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

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

A brilliant satisfying read!!!!

Riconfermo le mie cinque stelline per uno dei più avvincenti e completi romanzi di formazione che abbia mai letto. Non solo Dumas traccia un mirabile percorso di crescita esistenziale del personaggio di Edmond e ne segue le crude vicissitudini anche nei continui e drammatici momenti in cui la disillusione l'induce a disprezzare il consorzio umano e il cinismo sembra dover diventare il suo futuro habitus esistenziale, ma sa anche lasciar intravedere quello sviluppo interiore che condurrà Dantes a un livello superiore, a sublimare la vicenda occorsagli, a trascendere il suo particolarismo per approdare alle rive del perdono che concede la pace preclusa invece alla vendetta. Straordinario.

RILETTURA: la storia è nota, come pure le sue implicazioni. Pur con i limiti stilistici dovuti alla veneranda età, resta, a mio parere, uno dei capisaldi della letteratura mondiale. Non solo per la sapiente costruzione (ogni episodio, ogni scena, ha la sua perfetta collocazione causale nell'insieme), ma per le tematiche affrontate e per il finale che sembra proporre più visioni possibili. La giusta vendetta convive con il perdono. La vittoria del protagonista convive con la sconfitta dei nemici. L'esempio funge da educazione e da monito. La misura sembra essere l'elemento portante e uno deictabticnessaggi che l'autore sembra voler trasmettere. Capolavoro immortale.

This is an amazing book and a great story. I had put off reading this book for a very long time due to the sheer size of it and the fact I always have so many books to get through and this seemed like a real time consumer. But it was well worth the wait and the read.

This is one of those books that has been reviewed to death so I am just going to give my own views on how I liked it.

I loved the plot and how the story rolls, the characters are so well developed and believable. At times I did get a little dazed with all the names and all the name changes.

This is an amazing story of revenge and a wonderful insight into parasian life in the 1830s.

I really enjoyed this novel and its a real page turner.

I just (fall 2019) re-read this classic, which I hadn't read in ~ 15 years but was one of my favorites then and I'm glad to say, it still is. The artfulness of Monte Cristo's revenge is so slowly unveiled, after having been prepared by so many years by him, that it truly is impressive to read.

Also fascinating that this novel originally appeared as a series of articles in the newspaper in France. I also greatly enjoyed this as have lately spent a bunch of time in Marseille and the south of France.

This is the ultimate revenge story, and the count (not a big spoiler) gets his revenge. But it is also a story about happiness - does getting revenge on one's enemies make you happy or does it make you more miserable by pursuit of something dark? Do you need to have known suffering to know happiness or can you just be grateful for what you have? Personally, I don't think you need to know suffering first hand, but it is good to read books about it.

"There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, Morrel, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of living."

This is an exciting book, then a boring book, then an exciting book, then a boring book. Think of the waves in the sea and you're there. Dumas's writing is bold and adventurous, and the plot lines are intricate and well-executed. Most of the men are French, aristocratic and ego-maniacal; most of the women are surprisingly strong.

Would I recommend it? Yes, of course, it is a famous classic. Would I give it 5 stars or beg you to read it? No. I was disappointed by the ending and by the lack of growth in Cristo (who, for me became almost as depraved as his enemies).

I will remember some of the great lines I discovered here, and I am charmed and delighted to have finally "met" Alexandre Dumas. I love his bold approach to writing. It is easy for me to imagine him, a man of great appetite, polishing off an elegant French dinner before digging in to his fiction like a rich soufflé. What stamina! The Three Musketeers is definitely in my future.

I gave this book 5 stars originally when I read it in my teens - I was totally taken with it and despite its length I read it 2 or 3 times.

On re-read I still found it immensely absorbing, but despite the undeniable impression it made on me again with its emotional high and lows, I had a few issues with it.

Still, good ol' Al just knew what made/makes readers tick and how to spin a yarn.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story: it is something like this



some 200 years removed, when a one-man-army revenge story was the fashion



Though I am sure, if Marvel had existed back then, they would have bought the copyrights immediately.

I am utterly speechless…

Alright, buckle up folks because I'm about to rave about this book.

It is a literary masterpiece that'll leave you shook to the core! Seriously, it's so good that I'm struggling to find the right words to describe its sheer brilliance. This book deserves all the stars in the universe!

This book introduces us to the most mesmerizing and enigmatic character ever put to paper! The Count is the kind of person you'd be blessed to have as a friend, but chilled to the bones to have as a foe.

First things first, let's talk about Danglars and Fernand - oh boy, I hate them with a passion! Those two villains got me all riled up, and I couldn't wait to see them get their well-deserved comeuppance. But wait, there's more! Enter de Villefort, the cunning and devious master manipulator. This guy takes villainy to a whole new level, and you can't help but loathe him with every fibre of your being.

Now some specifics that I have already ranted about in my updates. That chapter "Number 34 and Number 27"? It's like watching a thrilling blockbuster movie, but even better!
The whole book plays out like a cinematic masterpiece, keeping you at the edge of your seat, fully invested in every twist and turn. And oh, "September the Fifth" - what a brilliant and moving chapter!

After delving into the epic and captivating world of this book it feels almost daunting to label any other book as ‘intriguing’. It has set the bar so high! How does one find another story that rivals its mesmerizing allure?

And the dialogues - pure gold! It feels so natural, not like some of the artificial and contrived conversations that may be found in some 19th-century novels. So, in an attempt to preserve 1200+ post-it tags I finally gave up underlining and marking the pages. Because I am surely going to revisit this book in the future. Also kudos to what I presume is a brilliant translation. (I used the Robin Buss translation)

Oh, that phrase pede poena claudo - retribution will come slowly but surely! Just reading it gives me chills. It perfectly sums up the essence of the book and adds that extra layer of depth.

But here's the conundrum - I was eager to know how it all comes together at the end, but I also didn't want it to end! That's how good the story is, keeping me hooked and yearning for more.

The brilliance lies not only in the intricacy of the plot but in the profound depths to which each character is etched. Dumas's penmanship embraces the nuances of human emotions, deftly revealing the pain, anguish, and desires that drive his characters. As the story unfolds, we find ourselves empathising with their struggles, celebrating their triumphs, and lamenting their tragic flaws. It is in this vulnerability that the reader truly connects with the characters. Their experiences become palpable, and we are compelled to journey alongside them, feeling their pain as if it were our own. In this novel, Dumas paints a vivid canvas of human nature, exploring the complexities of morality and the consequences of one's actions. We witness the characters grapple with their choices, making them all the more relatable and believable.

It's so amazing that I'd love to grab a mic and talk about it for 12-14 hours straight! It's a literary gem that deserves to be celebrated and cherished forever.

So, in conclusion, "The Count of Monte Cristo" is timeless classic that'll sweep you off your feet and keep you enchanted till the very last page. It continues to resonate with readers, a testament to the enduring power of true character portrayal. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, a tale of vengeance, redemption, and everything in between. It is a portrayal of the human spirit, flawed yet resilient. Dumas invites us to delve into the hearts and minds of his characters, experiencing their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears. With every turn of the page, the emotional depth of the characters draws us further into the narrative.

Do yourself a favor and grab a copy ASAP. You won't regret it!

mic drop

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. Babies are buried and brought back to life! Girls dress as men and abscond to faraway hotels! Men murder their wives in cold blood over diamonds! Paraplegic mutes communicate with only their eyeballs! 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.

A truly brilliant read. Moving, clever, compelling and very satisfying. Long, but so worth it.

Extravagant revenge story. Wronged man suffers extravagant imprisonment, upon escape from which he carries out extravagant revenge. My favourite part of which involves the manipulation of the latest technology to impoverish one of the bad guys. But in an odd moment the hero having extravagantly ruined one of the men who destroyed his life asks him if he recognises him and recalls the injury that he commits, doesn't on either count which completely undercuts the drive and energy of the story and perhaps forces us to wonder what the point of all this extravagant revenge is. However revenge when properly extravagant is a full time occupation to be interrupted only by some refreshing drug taking and intermittent meddling in the fashionable politics of the eastern Mediterranean. Revenge is here a way of life, and one can't help wonder if the revenge seeker might have found a better use for his time and extravagant fortune.