting Dantes in prison for 14 effing years! Yeah! For what? For NOTHING!

Dantes was in such despair he was going to starve himself to death. I can't even!

Then one night Dantes hears a scratching sound and soon realizes someone is tunneling. Dantes decides to tunnel as well. At some point the two of them tunnel to each other. Dantes gets to meet Abbe Faria, the mad man (so they say) in the cell next door. Abbe Faria thinks he's tunneling out to freedom but he made a miscalculation. But Dantes and Abbe devise a new plan and this takes some years to do all of this tunneling. But the Abbe is old and sick and having seizures. He's not going to be able to make it so Dantes waits with him. He is like another father figure to Dantes. And who in the hell but Dantes would wait and not leave his friend. Because Dantes is good and kind and loving.

Abbe Faria is also the one that opens Dantes eyes to who the culprits were that put him in jail. Poor Dantes couldn't see this at the time and he couldn't read what we were reading so he had no clue. Abbe Faria also tells Dantes about tons of gold and jewels that he has hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. He makes Dantes remember everything about getting there and where to find the treasure.

Unfortunately, Abbe Faria dies and it was so sad. Dantes was so grief stricken over his friend. Dantes decided to leave then as he had nothing else to stay for and he put himself in Abbe Faria's place all wrapped up waiting to be buried. Well, he doesn't actually get buried but thrown out to sea and luckily Dantes managed to save himself.

We go on to read of the tale of how Dantes gets to Monte Cristo and soon he is beyond rich and he is so smart and ready to get IT DONE!

And Dantes doesn't just run off and kill people. He's smart. He tears down their houses, their world without them knowing who he is until the bitter end. And all of the riches they acquired while he rotted in jail was disgusting. Anyway, some people did die but that's of little importance.



Dantes is also kind to all of the people that were kind to him or tried to help him while he was in jail. He's such a wonderful person. Yes, I know I keep saying that. He helps Morrel and his family when they were about to lose everything. They even lost the Pharaon but Dantes brings him a new one without Morrel even knowing where the ship came from. Dantes gave them money. He helped the family even after Morrel was gone. I cried and cried at his generosity.

And to sit and read of all the plans and all of the people crumble.

The only person to recognize Dantes, even with his disguises, was Mercedes. But she went and married freaking Fernand and had a kid. Dantes was friends with Mercedes son but things could never be good for them again. And it's so, so sad for so many involved.

Oh, and Dantes called himself "Sinbad the Sailor" and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Of course I guess if you own a rock and gold and jewels and many other things, you can call yourself anything you want! :-)

I can't sit here and go on and on about the book. It's freaking 1276 pages! I'm not that good of a reviewer to tell you something good about that many pages. Just know. . . THIS BOOK is freaking AWESOME! If you have been debating on reading it and afraid of it's size, who cares, just read it. I mean you can take two months or however long to enjoy Dantes and his adventures, but don't let the "tome" bother you. It's not boring at all! NOT ONE BIT!

I give it all the stars!



Sail on dear, Dantes! ♥



MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List ...more

5

Aug 30, 2007

** Spoiler alert**

First, make sure you find a copy that is unabridged. Most editions in English ARE abridged, but usually don't say they are. Not sure if this Penguin edition is, it's not the one i read.
Readers generally think of this as a tale of revenge. For me, it was much deeper. I'm not a religious person at all, but for me this is a book that makes you question the existence of God or a god. Edmond Dantes is without flaw, a truly good person, and his life is ruined because a) others envy ** Spoiler alert**

First, make sure you find a copy that is unabridged. Most editions in English ARE abridged, but usually don't say they are. Not sure if this Penguin edition is, it's not the one i read.
Readers generally think of this as a tale of revenge. For me, it was much deeper. I'm not a religious person at all, but for me this is a book that makes you question the existence of God or a god. Edmond Dantes is without flaw, a truly good person, and his life is ruined because a) others envy him and b) he was the victim of an unfortunate coincidence.
Even when he escapes prison and finds a monumental treasure, it is years before he finds peace (I dont think he ever finds happiness).
The questions it raises are: why are good people so often punished by horrible tragedies when truly bad people are so often able to float through life with all the rewards that this world can bestow?
The other question: Dantes spends much of his life after prison seeking the people who tossed into the oubliette — not to get revenge but to punish them. He believes he is the angel of god and that he has been freed from prison so he can do god's will by punishing these evil men.
But as he proceeds in his quest, he begins to question whether any man can actually be the angel of god, whether it's a sign of mania or even insanity to think you can possibly know what is god's will.
In the end, evil is punished, and it is because of wheels that Dantes sets in motion. But I don't think he is ever able to know if he is just another man seeking to ruin other men, or if he is in fact the angel of god. It's a question that, as a journalist, I try to always remember: we are none of us the angel of god. All we can do is try to live the best life we can and not decide who deserves to be punished or even ruined. ...more

5

Aug 15, 2012

Picture this: you are nineteen years old with your whole life ahead of you. You've just been offered the job of your dreams. And you're about to marry the person you've loved since childhood. When, suddenly, a couple of jealous men decide to frame you as a Bonapartist (a crime which was punished by death or life imprisonment) and have you sent away to rot in an island prison. I think it's fair to say you'd be feeling a touch bitter about the whole ordeal.

This is what happens to the young Edmond Picture this: you are nineteen years old with your whole life ahead of you. You've just been offered the job of your dreams. And you're about to marry the person you've loved since childhood. When, suddenly, a couple of jealous men decide to frame you as a Bonapartist (a crime which was punished by death or life imprisonment) and have you sent away to rot in an island prison. I think it's fair to say you'd be feeling a touch bitter about the whole ordeal.

This is what happens to the young Edmond Dantes when he is betrayed at first by men jealous of his career and fiancee, then again by a man who sees a opportunity to benefit himself by sending Dantes to his jail cell. After spending fourteen years in a gloomy dungeon, Dantes finally has a chance to escape and seek revenge on those who wronged him, whilst also rewarding those who stuck by him and fought to prove his innocence.

I always try to read both positive and negative reviews of books so I can understand why people had a different opinion from my own, and the verdict on this from negative reviews seems to fall into one of two categories: 1) the book is too long, or 2) they were unable to side with Dantes when he sets out with his vengeful aims.

Personally, I agree that The Count of Monte Cristo is several novels in one and I'm not surprised that it was originally published in installments. That being said, though, the story itself is fascinating. It brings in historical elements and combines them with a great set of fictional characters to make a very rich story. There are parts that are sad and parts that are heartwarming and it all adds up to a great balance of the two.

As for the second problem, it is my own personal taste that I love a good revenge story. I know forgiveness is supposed to be a virtue blah blah and perhaps it doesn't make me a great person that I couldn't shake the hand of the one who'd ruined my life. Perhaps. But I believe Dantes suffered more than anyone in this tale, even after he had got his revenge. And I always did cheer for the likes of Beatrix Kiddo. So when the "avenging angel" struck, I was right there with him.

I think it says something when a 1200+ page novel doesn't bore me for a second, and The Count of Monte Cristo never once dragged as it took me through a plot spanning many years. There are several stories being told throughout and I found all of them interesting: Dantes' betrayal, The Shawshank Redemption-style time in prison where Dantes makes a close friend, the historical story of Napoleon's return, and Dantes' search for revenge. It's hard not to be enthralled by this complex world and its characters. My one complaint is the direction Dantes' romantic life took in the end, but whatever, there are over a thousand pages of awesomeness here and if you have the time to spare for this book/doorstopper/possible murder weapon, you should definitely read it.

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5

Jan 31, 2008

Why did no one tell me about this book? I mean seriously, I was about a hundred pages in and I wanted to go find my freshman high school English teacher and inflict terrible, intricate revenge on her for depriving me of a great book. I figured first I could assume a new identity, perhaps insinuating myself into her life. I'd make her trust me and put all her faith in me, and then I would UTTERLY CRUSH HER!!! MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Seriously, this was an awesome book. I am not a big fan of the Why did no one tell me about this book? I mean seriously, I was about a hundred pages in and I wanted to go find my freshman high school English teacher and inflict terrible, intricate revenge on her for depriving me of a great book. I figured first I could assume a new identity, perhaps insinuating myself into her life. I'd make her trust me and put all her faith in me, and then I would UTTERLY CRUSH HER!!! MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Seriously, this was an awesome book. I am not a big fan of the Classics, really - I usually get very bored very quickly with them, especially the Russians. I don't know if it's the characters I can't relate to, or the writing that puts me off, but I try to get through them and my interest drops off abruptly. Especially the Russians. God save me from the Russians.

But this? This was 1200 pages of concentrated awesome. A grand, intricate story of vengeance - and I do love my revenge stories - that I will definitely read again. And watching V For Vendetta is a lot more fun.... ...more

4

Jun 30, 2017

Over 1200 pages of suffering and revenge!

I enjoyed it. I did not like it quite as much as some of the other big classics I have read, but it was very good. The two things that brought it down a bit for me were:

- It felt a bit more drawn out than it needed to be. At a couple of points I was ready for Dumas to get to the point.
- Some of the plot was very convoluted. While this did lend itself well to the Count's intricate plotting, I would occasionally get to a chapter and say, "Wait, what!?" A Over 1200 pages of suffering and revenge!

I enjoyed it. I did not like it quite as much as some of the other big classics I have read, but it was very good. The two things that brought it down a bit for me were:

- It felt a bit more drawn out than it needed to be. At a couple of points I was ready for Dumas to get to the point.
- Some of the plot was very convoluted. While this did lend itself well to the Count's intricate plotting, I would occasionally get to a chapter and say, "Wait, what!?" A few times I tried to reorient myself with chapter summaries online, but stopped after it became difficult to avoid spoilers.

With all the negative out of the way, I will say that is was definitely a great book. At times it was riveting. At others it was clever. At pretty much all times it was dark and seemingly hopeless. The unabridged is great because it has everything as Dumas wanted it, but it does require quite a bit of commitment.

Final judgement: A must for those who want to read all the classics, but probably a bit much for the causal reader. ...more

5

Jan 06, 2019

2019 is the year I get to my backlist and re-read some of the classics I haven't visited in years. It's been over a decade since I last read The Count of Monte Cristo, which is easily my favorite classic novel to date. Looking forward to taking my time through this one alongside my other reads!

5

Dec 22, 2011

They don't write novels like this anymore. That's because they make television drama series and soap operas instead. To my mind, this novel is the 19th Century equivalent of a long-running and compelling television series. I can readily imagine being a reader of the Journal des Débats between August 1844 and January 1846, impatiently waiting for the next installment of Le Comte de Monte Cristo to be published, eagerly discussing each installment with my friends around the 19th Century equivalent
They don't write novels like this anymore. That's because they make television drama series and soap operas instead. To my mind, this novel is the 19th Century equivalent of a long-running and compelling television series. I can readily imagine being a reader of the Journal des Débats between August 1844 and January 1846, impatiently waiting for the next installment of Le Comte de Monte Cristo to be published, eagerly discussing each installment with my friends around the 19th Century equivalent of the water-cooler, exclaiming at each plot development, gasping at every cliff-hanger.

What fun it has been over the past few weeks to consume The Count of Monte Cristo in much the same way as I watched all seven seasons of The West Wing one after another a few years ago: wanting to spend as much time as I could with the story, yet simultaneously wanting to slow down in order to prolong the enjoyment, loving (almost) every moment of it. The Count of Monte Cristo is probably more Dallas than it is The West Wing, but you get the general idea.

The plot’s the thing here. Dumas (and his collaborator August Maquet) created a dense and complex story, the many threads of which are woven together into a most satisfying whole, with no threads left loose at the end of more than 1200 pages. This is the story Edmond Dantès’ revenge against the three men who caused him to be unjustly accused of treason and imprisoned for fourteen years. Dantès, who becomes the Count of Monte Cristo, carries out his revenge after developing a careful plan over many years. For him, revenge is most definitely a dish to be eaten cold. It’s also a dish which causes a degree of moral indigestion, as he comes to realise that what he sees as a divine obligation can have unintended (and horrific) consequences.

It’s far from a plausible story and it’s fair to say that the theme of revenge is more successfully realised than is the theme of redemption. The plot is indeed totally over the top, with elements of fable and fairy tale, replete with Orientalist imagery which for me brought to mind The Arabian Nights. Luckily for such an intricately plotted novel, the story moves along at a cracking pace, much of it in dialogue, which makes for an easy read notwithstanding the novel’s length.

Characterisation is somewhat sacrificed in the process of weaving the many strands of the plot together. While the Count himself is a compelling character, other characters are less so and female characters in particular are rather flat. One exception is Eugénie Danglars, who has the potential to be very interesting in her own right, although not enough time is spent with her for her potential to be fully realised. However, deficiencies in characterisation are more than made up for by the sheer thrill of the tale.

My enjoyment of The Count of Monte Cristo has been increased by it being a buddy read with several members of the Comfort Reads group. It has also been increased by listening to it as a French language audiobook downloaded from www.audiocite.net. Apart from hearing Dumas’ words as they were written, there was the immense joy of hearing beautiful, literary French, including the wonderful simple past tense, never heard in regular speech.

I can’t say that this is a flawless novel and deserves five stars for that reason. But I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to it for some 47 hours. As I neared the end, I started wondering just how soon I could justify a re-read. It doesn’t get much better than that.
...more

5

Feb 05, 2011

Every soap opera ever produced owes an enormous amount of debt to The Count of Monte Cristo, a sprawling, messy, over-the-top, gleefully melodramatic bitchslap fest.

In fact, I propose that the grandest of bitchslaps be henceforth referred to as a Monte Cristo Bitchslap because of the masterful manner in which Edmond Dantès delivers one colossal bitchslap after another to all who wronged him. And to those who wronged him by association? Thou shalt also receive a furious bitchslap! Clemency shall Every soap opera ever produced owes an enormous amount of debt to The Count of Monte Cristo, a sprawling, messy, over-the-top, gleefully melodramatic bitchslap fest.

In fact, I propose that the grandest of bitchslaps be henceforth referred to as a Monte Cristo Bitchslap because of the masterful manner in which Edmond Dantès delivers one colossal bitchslap after another to all who wronged him. And to those who wronged him by association? Thou shalt also receive a furious bitchslap! Clemency shall only be bestowed upon the righteous and goodly.

Over the centuries, many literary characters have aspired to be badasses - with middling to average results. It is Dantès, however, who can teach a Master's class on the topic.

Upon being accused of a crime he most certainly didn't commit, forcefully separated from the woman he loves, and imprisoned for an absurd amount of time in a remote, Alcatraz-like jail, our hero begins to craft his utterly convoluted revenge plot on the assholes who backstabbed him. It is a cleverly scaffolded plan indeed, but it would make even the most far-fetched plotline of Days of Our Lives seem plausible. That is, it is insufferably ridiculous but unbelievably enjoyable to watch unfold.

After what can only be described as The Most Insane Jailbreak Ever, Dantès spends hundreds of pages brooding and carefully constructing the ruses under which his punishments can be delivered in gasp-worthy bitchslaps. Multiple backstories also unfold, further detailing the astonishing depth of his plot while also providing the reader with the nagging suspicion that author Alexandre Dumas was not playing with a full deck of cards. (view spoiler)[Babies are buried and brought back to life (hide spoiler)]! (view spoiler)[Girls dress as men and abscond to faraway hotels (hide spoiler)]! (view spoiler)[Men murder their wives in cold blood over diamonds (hide spoiler)]! (view spoiler)[Paraplegic mutes communicate with only their eyeballs (hide spoiler)]! It's as if every idea that ever popped into Dumas' delirious brain makes an appearance in the book. Maybe that's why it's 1,462 pages. Oh is the payoff worth it, though.

If revenge is a dish best served cold, then the final three hundred pages of the book achieve Antarctic levels of chilliness. The consequences of betraying Edmond Dantès are seismic. God help you if you're in this camp, for you will be the sorriest son-of-a-bitch who ever graced Planet Earth when Dantès points to your rotten, conniving soul and bellows "J'ACCUSE!" There is much gnashing of teeth, clawing at clothes, and raising of eyes Heavenward. There is much begging and pleading.

But mercy will not be granted.

Because you were an idiot and had no idea who you were fucking with: the Greatest Badass of Western Literature. Bow down. ...more

5

May 31, 2019

WHEW!! I do believe this is the longest book that I’ve read!

Clocking at around 1316 pages on my ole Kindle, it’s a beast of a book. Honestly, this is not something to be taken lightly if you take on this masterpiece.

Not only is it HUGE but it’s a classic. So it’s going to be wordy my friends. They paid authors back in the day for every word that was written.
So my dear Alexandre Dumas, he got bank with this tome!

The Count of Monte Cristo has always been on my bucket list for completing. So late WHEW!! I do believe this is the longest book that I’ve read!

Clocking at around 1316 pages on my ole Kindle, it’s a beast of a book. Honestly, this is not something to be taken lightly if you take on this masterpiece.

Not only is it HUGE but it’s a classic. So it’s going to be wordy my friends. They paid authors back in the day for every word that was written.
So my dear Alexandre Dumas, he got bank with this tome!

The Count of Monte Cristo has always been on my bucket list for completing. So late one night after drinking multiple glasses of wine,

I said, “Fuck it! Let’s do this!”
Yeah, it was a lot of liquid courage.

And it was a journey folks.

The Count of Monte Cristo is not a book to finish in a day or even a week. It’s a journey of revenge, redemption and hope. It’s a journey to take down your enemies in a frightening and calculating way. Does my beloved Edmond Dantès find love again? Does he get revenge for being betrayed and framed?


Well, if you’ve seen multiple movies of this plot over the years, then you already know some of these answers.

What I did not realize is that the movies are not remotely like this beast of a book. There is so much more calculating, more characters (good grief, the amount of characters...whew!) and plot points that are completely different.
Yes to books! Now that I've read this, I prefer this tale instead of the Hollywood version. It’s much more believable and the "too convient" plot is taken out.

Some word of advice.

You might struggle with this book if you’re not into classics. You might also struggle in the middle with all the characters and plotting.
You know why? Because you can’t see the ending and all the precise planning that the Count is putting into play.
It’s a dull blade being sharpening over and over again, until it’s finally ready to be plunged into a evil, dark heart.

Am I glad I finally read this? You bet your sweet ass I am.

Thank you Edmond Dantès for making me "wait" and "hope" to see what type of man you actually turn out to be. ...more

4

Oct 09, 2010

906. Le Comte de Monte-Cristo = The Count of Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (père) completed in 1844. It is one of the author's most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers. The Count of Monte Cristo begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, 906. Le Comte de Monte-Cristo = The Count of Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (père) completed in 1844. It is one of the author's most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers. The Count of Monte Cristo begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It centres on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. His plans have devastating consequences for both the innocent and the guilty.
عنوانها: حکایت کنت دمونت کریستو؛ کنت مونت کریستو؛ لوکنت دو مونت کریستو؛ نویسنده: الکساندر دوما؛ انتشارات: تبریز محمد اسماعیل، هرمس، نگارستان کتاب؛ گوتنبرگ؛ ادبیات فرانسه، تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1976 میلادی
عنوان: حکایت کنت دمونت کریستو (چاپ سنگی)؛ نویسنده: الکساندر دوماس؛ مترجم: محمدطاهرمیرزا ابن اسکندر میرزا اسکندری؛ کاتب: محمدمهدی گلپایگانی؛ مشخصات نشر: تبریز، محمد اسماعیل، 1312 در 847 ص و در شش جلد در یک مجلد، مصور، کاتب نوشته: شخص ناصرالدین شاه دستور ترجمه ی کتاب از زبان فرانسه به فارسی را داده؛ عنوانهای دیگر : کنت مونت کریستو
عنوان: لوکنت دو مونت کریستو؛ نویسنده: الکساندر دوما؛ مترجم: ذبیح الله منصوری، مشخصات نشر: تهران، میر (گوتنبرک) ??13 در 3 جلد، 2400 ص
مترجمهای دیگر: آرشیلا قریب پور شهریاری، در 722 ص، گوتنبرگ 1334؛ احمدرضا احسانی 1363 در 131 ص چاپ دیگر توسن، 168؛ ؛ شکوفه اخوان، در 255 ص، سال 1371 چاپ دوم 1375؛ پ شکوهی جاودان خرد سال 1377 در 262 ص، عنایت الله شکیباپور، زرین 1362، در 571 ص؛ اعظم جوزدانی سال 1394 در 108 ص؛ پروین ادیب در 208 ص سال 1395، عباس سپهری در 56 ص، شایسته ابراهیم، در 71 ص، 1395؛ مونا ولیپور، در 225 ص، 1391، جمشید بهرامیان، 1388، در 166 ص؛ محسن فرزاد در 168 ص سال 1376، و چاپ ششم 1388؛
ادموند دانتس، دریانوردی زندانی و مسافری مرموز با چندین چهره، می‌خواهد با ثروت‌های افسانه‌ ای خود طبقه اشراف پاریس را در هم بریزد. دانتس در سال 1815 میلادی در روز ازدواجش، به اتهام دروغین طرفداری از ناپلئون، در بندر مارسی زندانی می‌شود، و بر اثر سعایت رقیب عشقی اش فرنان، و رقیب تجاری اش دانگلار، مدت چهارده سال محبوس می‌ماند. این رویداد، به نفع مقاصد سیاسی یک قاضی جوان و جاه‌ طلب، به نام ویلفور است، که در زندانی شدن او دست دارد. در سیاهچال پس از چندین سال، متوجه می‌شود که زندانی دیگری مشغول حفاری جهت فرار کردن از زندان است و ....؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

5

Sep 16, 2019

The Count Of Monte Cristo is the story that teaches us an important moral lesson.
REVENGE IS FUN!



I've said it before, I'll say it again: Audiobooks are the only way to go if you're not the sort of reader who likes to read all the shitty filler and crunchy dialogue that normally comes with classic books.
For those of you who think that classics are so much better than anything written in your own lifetime, please don't take offense. I'm only talking to the peasants out there (like me) who prefer The Count Of Monte Cristo is the story that teaches us an important moral lesson.
REVENGE IS FUN!



I've said it before, I'll say it again: Audiobooks are the only way to go if you're not the sort of reader who likes to read all the shitty filler and crunchy dialogue that normally comes with classic books.
For those of you who think that classics are so much better than anything written in your own lifetime, please don't take offense. I'm only talking to the peasants out there (like me) who prefer action movies with big explosions to Oscar-winning stories about...well, whatever Oscar-winning stories are about.



Ok, so I listened to the unabridged version by Blackstone Audiobooks.
Narrator: John Lee <-- this guy did a FABULOUS job.
Duration: 47:17:57 <--holy fuck!



Another thing to keep in mind is that this book was serialized in a newspaper. This means, instead of getting the equivalent of a 2 hour movie, you're getting the equivalent of a tv show that ran for 9 seasons or something. This thing was the soap opera of its day.
So yes. There's shit in here that could have easily been chopped out.



Also, if you've seen the 2002 movie The Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and young Superman? Well, then the actual story will come as quite a surprise to you. <--except for the names and general ideas, zero things are the same. Seriously. Both were good but I kind of prefer the move ending if I'm being quite honest. Still, the book had soooo much more delicious scheming, backstabbing, and grifter-style revenge than the movie did.
So. Yeah, I guess I'm torn...



Ok, the gist is that this super nice guy, Edmond Dantès, who has everything going for him (true love, wonderful father, job promotion) gets set up by a few petty people who want various things he has. And then the poor dude gets well and truly fucked by random bad luck and a dirty prosecutor.



Anyway, in a truly over the top fun way, Ed becomes an expert in everything to exact his vengeance on everyone who wronged him. Of course, he goes a bit too far and loses himself, then gets pulled back and finds himself again.
But it's all the shit in between that's so much fun to see.
Plus, it all gets wrapped up with a big happy bow by a beautiful 19 year old ex-princess at the end.



Like I mentioned it is an incredibly unrealistic story that unfolds in the wackiest ways possible. I was hearing the theme music to Mission Impossible when he was snatching off disguises, doling out harmless advice about untraceable poisons, and shooting a revolver like he was a sniper with a red dot sight. <--I laughed so hard at the thought of him shooting the numbers on playing cards with such precision that he could turn one number into another. Get the fuck out of here with that nonsense, Dumas.
And yet.
It was still awesome. And so much fun to listen to!



Yeah, there's stuff in here that's just a product of its time and doesn't make the transition to modern-day very well, but on the whole, it holds up so much better than a lot of the other classics you might be tempted to read. Towards the end, I was giving the universal wrap it up sign to Alexandre, but I'm pretty sure he didn't see me because he dragged the conclusion out a lot longer than needed.



Even so, I'm giving it 5 stars for not boring the shit out of me.
P.S. - I've heard tell there's an abridged version of this story out there. If audiobooks aren't your jam, then that could be a viable option if you are interested in reading this but don't have the patience to deal with all the crusty bits that don't need to be there. ...more

4

Jun 01, 2014

So one of the nice things Goodreads has done for me is bring me some really cool friends who inspire me to flex my brain a little harder and read more classics. And the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo, clocking in at over 1000 pages, is a monster of a classic.


I was familiar with the Count's story from seeing an old movie or two, but reading the book, of course, is a whole different level of experiencing it. The first part of the book filled me with dread as I waited for So one of the nice things Goodreads has done for me is bring me some really cool friends who inspire me to flex my brain a little harder and read more classics. And the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo, clocking in at over 1000 pages, is a monster of a classic.


I was familiar with the Count's story from seeing an old movie or two, but reading the book, of course, is a whole different level of experiencing it. The first part of the book filled me with dread as I waited for disaster to strike; the second part made me truly feel Edmond Dantes' despair, as he was thrown into a dungeon in the historical Chateau d'If by greedy, power-seeking, selfish and lustful men, to spend the rest of his life in squalor.



After 14 years, Edmond (soon to become the Count) escapes from his island prison and things really start to get interesting as he plans and executes his revenge on the four men who conspired to ruin his life. Dumas' writing, even after 170 years and in translation, is powerful and moving, and the Count's complex and intricately planned revenge was awe-inspiring. Our buddy read group -- Hana, Jaima and I -- had a great time analyzing what was happening in the story, and discussing various Biblical and other literary allusions. (Our discussion can be followed in the comments attached to our reviews, but be warned that those threads are Spoiler City.)

But as we started getting closer to the end of the Count's revenge and this story, things started to go off the rails for all of us. The Count clearly views himself as an avenging angel, almost as a god himself, on a divine mission to punish the wicked. This view (which the author seems to share) becomes more and more uncomfortable as the death and destruction spread.

My problems with this book, and the reasons it gets 4 stars rather than 5, are extremely spoilerish:

(view spoiler)[ The Count's revenge extends itself to innocent members of the original plotters' families, which he justifies by (wrong-headedly) quoting the Old Testament scripture about the punishment of God extending itself to the third and fourth generations of their children. He finds peoples' weaknesses and exploits them, suggesting an untraceable poison to a mother who he knows is anxious to see her young son inherit great wealth. Only when that young son is also dead, does the Count begin to question whether he has gone too far: Monte Cristo became pale at this horrible sight; he felt that he had passed beyond the bounds of vengeance, and that he could no longer say, "God is for and with me."But then, amazingly and disappointingly, he decides he cannot have been mistaken all of these years and that it is simply his lack of clear sight creating this doubt. He does show some mercy to the last conspirator, but this final act of mercy seems to be prompted by the Count's pride rather than by a realization that he was wrong in any way.

Another issue was that the Count's former fiancée, Mercedes, whose only sin was to get married to someone else after the Count was taken to prison, is left to spend the rest of her life sorrowing and alone, while the Count (who's in his 40s now) has a beautiful, young Greek slave fall in love with him and essentially give him a new start in life and love. After everything he did wrong, it really irked me that the Count gets to sail off into the sunset with this gorgeous young girl while Mercedes has to spend the rest of her life meditating in solitude.

The Count also decides to save the life of one of the conspirators' daughters, the young--and completely innocent--Valentine, but only because Maximillien, the son of a man who was loyal to the Count, is in love with Valentine. But then he decides, for no good reason, to allow Max to believe for an entire month that Valentine was dead. His gall in this subplot was unjustified and beyond unmitigated, and neither of these sweet people calls him on it or gets the least bit angry about being so manipulated. (hide spoiler)]

Final gripe: why does everyone in this book who's in love have to have the attitude that death is better than being separated from their love, or their love is not true? I've come across it in several Victorian-era books (it still lives on in some books like Twilight), and it seriously annoys me every time. Yes, it sucks if you can't marry the person you love, or if the person you love dies. But this does not mean that your life is over and you should commit suicide -- or even swear off loving anyone else and mope around for the remainder of your days. Life goes on. If you allow yourself to move on, you will find that you're more resilient than you think. /rant

I really don't object to reading about a flawed hero, but it does bother me that the author (view spoiler)[lets him off so easily at the end. This would have been a five-star book for me if it had been clearer that the Count had paid a heavy psychological or spiritual price for going down such a dark path. And maybe if he didn't get to take off in the end with a hero-worshipping young trophy wife. (hide spoiler)] In any case, though, this a marvelous, intricate book that gave me a lot of food for thought, despite its flaws. ...more

5

Mar 26, 2019

It's been a long time coming but I finally found the time to gather my thoughts on this tome. My initial verdict still stands: this was fucking great! It's been a long time since I've read an adventurous novel and even longer that a book with over 1000 pages managed to entertain me from start to finish. So, turn off your TV, log off of Twitter, cancel your Netflix subscription, and get your hands on this book. The Count of Monte Cristo is the gift that keeps on giving. Life is a storm, my young It's been a long time coming but I finally found the time to gather my thoughts on this tome. My initial verdict still stands: this was fucking great! It's been a long time since I've read an adventurous novel and even longer that a book with over 1000 pages managed to entertain me from start to finish. So, turn off your TV, log off of Twitter, cancel your Netflix subscription, and get your hands on this book. The Count of Monte Cristo is the gift that keeps on giving. Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you. The Count comes with secret islands, a big fat treasure, fistfuls of poison, serious disguises, Italian bandits, intricate prison escape strategies, Romeo-and-Juliet-like love scenes, and more. In 1815 Edmond Dantès, a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been granted the succession of his erstwhile captain Leclère, returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim Château d’If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.

Personally, I didn't know anything about this novel. I know it's hugely popular and referenced in other media very often, but somehow I wasn't aware of any of the plot points, not even the prison break. :D So, you can imagine my surprise by how fast paced and multi-faceted this tale was. Every chapter came with new surprises, intricate plot points, and overall, this was just such a fun ride. Early on, I started rooting for Dantès and I was totally on board for him to get his fucking revenge. But Dantès cannot stay in prison for ever; one day he will come out, and on that day, woe and betide the one who put him there! Written around 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo is one of Alexandre Dumas's most famous and beloved novels and was a huge bestseller back in its day. The Count was originally serialized, which attributed to the fact as to why there are so many plot twists, turns and cliffhangers in this story. Dumas had to hold his readers' interest, so that the newspaper would keep on publishing his book. So, if The Count starts to feel like a soap opera as you are reading it, you know why.

On the day of his wedding to Mercédès, Edmond Dantès, first mate of the Pharaon, is falsely accused of treason, arrested, and imprisoned without trial in the Château d'If, a grim island fortress off Marseilles. A fellow prisoner, Abbé Faria, correctly deduces that his jealous rival Fernand Mondego, envious crewmate Danglars, and double-dealing Magistrate De Villefort framed him. Faria inspires his escape and guides him to a fortune in treasure. As the powerful and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, he arrives from the Orient to enter the fashionable Parisian world of the 1830s and avenge himself on the men who conspired to destroy him.

I was not only positively surprised by the ridiculousness of the plot, but also by the accessibility of the writing. Robin Buss did an amazing job at translating this literary masterpiece and he can honestly have all of my money. I underlined so many passages, because they were either beautiful as fuck or downright savage. Overall, Dumas' writing style gave me serious Oscar Wilde vibes. (I know, that Oscar wasn't even born yet at the time The Count was written but pshhh, let me have my Oscar moment, please!) “Yes, devotion. That is the honest way to describe ambition when it has expectations.”

“And whatever philosophers say, it’s marvellous to be rich.” – “And, above all, to have ideas.”

“I know that the world is a drawing-room from which one must retire politely and honourably, that is to say, after paying one’s gaming debts.” These are just a few examples of the wittiness that all our characters displayed. The dialogue was sharp and engaging, and kept me interested in all of the characters, whether villain or hero (because Dumas keeps it quite black and white, if we're going to be real here), I was invested into all of the characters' fates.

Another reason why I was immediately sucked into The Count was Dumas' ability to make his setting and scenery come to life. I was amazed by how authentically Dumas interwove the historical and political context, as well as the atmosphere of his chosen locations into the narrative. Strap on your traveling shoes, because the Count's going to take you all over the world. The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815–1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. It begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile).

And even though I knew only very few about France's political landscape of the time, Dumas makes it incredibly easy to navigate through and engage with his narrative. I am by no means a history geek, but I was so fucking invested in the historical setting of the book, as it was such a fundamental element of it. Dantès' adventure is based primarily on the values of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It is important to understand why Dantès was imprisoned, what was the nature of his alleged treason? Why was Villefort so afraid of his father being a Bonapartist?

Separating the historical and political scene from The Count of Monte Cristo is like trying to separate salt from the ocean. In order to really understand what The Count's all about, we need to take a look at what was going on in France at the time. We know that Edmond Dantès's story spans from around the 1815 until around 1838. We know from Danglars's report at the very beginning of the novel that Edmond has stopped at the island of Elba to retrieve a letter on his way back to Marseilles which is addressed to Noirtier. Guess who was exiled to the island of Elba? Right! Napoleon Bonaparte.

Following the French Revolution, Napoleon was elected First Consul of France. The French citizens loved him, but there were many members of the French nobility with ties to the former kings of France who hated Napoleon's guts and who wanted him out. Many of these royalists plotted to kill Napoleon in various ways, to reestablish the monarchy. (That's were the clinch between the Royalists and Bonapartists comes in.) In April of 1814, Napoleon was officially exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. However, a year later, he escaped Elba and fled to France. He returned to Paris and ruled the French for one hundred days. He was still very popular among the French. But Napoleon's smallish army was defeated again by European powers, and Napoleon was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, far, far away in the Atlantic Ocean. The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates. The Count of Monte Cristo begins right before Napoleon's first exile to Elba, and throughout the novel, we hear about Napoleon's armies, his escape to Paris, and about the royalist parties. Villefort, for example, is a royalist, but his father (Noirtier) fights for Napoleon. The country is in political turmoil, and corruption is everywhere (recall how Dantès ends up in jail in the first place). Following Napoleon's second downfall, France was ruled by a series of monarchs. The novel ends around the time when Louis-Philippe I ascends the throne and when things are starting to calm down in France.

I found it incredibly interesting to learn about French history in such a fun way. On top of that, having been fortunate enough, to have roamed the streets of Paris and Rome myself, I really have to say that Dumas did an amazing job at encapsulating the atmosphere of those places. I'm aware, that 200 years ago both cities were very different from what they are now, but I cannot help but feel that Dumas really managed to depict their spirit. I felt like being there myself, breathing the same air as our characters. Additionally, Dumas never failed to include actual places (like hotels or streets) and even real people (like Countess G, who was Byron's mistress) in his narrative to make it seem more authentic. “Fool that I am," said he,"that I did not tear out my heart the day I resolved to revenge myself".” Funnily enough, The Count could've done with a little more romance. Yeah, shocker, I know. I thought that the Count's failed relationship to Mercédès would play a bigger role, although, in the end, I really appreciated that they didn't end up together, because it was much more realistic. Nonetheless, the romantic subplot that we did indeed get, concerning Valentine and Morrel, really did deliver. Dumas went full Romeo and Juliet on us. He basically rewrites that play. :D

According to Valentine's dad, Morrel is not rich enough to be considered a worthy suitor for her. The two must meet secretly in the garden (OK, no balcony scene, but still – a secret garden!), for Valentine has been promised to another, more eligible bachelor. The two promise to marry anyway, and with Valentine's grandfather's help and the Count's help, they do. The Count's plan involves secret and super hardcore sleeping pills that Valentine takes. Morrel and the rest of the world thinks that Valentine has died as a result of being poisoned, but really, she's just asleep. The Count convinces Morrel to wait for one month before committing suicide (which Morrel really wants to do, because life isn't worth living without his Valentine, duh). When that month is over, the Count gives Morrel a pill he promises will kill him. But the pill merely puts Morrel to sleep, and when he wakes up, Valentine is there to kiss him on the lips.

So yeah, they do get their happy ending, which makes this the somewhat happy version of Shakespeare's play, but I honestly couldn't make that shit up. As much as I enjoyed the silliness of their relationship, I have to say, that the cheesy and overall too happy ending of The Count kind of killed the mood for me. This is also the main reason why I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted more blood and more revenge at the end. Instead, the Count kind of grew soft and spared his biggest enemy to focus on the reunion of these two love birds above. CAN'T RELATE! I want to be Providence, because the things that I know which is finest, greatest and most sublime in the world is to reward and to punish. Although, I appreciate that Dantès finally realised that he cannot play God without severe consequences. Since, by the end of his hardships, Edmond has grown a serious God complex. He's built himself up so high that he can't help but picture himself in the most grandiose terms. Our naive poor boy, for whom we have rooted for from the start, has become quite unlikeable in his quest to seek revenge on his tormentors, not least of all because he has so few visible flaws that would make him appear more human. I always appreciated the moments in which Dantès came through again and the Count displayed some serious emotions.

However, where the Count sometimes may have seen a little devoid of emotion, the other characters of this tale really made up for it. I think my favorite ones were definitely the whole Danglars family. They were all such a mess. First and foremost, Mlle Eugénie is a gay icon and you cannot convince me otherwise. Dumas made so many allusion to her being lesbian, she is basically the Sappho of this tale. Amongst my favorite moments of her were definitely her elopement with Mlle d'Armilly, her cross-dressing and her complete and utter disinterest in marrying the men her father propositioned to her. Eugénie was so headstrong and independent (she basically said that she just wants to be free in heart, body and soul, LIKE YAS BITCH), which was such a breath of fresh air compared to the other female characters who were either quite pure and angel-like (eg. Valentine) or very hysterical.

And even though they were little shitheads, I absolutely adored the relationship of Eugénie's parents – the Baron Danglars and his wife Hermione. The two of them basically hated each other's guts and the only reason why they stayed together is for prestige and to not offend the public's opinion. They are both super rich (and pretty much into gambling). :D Danglars knows that his wife is cheating on him and he truly doesn't care but as soon as he realised that Hermione was trying to get to his money for her lover, he fucking snapped, and served me the most scalding hot tea I ever saw: "I let you. You see, it doesn’t matter to me, as long as you are paying for your lessons out of your own pocket. But I now see that you are dipping into mine and that your further education might cost me as mich as seven hundred thousand franc a month. Woah, Madame! It can’t go on like this. Either the diplomat will have to start giving his … lessons for nothing, and I shall put up with him, or he will not be allowed to set foot again in my house. Do you understand?" LIKE OMG, if words could kill, Hermione would be six feet under by now.

On top of that, I liked how cleverly Dumas spun this web of characters. Everyone was somehow connected to one another, which made the stakes even more higher and made his various reveals and plot twists even more exciting. When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever. As for our author, Dumas' dad was a soldier in Napoleon's army, but he fell out of favor there when new racist laws were established barring men of color from serving, and the family became very poor. Dumas’ paternal grandparents were a French soldier who was stationed in Haiti and a former slave. Dumas' dad died when he was three, and his mother struggled to make ends meet. She didn't have enough money to give Dumas a really good education, but Dumas learned to read and then read as much as he possibly could. Despite their poverty, Dumas' family still had connections to French nobility, and so, when Dumas was twenty years old, he moved to the big city of Paris and started working for the Duc d'Orleans at the Palais Royal. (The Duc d'Orleans was kind of a big darn deal, since he, in 1830, tok the throne, becoming King Louis-Philippe I. ;))

Just like his Victorian pendant Charles Dickens, Dumas became one of the first French writers who could actually be considered a celebrity of his time. He made a shitton of cash, which he spend so lavishly (by even ordering the construction of his own Château de Monte Cristo), that he was actually in debt very often, which he tried to avoid paying by going abroad. #MOOD! His life was as tumultuous as the plot of his novels. I can definitely see myself reading more from him. ...more

5

May 19, 2008

What does it say about me as a critic when the best book I’ve read all year was first serialized in the 1840s? From start to finish thoroughly enjoyable, Alexandre Dumas’ 1200 page revenge epic The Count of Monte Cristo wastes little time in not thrusting the plot along, quite violently so at times, and includes within a brief, sketchy history of the return of Napoleon and his subsequent second defeat, a primer on hashish, and a proto-seed for the detective tale that would later blossom under What does it say about me as a critic when the best book I’ve read all year was first serialized in the 1840s? From start to finish thoroughly enjoyable, Alexandre Dumas’ 1200 page revenge epic The Count of Monte Cristo wastes little time in not thrusting the plot along, quite violently so at times, and includes within a brief, sketchy history of the return of Napoleon and his subsequent second defeat, a primer on hashish, and a proto-seed for the detective tale that would later blossom under Poe and Doyle.

The story is less well known than that in The Three Musketeers, though the outline is familiar to anyone who’s spent time reading and watching noir fiction and movies. A young sailor, Edmond Dantès, engaged to be married to the beautiful Mercédès, is accused of a crime he has not committed by a man in love with his fiancée. The accuser, Fernand, is assisted in his perfidy by one of Dantès’ shipmates, Danglars, and an envious neighbor, Caderousse, as well as the political calculations of the young royal prosecutor Villefort. Cast into prison for fourteen years, Dantès befriends an Abbé written off by prison officials as crazy who bequeaths to him on his deathbed a hidden fortune. Escaping from prison, Dantès finds the treasure, buys himself the title of Count, and returns to France to put into effect his long-nurtured schemes of revenge.

All of that takes place within the novel’s first 250 pages. The remaining one thousand allows the plot of slow-planned revenge time to stretch its legs, look about, and move forward with the inexorable pacing of Fate. Dantès, now in his persona of the Count (as well as in other various disguises such as the Englishman Lord Wilmore and the Italian Abbé Busoni), plots a revenge that capitalizes on each character’s weakness and vanity.

Sensing the malevolence in Villefort’s young wife, he introduces her to a sleeping draught/poison of his own devising, with which she begins to poison members of the prosecutor’s family in an attempt to secure a sizable inheritance for her son by a previous marriage. Through one scheme after another he reduces the proud banker that Danglars has become to a penniless wreck. A similar betrayal in Fernand’s past is resuscitated in part by the Count and rises up to disgrace him permanently. Caderrouse destroys himself through his own base greed and cunning.

All of this unfolds with delicious grace, and you relish each move the Count makes in his ongoing revenge, but underneath it all, a creeping note begins to sneak into the story. When Dantès himself was sent to prison, it was an action aimed solely at him by the three conspirators, and yet the ripples of this violence stretched outwards, consuming his fiancée Mercédès; crippling the business of his former employer Morrel, who never found a young captain equal to Dantès; and crushing the life out of Dantès’ father, who eventually died of starvation. The Count comes to see, through his friendships with the next generation of all the major players, how his actions cause grief and suffering that extend beyond the targets of his own revenge.

This realization makes up the novel’s closing chapters wherein the Count mulls over the right of vengeance and the notion of redemption and comes to peace with his idea of a godly revenge. Partly this is inspired by an earlier episode when he is required to save the life of Villefort’s daughter as she is in love with (and is loved by) Morrel’s son Maximilian. But also a great deal of this has to do with Dantès’ love for Mercédès, as well as his newfound love for Haydée, a young Greek, daughter of the Ali Pasha, and his (Dantès’) slave.

In fact, these are the twin threads around which the entirety of the story revolves, love and revenge. It is Fernand’s love for Mercédès that leads to his conspiracy against Dantès. It is Dantès love for Mercédès that keeps him alive in prison. It is Maximilian Morrel’s love of Valentine Villefort that saves her life, as much as it is Dantès’ love of Maximilian’s father. Likewise, Madame de Villefort’s love of her son directs her toward her poisoning scheme.

And while it is Dantès’ revenge that brings every character to a reckoning, there is in each of the characters’ pasts delinquent accounts that eventually must be paid, a revenge against them by Fate of which Dantès is only the tool. Caderousse’s backstabbing and betrayals will eventually get the better of him; Villefort’s illegitimate child will also return to play havoc with his name and reputation; Danglars’ cupidity will trap him in a bandit’s layer; and Fernand’s own treachery will lead to his public humiliation.

In this, it is as if Dumas is saying that all wicked men carry within them the seeds of their own destruction, carry it close to their hearts as part and parcel of who they are. Those who live to a ripe old age without a calling to the judge, jury, and executioner of Fate are only blessed in that they never double-crossed a Dantès.

In part based on a true story, Dumas’ novel runs through its 1200 pages with a leonine hunger and rapidity. While he may have been paid by the line, the man was such an elegant craftsman that it is hard in thinking back through the novel to come up with any one part that could be successfully pared away without hurting much of the novel’s concerns and central conceits. To lose many of the complicated subplots would make a hash of not only Dantès’ schemes and plans, but would also fatally weaken Dumas’ central message of justified vengeance versus pure malevolence.

If there is any part of the Count’s character that at times must give the reader pause, it isn’t his heartlessness toward his enemies or his financial profligacy en route to his revenge (he literally tosses around millions of francs), it’s that he lives so strongly for a certain structured effect. The scene of the Morrel family salvation, when Dantès, in his first act since coming to his wealth, rescues his former employer from ruin and suicide, plays itself out up to the very last second. This is no doubt Dumas playing suspense thriller with his readership, but it leaves somewhat of a bad taste. We are given a Count who prefers design to humanity, and while this is all very good for one’s enemies, a bit more heart toward one’s friends would be appreciated.

It’s a minor enough quibble in well over a thousand pages that, let me repeat unequivocally, barely lets up or gives you time to turn your attention elsewhere. But it remains, long after other larger scenes have left my memory, as a kind of capricious cruelty. Perhaps we need to be somewhat frightened of the Count ourselves; perhaps it is a warning, slyly inserted well to the beginning of the revenge scenario. See, before you plot yourselves, the author seems to imply, see what inhumanity revenge can make you capable of. It is a haunting suggestion. ...more

5

Jan 26, 2015

Full review now posted!

I finally finished! I feel like I’ve been reading this forever. Not because I didn’t like it, of course. Au contraire, I loved it! It’s a wonderful book, and definitely deserves it’s status as a classic. But it was dense and intricate and long, and wasn’t a book to be sped through. This tome is meant to be savored, and savor it I did. The Count of Monte Cristo is without a doubt the best tale of vengeance I’ve ever read, and one of the most intricately plotted books I’ve Full review now posted!

I finally finished! I feel like I’ve been reading this forever. Not because I didn’t like it, of course. Au contraire, I loved it! It’s a wonderful book, and definitely deserves it’s status as a classic. But it was dense and intricate and long, and wasn’t a book to be sped through. This tome is meant to be savored, and savor it I did. The Count of Monte Cristo is without a doubt the best tale of vengeance I’ve ever read, and one of the most intricately plotted books I’ve ever had the pleasure of picking up.

Edmond Dantes seems to have it all together. He loves his career aboard a merchant vessel, and the love of his life is waiting to marry him when he returns home. But there are those in his life who are jealous of his good fortune, of his love, of his happiness. And so, jealous “friends” plot the downfall of Dantes, and he’s arrested on his wedding day. His prosecutor, though he knows Dantes is innocent, is faced with information that would shine a terrible light on himself. Information that only Dantes knows. And so, the prosecutor has Dantes sent to Chateau d’If, where he hopes the prisoner will never be heard from again. But fate has other plans, and vengeance will be wrought on these four men who had succumbed to jealousy and ruined the life of another.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the most mysterious characters I’ve ever encountered. He’s richer than Midas, no one knows anything about his past, including his name, and he takes Paris completely by storm when he appears on the scene. He is both an avenging angel and an angel of mercy. As he ingratiates himself into three important families on the Parisian scene, we get to know these families and watch as their lives fall apart around them.

I’ve only ever read the abridged version of this book before. The Great Illustrated Classic was my very favorite book when I was about 8 or so. And I read the more “grown-up” abridged version in eighth grade. I thought I knew the story pretty well, but I wanted to have read the book in its entirety, so I finally picked it up. And I almost put it down. There were so many little details in the middle section of the book that I thought were superfluous. I got so bogged down for a while, and almost decided that the abridged version had been enough. But my mama didn’t raise no quitter, so I stuck with it. And I’m so glad that I did!

Those little details that I thought were pointless? They really mattered. As I started nearing the end and seeing how all of these small details were coming back into play, I was completely stunned by complex the plot was. Every single tiny aspect of this book, all of the things that I thought weren’t necessary were totally necessary. I was blown away by how everything came together in the end.

I could write a thousand more words about the characters, the methods of vengeance, the plot twists, and more. But, even though this is a classic story, I don’t want to spoil anything for those who have little exposure to the story. Suffice it to say that, without this book, our culture would be missing something, as this book has served as foundation and inspiration for countless stories in various formats. Is this a quick, easy read? Not even close. Is it worth the time and effort necessary to read it? It is indeed. Give it a read, but take your time. Don’t rush.

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope.”

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings. ...more

5

Aug 06, 2013

This book is long. Everything about it feels long--from the words, to the sentences, to the scenes. Given that it was serially published -- meaning Dumas made his money by the word -- it's obvious why it's so damn long. But trust me, this story is NOT a waste of time.

What it is--is everything. What starts as a thriller, becomes a Game of Thrones-style soap opera, and finishes as a murder mystery. It's a revenge story, in theory, but more than anything it's about love. It's really an existential This book is long. Everything about it feels long--from the words, to the sentences, to the scenes. Given that it was serially published -- meaning Dumas made his money by the word -- it's obvious why it's so damn long. But trust me, this story is NOT a waste of time.

What it is--is everything. What starts as a thriller, becomes a Game of Thrones-style soap opera, and finishes as a murder mystery. It's a revenge story, in theory, but more than anything it's about love. It's really an existential coming-of-age for adults. The length of seven books, The Count of Monte Cristo contains nearly as many themes and plots and characters. Probably, it covers twice as many subjects. It's basically a Bible.

Something tricky about it is that the first hundred and some pages are absolutely phenomenal. The story starts better than just about anything else, which kind of surprised me. For something of this length, I expected it to be slow--and at times it is--but the beginning is definitely a page turner, one that doesn't read dated at all, which again surprised me. This book is like two hundred years old and translated from French--and while at times it's as head-scratching as Shakespeare--the beginning feels like reading a really good Michael Crichton book.

Edmond Dantes / The Count of Monte Cristo is, logically, the first character introduced. He's incredibly likable from the start: he's 19, has his shit together, treats his father like gold, is madly in love, and excellent at his job. In short, there's a Disney story ahead of him. Just thinking about it is exciting, until in quick succession several extremely unlikable characters are introduced whom all conspire against him. They're jealous little evil bitches and they plot and scheme, and as their deeds unfold, the story becomes a thriller. Unfortunately, the characters that start the book are definitely the best, beside one or two others. Fortunately, after they throw a giant fork into Dantes' road, they don't just disappear. No, this is a revenge story. They come back and get what they got coming to 'em.

The problems start to arise after the first 300 or so pages, after Dantes gets screwed, suffers, loses hope, becomes bitter, and transcends into the Count of Monte Cristo. After this, about 15 new characters are introduced, only one of whom really measures up to the previous cast. Dumas spends the next 500 pages of the story predominately fleshing out these characters in the form of a soap opera, which is frustrating. The previous ones are so good, you're way more eager to learn about them. It feels like you're getting off topic, lost in new characters that only fit into the story tangentially by theme. And, although this part isn't necessarily bad or insufferable, compared to the thrilling first act, this soap opera seems that way. It doesn't help that this part of the story is when the language dates itself, the sentences grow to their longest, the dialogue seems like one soliloquy after another, and the words they speak are plain archaic. The story seems to go downhill, quickly picking up steam, ultimately headed for a nasty crash and burn.

It doesn't. If the first hundred pages aren't the best in all of literature, it's only because the last hundred are somehow even better. All of the crazy complexity Dumas writes into the second act of the story comes together in the third. What seemed to only tangentially fit into the story becomes the glue that holds together a masterpiece. And when The Count of Monte Cristo starts exacting his revenge you spent 900 pages eagerly anticipating, of course it's satisfying as hell. What makes it even better is seeing Edmond Dantes resurface himself in the ugly skin of Monte Cristo. After all his misery has made his existence merely to put others through worse (albeit somewhat justifiably), you start to love him again, and he shows that The Count of Monte Cristo isn't a simple revenge story that went on for way too long. No, it's much more than that.

But if you want to know, you'll just have to read it for yourself. Wait and hope, my friend, wait and hope. ...more

5

May 21, 2018

I generally don't read classics. it's only in last 2-3 years that i have started collecting these lovely penguin classics editions and i emphasis here on "collecting" as it is easier than reading. But now i have been slowly going through my physical bookshelf. last year I read David Copperfield and this year it's Idiot and now this. Okay, I started Idiot and Cristo last year and finally finished reading them this year.

Finishing this tome was a real challenge as you get to know within few I generally don't read classics. it's only in last 2-3 years that i have started collecting these lovely penguin classics editions and i emphasis here on "collecting" as it is easier than reading. But now i have been slowly going through my physical bookshelf. last year I read David Copperfield and this year it's Idiot and now this. Okay, I started Idiot and Cristo last year and finally finished reading them this year.

Finishing this tome was a real challenge as you get to know within few chapters that it will be a revenge story. There are plot twists that one would guess about miles ahead, the character at times felt shallow and sometimes it seems like things were exaggerated for no reason. but would i change this for anything else? No. because it would feel like you have cut an essential limb from the body.

it is scary to see how close Dumas has come to predict the future through this story. He talks about betrayal, corruption, jealousy, politics, and love in this book and even after 170 years society has not changed, if possible things has gotten worse.

With a length of 1276 pages and utterly predictable, this book is still an amazing adventure to go on. I rolled my eyes at times, giggled like a child, felt angry for injustice, and fist bumped in the air yelling "YES". this story made me feel so many emotions and it's a story that will stay with me forever. ...more

4

Mar 06, 2011

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo



One of those grand epics like Les Misérables and David Copperfield that does more than create a world the reader temporarily inhabits. This is a novel which creates a whole grand revenge myth. I would second Umberto Eco's take that this is one of the "most gripping novels ever written, and on the other hand one of the most badly written novels of all time and all literatures."

This is a “All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo



One of those grand epics like Les Misérables and David Copperfield that does more than create a world the reader temporarily inhabits. This is a novel which creates a whole grand revenge myth. I would second Umberto Eco's take that this is one of the "most gripping novels ever written, and on the other hand one of the most badly written novels of all time and all literatures."

This is a story of an Ãœbermensch/Byronic hero and the grandfather of all revenge and psychological thriller novels. I remember the first time I read 'Les Miserables', I almost read straight through. Now, 25 years older, I don't have the same reading endurance, but the feeling of urgency and addiction was close. I read this in 3.5 days (while working full-time and giving token attention to family duties). 'The Count of Monte Cristo's' plot doesn't just push you forward, rather it tosses you down
cliff
after
cliff.

I give it four stars for the obnoxious writing, repetition of bad adjectives, and unnecessary descriptions of unnecessary events in a book that is already 1200 pages. While I'm not a big believer in editing or abridging a writer's work, Dumas would have been a bit better served with a modern, aggressive editor (notice I didn't say contemporary editor, there are no more contemporary editors). For that I leave off one star ... perhaps one day I'll add it. For now, I will just 'wait and hope.' ...more

4

Jun 13, 2015

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

I have spent the last few weeks-ever since finishing War and Peace-reading Modern Classics, of which genre I am rather new to and not at all enjoying as much as others have lead me to believe I would, and I have never felt a love for Classic Literature so deep within my heart as I did when I finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I still retain a hope that a Modern Classic that I enjoy as much Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

I have spent the last few weeks-ever since finishing War and Peace-reading Modern Classics, of which genre I am rather new to and not at all enjoying as much as others have lead me to believe I would, and I have never felt a love for Classic Literature so deep within my heart as I did when I finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I still retain a hope that a Modern Classic that I enjoy as much as I do pre-20th works will pop up somewhere, but I am thinking it is becoming an increasingly unlikely scenario.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a behemoth of French 19th Century Literature of a decidedly vengeful flavour. I have read very little French literature, having spent most of my time on the English variety, but this book still retains some very English-type Classic Literature qualities (I would presume the translation had a little to do with this) and read true to the Classical style. Descriptive yet punctual, with large amounts of dialogue that are not just diatribes or means to translate the plot to the reader.

Edmond Dantés is a poor unfortunate soul whom fate seems not to like as he is betrayed by men he has no reason to dislike-or so he thinks-and is thrown in to the Château d'If and the key is thrown thereafter (but in a different direction). Edmond Dantés-later the Count of Monte Cristo-is a most marvellous man, with many flaws, many perfections and many wonders. I enjoyed him immensely, as I did most of the characters. I find that women in Classic Literature are treated in varying ways, but Dumas has a kind of Dickensian way about his writing of women: they are not weak or placid or there only to be abused or looked at, but there again they are often very 19th Century in other ways. Very few people can make me feel a sympathy for the Upper Classes of society and Dumas appears to have done it.

Another side to Classic Literature that I love is the world-building. Whilst most of the land that we read about in these books still exist today, Classics evoke the true sense of how they were over a hundred years ago and I rarely feel that in other types of books. You can describe a place in Scotland for a Scottish Noir Crime Thriller as detailed and grimy as you want but I rarely get the sense of the place as a whole: Dumas truly evokes the destitute calmness of the Château d'If, of the spartan and isolated island of Monte Cristo and of the many luxurious abodes of the Count himself. I have not felt as transported with a book like I have with this one.

Of course, it was not without fault. I feel almost every single same emotion and opinion on The Count of Monte Cristo as I did with War and Peace and that includes the reasons for not giving a perfect rating. It was too long-it just was. There are plenty of long Classics ranging from 400-700 pages that are perfectly serviced by their Not-1000-Pages and I feel that's where this book fell short. This means that there are paragraphs, here and there-dotted about in no particular pattern-that are utterly tedious and don't contribute to the story very much, if at all. I cannot bring myself to ignore such moments of tedium, no matter how much I enjoy the story, the characters or the plot, because I know-and have read-books that are not this long but are just as well written.


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4

Jun 25, 2014

“When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever.”

"How on earth are we going to get students to concentrate on learning?" That was my colleague's frustrated question some days ago. "They are just so easily distracted, spoon-fed entertainment all the time. Where do we find time and place for them to absorb the knowledge they need to become persevering, educated, focused and determined grown-ups?"

My “When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever.”

"How on earth are we going to get students to concentrate on learning?" That was my colleague's frustrated question some days ago. "They are just so easily distracted, spoon-fed entertainment all the time. Where do we find time and place for them to absorb the knowledge they need to become persevering, educated, focused and determined grown-ups?"

My spontaneous answer:

"We lock them into the Château d'If for fourteen years, with the brilliant Abbé Faria as a mentor, and tiny tools to dig through the stone wall as sole distraction!"

And out of the young, naive, happy-go-lucky, carefree Edmond Dantès we would form the majestic Count of Monte Cristo. There is a catch of course, and Abbé Faria himself knew that: he had not only given his student a perfect education, and taught him the art of deduction as well as social behaviour. He had also, with regret, taught him the dark and painful passion of revenge. That, of course, is not necessarily a skill I would wish my students to acquire. But there is another layer to the jokingly expressed thoughts in the staff room:

What made me think of the Count of Monte Cristo in the first place? Why did it give me and my colleague a moment of pleasure while we shared frustration over the lack of focus and concentration that comes with consistent exposure to online activities on screens and their random thread of information without depth or context?

The imaginary story is our revenge on the reality we can't change! By remembering childhood reading pleasure, we escaped the Château d'If of contemporary educational issues for a moment, and travelled in time and space to a world of adventure, excitement, and entertainment that lasts a lifetime. I doubt if students even remember after half an hour what they "really needed to check on google" very quickly, but the itinerary of Edmond Dantès is with me forever. I will never forget him, and how he learned what drove his presumed friends to send him to imprisonment: love, money, career. The driving forces in humanity. And I will never forget how utterly satisfied I was with his perfect revenge, even though I realised from the beginning that it would be rather evil if carried out in real life, instead of on paper.

That is what literature is for, partially at least. To let the imagination take over, to offer satisfaction and closure for the story lines that just confusedly continue in real life, with no end in sight (like threads on the internet).

I wish my students would read the Count of Monte Cristo to experience the feeling of escapism in the old-fashioned way, by diving deep into one literary mission and following that one thread to the bitter end, instead of letting themselves be carried away on random odysseys in the shallow waters of the internet. I think that would help them concentrate and focus, just like Edmond Dantès. But I hear myself sighing in response to my own suggestion:

"They don't read anymore! Not that kind of book!"

But maybe, if we shut them into the Château d'If? I'd be prepared to take their revenge afterwards, if they came out prepared for life and equipped with the skills they need!

And for those of you who do not know me yet: my introductory lesson plan with each new class is always:

1. "How to understand my teacher's sense of humour?"
2. What is irony?
3. What is sarcasm?

Example: If I say I want to lock up my students, how likely is it to be true? Answers may vary! ...more

5

Dec 12, 2017

PERFECTION. THE END.


12/12/17

Is it at all possible to get this excited!??

HELLO, DEAREST BOOKWORMS, THIS IS A GOOD DAY!

Ever had a book - that one book - that’s stuck with you since the moment you read it? The one that holds a special place in your heart?

I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to finally re-read -yet again- one of my all-time favourite books and the excitement is getting too much. Seriously, I think I'm going to be sick.

I know a re-read doesn’t sound that exciting but this is a



PERFECTION. THE END.


12/12/17

Is it at all possible to get this excited!??

HELLO, DEAREST BOOKWORMS, THIS IS A GOOD DAY!

Ever had a book - that one book - that’s stuck with you since the moment you read it? The one that holds a special place in your heart?

I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to finally re-read -yet again- one of my all-time favourite books and the excitement is getting too much. Seriously, I think I'm going to be sick.

I know a re-read doesn’t sound that exciting but this is a book to which I owe SO MUCH DEBT and GRATITUDE. The book that made me fall in love with reading. The book I still remember reading for the first time when I was a kid. My special book. ???? ????

And I reckon that this is what joy feels like. I’m going to revel in every moment and take my sweet time with it. Hope you're all enjoying your reads as much as I am.????

...more

5

May 13, 2018

FINALLY got around to reading this classic for the first time.

I mean, who doesn't love a GOOD revenge story, right? Alas, it's a lot more than just that! At 1200 pages, don't you think it ought to be? :)

I'll skip a breakdown of the plot because a ton of people will already have done this or watched some version on TV, but since I have also never watched a movie of this, I cannot say how well they do.

I CAN, however, say that I was never bored. Not once. From conspiracy and intrigue, the hope of a FINALLY got around to reading this classic for the first time.

I mean, who doesn't love a GOOD revenge story, right? Alas, it's a lot more than just that! At 1200 pages, don't you think it ought to be? :)

I'll skip a breakdown of the plot because a ton of people will already have done this or watched some version on TV, but since I have also never watched a movie of this, I cannot say how well they do.

I CAN, however, say that I was never bored. Not once. From conspiracy and intrigue, the hope of a grand happy life, dashed, the fear of Napoleon coming back to the mainland driving some jerks to frame the poor kid Edmund Dantes and sentence him to a life in a nasty castle prison on the eve of his own wedding... it sounds glorious, fantastically evil. And it is. But that's just the start of the fun.

In prison, he befriends and is befriended by a learned man of the cloth with great knowledge and the secret of a great treasure, but it still takes Eddy 14 years of his youth to orchestrate a grand escape by way of a cannonball attached to his leg, being tossed into the sea as the dead.

What drives him is REVENGE on those people who put him away through no fault of his own.

The other 850 pages is a wild rags-to-riches story as he takes on the guise of the brilliantly rich Count of Monte Cristo as he inveigles, bribes, buys, and cons his way into high society in Paris. He never loses sight of his overarching theme of revenge, looking up and looking into every one of the creeps that took away his whole future, but unlike the modern tales of revenge we're familiar with, he does it in a very Christian way.

If a man properly repents and does good deeds, Eddy forgives. If the jerk remains a jerk, then Eddy conspires with all his intelligence and wealth to bring about the utter ruin of his enemy. And I mean utter ruin. Not just their wealth, but their family, their hopes, even their very souls... he casts them down into the abyss. :) Slowly. Carefully. Eddy is never blithe about his task. He makes sure it is the right thing to do, always questioning, always giving his enemies more and more and more rope... and through many diverse plot threads, we see the noose close around each and all... unless they are good.

And like judge, jury, and executioner, Eddy gives each of them their just desserts. :)

Classic? More than classic. It's still an easy and delightful read even for us moderns. Timeless? Perhaps. One of the best novels ever written?

Yes.

With one caveat. There's a lot of modern favorites in the movies and novels that take directly from the plots and themes here. Like, huge swaths. Like Shawshank Redemption and V for Vendetta. These movies even make huge references to the Count. :)

It also has a rich tradition in my own personal favorite genres such as SF. The Demolished Man by Bester very strongly comes to mind, as does the Lightbringer books by Weeks in Fantasy. :)

It's telling that stories like this are still such huge crowd pleasers, no? What's wrong with us??? lol ...more

5

Sep 16, 2016

I decided in January to spend a year reading classics that I never wanted to read. I joined a classics reading group and carefully chose books that I thought I would like, and am thrilled to say that I have read some wonderful stories. I gave books like East of Eden, Wuthering Heights, The Odyssey, and The Master and Margarita a solid 4 stars because I thought they were fantastic. I gave books like Hamlet, Bleak House, and The Idiot 5 stars because they are those rare books that change lives. I decided in January to spend a year reading classics that I never wanted to read. I joined a classics reading group and carefully chose books that I thought I would like, and am thrilled to say that I have read some wonderful stories. I gave books like East of Eden, Wuthering Heights, The Odyssey, and The Master and Margarita a solid 4 stars because I thought they were fantastic. I gave books like Hamlet, Bleak House, and The Idiot 5 stars because they are those rare books that change lives. They definitely changed mine.

Using those criteria, I would give The Count of Monte Cristo a squintillion stars if I could. This is not only the best book I have read this year, it easily surpassed my favorite book of all time. I remember when I finished the last sentence of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I cried so hard because it was all over. I wanted to forget that I had read it and start over to experience that amazingness again for the first time. This is the first novel I have read since then that made me feel the same way.

This is a story of a young sailor who had everything going for him: a good mind, a good soul, the respect of his crew, a future job as a captain, the confidence of his boss, the adoration of his father, and the love of a beautiful woman who had promised to be his wife. In an instant, and truly in just the first few chapters of this very long novel, all that was taken from him by a bunch of envious, jealous, and greedy shitwad bastards who DESERVED TO DIE THE MOST HORRIBLE DEATHS FOR WHAT THEY DID ................ I'm sorry, I guess I got a bit emotional there.

Actually, I got emotional through this entire novel. I cried; I cheered; I laughed. I went to sleep thinking about the characters and woke up thinking about revenge. I wanted to find a way to go back in time and burn down France for a fictional character. The author did an admirable job of putting me right in the story and feeling the hatred, love, fear, sympathy, and all the other feels that the characters experienced. This is a novel that will put your emotions through the ringer.

This is also a novel that will make you think and question. How far is it okay to go? When do you stop? For whom do you stop? Is this okay? Is God on the side of the good guys or the bad guys? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Does checking out from humanity protect you or isolate you? What happens when you want to return, and how do you get there?

As The Count himself said, "All human wisdom is contained in these two words: 'wait' and 'hope'!"

Here are my words of wisdom: Read the unabridged version translated by Robin Buss. It has a chapter that many versions leave out, and that chapter, at least to me, is vital.
...more

5

Dec 31, 2017

It was not at all what I expected after watching the awesome movie.. The movie was merely a third of the book and although the basic plot was same, the vengeance that Edmond Dantes takes is quite different . I was disappointed at first to read the different characters (there are many characters) which weren't in the movie and seemed irrelevant but actually they are completely relevant owing to the fact that the next 2 thirds of the book are nothing like the movie...
**Spoiler**
I wish Edmond had It was not at all what I expected after watching the awesome movie.. The movie was merely a third of the book and although the basic plot was same, the vengeance that Edmond Dantes takes is quite different . I was disappointed at first to read the different characters (there are many characters) which weren't in the movie and seemed irrelevant but actually they are completely relevant owing to the fact that the next 2 thirds of the book are nothing like the movie...
**Spoiler**
I wish Edmond had ended up with Mercedes as he does in the movie and I actually found myself feeling pity for the Villefort family. They did suffer a lot. I hated Mme Villefort. She just doesn't give up poisoning.. I Wish Danglers too had finally found that it was Edmond who caused his ruin but actually he fleas before that.

Overall, I loved it, especially the first and last thirds as they were so so thrilling and I read them quite fast. The middle part was kinda slow partly due to the introduction of so many new characters and their lives and because we don't immediately know the plans of Monte Cristo for them.. If you have watched the movie first as I did then please don't expect the revenge to be as small as it was in the movie. You have to have patience and let the book do its magic. ...more