book review of count of monte cristo

Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Said to be inspired by the true-life story of Francois Picaud , who was a 19 th century shoemaker from Nimes accused of becoming a spy for the English and imprisoned in Fenestrelle fortress , The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic novel that is still well-loved today.

The Story of The Count of Monte Cristo

Set in Marseille, the story begins in February of 1815, when a ship, the Pharaon, comes into dock, lead by Edmond Dantes, first mate after they lost their captain at sea.

It becomes obviously from the start that Edmond is a popular young man with the majority of the crew. However, he is not so well-liked by others.

Firstly, it is believed that he will be named the next captain of the Pharaon, causing the jealousy of one man, Danglars, to be forced to the surface. He believed that Dantes was too young and far too stupid to lead the men and therefore would consider doing anything to thwart that plan. There is then a second man, his father’s neighbour Caderousse, who appears to openly covet Edmond’s current fortunes, which in the grand scheme of things, is hardly nothing at all. Thirdly and finally, the reader is introduced to a young Catalan man, Fernand, whose heart is being ripped apart because of Edmond’s return, for he himself had hoped to win the love and hand of Edmond’s girl, Mercedes.

Within hours of Edmond’s return to shore, the three men are seen sipping wine together, conspiring against Edmond.

But what are they planning? Death, it seems would be too drastic, but I get the sense that something just as tragic is about to happen.

“Absence separates as effectively as death; so just suppose there were the walls of a

prison between Edmond and Mercedes: that would separate them no

more nor less than a tombstone.” (Page 35)

Within moments together, Danglers has supposedly come up with a suggested plan knowing that Fernand would do absolutely anything to win Mercedes, even if she doesn’t really love him.

Jealousy does silly things to people and before we know it Dantes is being arrested at his engagement dinner and imprisoned for the crime of being a Bonapartist and for treason. Dantes has no idea what is going on, although he does know that he is not guilty and therefore convinces himself that everything will resolve itself and he will soon be back with his loved ones.

“The Château d’If is a state prison, meant only for major political

criminals. I haven’t committed any crime.” (Page 77)

As if going to prison for a crime he has not committed was not unjust enough, shortly after arriving Dantes is sent to the dungeons where he remains without exercise, reading materials or any social interaction, simply because he asked to speak to the Governor in order to try and clear up what he quite rightly thought, was a grave mistake.

Unbeknown to Dantes at the time, he was betrayed for a second time by the local magistrate, Villefort. While he believed that Villefort was going to help prove his innocence he was, in actual fact, doing the exact opposite. If Villefort declared that Dantes was not guilty of treason he would have been jeopardising those closest to him.

It is a decision that will ultimately destroy him later.

After years of being subjected to the confines of his cell, Dantes believes that the only way out is to slowly kill himself. Hanging isn’t an option, so he makes the drastic decision to starve himself. An act he would have succeeded in achieving had he not heard the scratching coming from next door.

He took this noise to be a sign from God. Finally, God had listened to his pleading and was providing a solution. For so long, he had been alone with only his personal, dark thoughts for company but now, there was someone else he could talk to.

Unfortunately, this solution appeared in the form of the madman, Abbe Faria, a man the prison long ago deemed beyond help and completely insane.

That madman however, went on to teach Dantes all he knew: languages, mathematics, and history. He also taught him how to remain mentally and physically prepared for anything. Most importantly though, he shared with Dantes the information of his unclaimed wealth; a wealth that many believed did not exist.

Sadly, after years together trying to break free, only one will succeed.

Thanks to Abbe Faria, Dantes time inside Chateau d’if were not spent in vain and he emerges a completely different person. He is no longer naïve to the world around him and is destined to achieve retribution on a grand scale.

“You look to me like a man who has been persecuted by society

and has a terrible account to settle with it.” (Page 317)

Will Dante successfully inflict pain and suffering on those that imprisoned him? Will he win the love of his life back?

This is a story of calculated planning and patience, and only time will tell if Dante has the ability to succeed.

My Thoughts on The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo may have been written in the 1800s, and yes the language does take time to get used to, but once you understand the sentence structure and use of formal language it is a story that jumps from the pages.

It is a story of vengeance and forgiveness that unfolds slowly. The reader gets to fully understand just how powerless Dantes feels with his situation and how helpless he is. It is difficult not to feel for the character and the treatment he has received for simply being what, I perceive at least, to be a pleasant, non-offensive, person. For this reason, I also saw it as a romantic love story of sorts. During the time of his incarceration the only thing keeping him alive is the thought of one day being reunited with the love of his life, Mercedes. It is his love for her that drives him forward, demonstrating the power that true love can have on the human psyche. His will to return to the arms of a loved one kept him going during those long years in solitude, without that hope he probably would have lost his fight for life.

It is however, also a story reflecting that revenge does not always satisfy. We often feel that when we are wronged we need to retaliate and then we will feel better but that is often not the case and The Count of Monte Cristo definitely highlights that. Dantes does in fact exact his revenge but is he any happier afterwards?

Finally, I suspect that the story also reflects the despair Dumas could have feeling at the time of writing. Perhaps, he was not simply noting down a story but also in an indirect way, was highlighting what was going on around him. The financial, political and judicial systems in France, during this time, were all corrupt and therefore The Count of Monte Cristo could also be demonstrating just how unsettled the country was.

Without worrying about the hidden meaning of the novel however this is a fantastic classic that more people should read. I know it is daunting to pick up a book with over 1200 pages, but I promise you this one is definitely worth it. The story is descriptive, no lagging, the dialogue is colourful and insightful and the main characters are all so well thought out and developed that you can visualise each and every one of them.

As a classic it encompasses many different genres – crime , historical fiction, fantastical melodrama and gothic romance, and therefore appeals to the masses. If you have yet to read any of Dumas’ work , and I know The Three Musketeers is his most popular novel, I strongly recommend you pick The Count of Monte Cristo up first.

Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo? Did you enjoy it? Which novels would you recommend to those that enjoy Dumas’ novels?

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The count of monte cristo, by alexandre dumas, recommendations from our site.

“It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, boy is wrongly imprisoned for many years, boy escapes, discovers enormous fortune on mysterious Mediterranean island, boy exacts revenge on the people who locked him up in the first place. It was a lockdown read for me: it’s 1200 closely-typed pages, and surprisingly thrilling given how long it is.” Read more...

Novels of the Rich and Wealthy

Andrew Hunter Murray , Comedians & Humorist

“ The Count of Monte Cristo it is about revenge and the cost of revenge. Being careful what you wish for. The other theme is about riches and wealth and what is truly valuable.” Read more...

The best books on Navigating the Future: a reading list for young adults

Chris Kutarna , Political Scientist

“It’s taken the French 200 years to realise that telling a good story is actually worthwhile and they’re putting statues up now.” Read more...

Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers

Jeffrey Archer , Novelist

Other books by Alexandre Dumas

The three musketeers by alexandre dumas, our most recommended books, middlemarch by george eliot, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, war and peace by leo tolstoy, beloved by toni morrison, world war z: an oral history of the zombie war by max brooks, season of migration to the north by tayeb salih.

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The Long Victorian

Sleep is good, books are better

Book review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Book review – The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

“Hatred is blind; rage carries you away; and he who pours out vengeance runs the risk of tasting a bitter draught.”

The Count of Monte Cristo is a 1250 page adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (working with a collaborator), originally serialised in a French Journal between 1844 to 1846. I read the Penguin Classics edition with the Robin Buss translation.

There is a limit to how many books you can read in a lifetime, so why not read the best or the most fun first? This one is a thumping good read and the ultimate revenge story. It is a tale that can satisfy the fantasies of anyone that has ever dreamed of winning the lottery. It is also the story of an individual victorious in the face of gross injustice, an evergreen theme.

In my own library I might catalogue this story under ‘Revenge fiction’, but I could equally place it under any of these:

• Children’s novels (in an abridged version).
• Adventure stories ( Best Action-Adventure Novels Voted no.9, Good Reads).
• Britain’s favourite novels ( The Big Read Voted no.20, BBC, 2003)
• Romance fiction ( Top Romance Novels of All Time Voted no.43, Good Reads).
• Crime fiction ( 1000 novels everyone must read , crime section, Guardian newspaper, 2009).
• Longest novels in literature (10 longest Penguin Classics/Modern Classics Article ).
• Prison escape literature ( Top 10 escapes in literature No. 1, Guardian newspaper, 2016).
• Historical fiction (anything set in a period prior to when published).
• Literary classics ( 100 greatest novels of all time No.14, Guardian newspaper, 2003).
• Most popular novels of all time (hugely read, but no reliable sales information).

Massive spoiler alert – almost everything is revealed here!

You are 19 years old, handsome, clever and about to marry the girl of your dreams. Your boss has made you captain of your own sailing ship. Then, on your wedding day, your world comes crashing down. You are accused of a political crime you know nothing about. There are no charges, no trial and you do not receive a formal sentence. And yet you spend the next fourteen years in solitary confinement in the dungeon of a notorious island prison. All that’s kept you going is the brief friendship and mentorship of a fellow prisoner (a cleric scholar) in the cell next door. And desire for revenge against those that tore up your life and threw you in that stinking place.

“It’s necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”

In an act of desperation you manage a daring escape. Within weeks you possess a treasure that has few equals on this earth. You are now 33 years old. Alas, your father has died of starvation. Your childhood sweetheart has married your arch-rival and they have a son. All the plotters who put you in your dungeon now ride high in French society. And yet you are gloriously rich. What will you do next? Have your R E V E N G E, of course. No ordinary revenge will do. It has to be exquisitely engineered and served as cold as the grave.

“You do not know that every day of those fourteen years I renewed the vow of vengeance which I had made the first day ..”

It is an extraordinary and rapid change, the Lord has smiled upon you, is it because you are an emissary of God? What comes next is high adventure and delicious melodrama with lashings of 1840s lifestyle porn. There are posh houses with fabulous decors. Dinners and balls. Fashion and opera. Hashish and a female serial poisoner.

“Oh, yes,” returned Monte Cristo; “I make no secret of it. It is a mixture of excellent opium, which I fetched myself from Canton in order to have it pure, and the best hashish which grows in the East—that is, between the Tigris and the Euphrates. These two ingredients are mixed in equal proportions, and formed into pills.”

Bandits and smugglers. Gun battles and duels. Affairs and romance. Two cases of infanticide and three suicides. Honour and skulduggery. Fraud and live burial. Political intrigue and corruption. Drug-induced sexual fantasies and displays of classical learning. Lost ships and lesbian escapes. Jail breaks and the risen dead. Stock market manipulations and bank collapses. Mysterious talk of vampires, ghosts and bodies in the garden. Whatever it is that you’re hoping for in a romping good read, it’s probably in here.

A LONG DRAWN OUT CONTROLLED EXPLOSION

This novel is the nineteenth century equivalent of Game of Thrones (TV series), but with more focus and a better ending. The writer of the novels that Game of Thrones is based on, George R. R. Martin, has said that he is often criticised for gratuitous material, especially “ unnecessary sex, violence, feasting and heraldry ” [ Interview , YT].

I take this to mean Martin adds material that takes up space, but does not further the plot. His view is “Advancing the plot is not what it’s all about, it’s about immersing [the reader] in the world.” Yet The Count of Monte Cristo is an example of how it is possible to both further the plot and immerse the reader in another world. Despite the huge cast of characters, twists and sub-plots, all the elements come together in the end. Have faith, dear reader. None of the plot is a red herring. All the reader needs to do is — ‘wait and hope’. (or just ‘ wait’ ) * . And this despite the fact that Dumas was paid by the line and the story serialised over many months. It could have so easily been a woolly mess, instead of the long drawn out controlled explosion that it is.

SLAVES AND SLAVERY I have never read a major nineteenth century novel that covers slaves and slavery as freely as The Count of Monte Cristo . For some readers this will be uncomfortable. In the novel there are two characters that were slaves and are “bought out” by the Count, and thereby gain their freedom.

“Everyone who surrounds me is free to quit me, and when they leave me will no longer have any need of me or anyone else; it is for that reason, perhaps, that they do not quit me.”

They both live in the Count’s house on the Champs-Elysees. The first is the staunchly loyal servant, Ali, who is mute so cannot speak for himself. Though capable, he is close to being a stock character and has a largely passive role. And the second is Haydée, a ‘Greek’ girl (actually she is Albanian). She also has a mostly passive role. It’s probably fair to say that she is adoring of the Count throughout. She has an interesting back story and tremendous character potential if only Dumas had invested more in this aspect of his story. The end of the novel seems rushed. We had travelled 1250 pages with Dumas, we could have managed another 50 to develop the relationship between the Count and Haydee. It is true there had been some heart breaking interactions between them. But Dumas did not spend enough time on their romantic relationship for their heading off together by sail boat to seem more than an afterthought. Ultimately it is only the love of Haydée that will save the Count.

THE COST OF REVENGE AND LESSONS LEARNED

Edmond Dantes begins the story as a naive young sailor with a simple education. He endures great hardship and injustice, before transforming himself and reappearing in the guise of the Count of Monte Cristo. As the Count he is on a mission of vengeance and has frightening superpowers to help him. He begins the novel as Bruce Banner and transforms himself into The Incredible Hulk .

“My kingdom is bounded only by the world, for I am not an Italian, or a Frenchman, or a Hindu, or an American, or a Spaniard—I am a cosmopolite. No country can say it saw my birth. God alone knows what country will see me die. I adopt all customs, speak all languages .. not one of the scruples that arrest the powerful, or the obstacles which paralyse the weak, paralyses or arrests me.”

As it happens the creator of The Hulk , Stan Lee, has said he was inspired in his creation by Frankenstein (1818) and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) [ BOOK REVIEW ]. As with the Hulk, the Count of Monte Cristo is extremely destructive in his rage. A burning desire for revenge gives Dantes the strength to endure captivity, the will to escape, and a life purpose once he is free. But it kills the young Dantes in the process.

“How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure.”

Lost innocence cannot be reclaimed. And our habits become part of us, good or ill. Over the course of the novel the Count has a victory of sorts, but it has cost him everything worth living for. He has a late realisation that his revenge has wreaked devastation on many people, some of them innocent. A new beginning is possible for the Count, but only by leaving vengeance to God, and risking the vulnerability of love.

“God has sustained me in my struggle with my enemies, and has given me this reward; he will not let me end my triumph in suffering; I wished to punish myself, but he has pardoned me. Love me then, Haydée! .. one word from you has enlightened me more than twenty years of slow experience; I have but you in the world, Haydée; through you I again take hold on life ..”

THE WRITING STYLE

The Dumas style of writing uses four colours: black and white, red (blood) and purple (prose). It’s direct, visual and easy to understand. The story is told using a rollicking devil-may-care approach that invites you to read holding your breath or smiling, rather than in admiration of the nuance and precision in the language.

According to the Italian writer and professor Umberto Eco, in an intriguing introduction to the Everyman edition of The Count of Monte Cristo (repeated in this article in The Paris Review ):

‘The Count of Monte Cristo is of course one of the most gripping novels ever written, and on the other hand one of the most badly written of all time and of all literatures.’

Eco says that he was commissioned to translate an edition of the novel, but abandoned the task after 100 pages despite his admiration for the book and the author:

The book is full of holes .. Shameless in repeating the same adjective from one line to the next .. it is mechanical and clumsy in its portrayal of feelings: the characters either quiver, or turn pale, or they wipe away large drops of sweat that run down their brow .. they rise convulsively from a chair and fall back into it, while the author always takes care, obsessively, to repeat that the chair onto which they collapsed again was the same one on which they were sitting a second before.

Even with a modern translation it is hard not to recognise some of that. But open up a translation from the 1800s and see what you find, bingo! It’s as Eco describes. And it is in the Victorian era that the novel built it’s reputation.

“But what are you about there? You were writing.” “I?” “Your fingers are stained with ink.” “Ah, true, I was writing. I do sometimes, soldier though I am.” Monte Cristo advanced into the room; Maximilian was obliged to let him pass, but he followed him. “You were writing?” said Monte Cristo with a searching look. “I have already had the honour of telling you I was” said Morrel.

Eco suggests that without radically altering the novel he could have removed 25% of the text, yet he decided to abandon the task because he felt that readers accepted and loved the eccentricities and weaknesses in the writing, it was part of what made it iconic and helped build the mythology that surrounds it. To appreciate Eco’s point, imagine re-editing and reducing by one quarter various iconic films so they have a more efficient, condensed style: Pulp Fiction , The Wicker Man , Casablanca , 2001 , Dr. Strangelove , or any Monty Python film. Unwise.

Eco also felt that dragging the novel’s prose out heightened the delight and agony. A pleasure [or pain] anticipated is a pleasure [or pain] doubled.

‘Dumas’s novel is a machine that prolongs the agony, where what counts is not the quality of the death throes but their duration.’

IF ONLY THERE HAD BEEN A SEQUEL

If only Dumas had written a sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo . Many of the characters are dead, in prison or the madhouse, but the most interesting ones are still alive. And now they must be more angry or feisty than ever. I’m not convinced Baron Danglars is finished (“ The rumours of my financial embarrassment were much exaggerated, it was merely a temporary setback, these things occur in public life.” ). And Gérard de Villefort’s discombobulated wits might recover given his predilection for self-justification, and when he remembers he still has a son left alive, his devious illegitimate offspring Benedetto. In a sequel the father and son would make a devilish combination and be compulsive reading. Perhaps the “dark forces” in the first novel would combine in the second and seek revenge on the Count, a man whose true identity they now know. Sadly we can only dream, the author himself never wrote a sequel (although there are seven written by other people).

… et voilà le fin de l’histoire!

* “ All human wisdom is contained in these two words – Wait and Hope ”, The Count of Monte Cristo.

Postscript:

WHO WROTE THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO ? In the first line of my book review, I say that the book was written by Alexandre Dumas (working with a collaborator), and I’m happy with that. But I would like to elaborate, read on if you’re interested – if not scroll down to a selection of quotes and illustrations from the novel.

1. Based on a true story 2. Dumas and his collaborator

1. BASED ON A TRUE STORY

The Count of Monte Cristo is based on the true-life story of Francois Picaud. Alexandre Dumas found the story in a collection of criminal cases recorded by Jacques Peuchet, a former police archivist. [‘ Historical memories from the archives of the Paris police ‘, 1838.]

Robin Buss’s introduction to the Penguin edition of the novel provides a good outline of that case:

Picaud .. was imprisoned in 1807, having been denounced by a group of friends as an English spy, shortly after he had become engaged to a young woman called Marguerite. The denunciation was inspired by a café owner, Mathieu Loupian, who was jealous of Picaud’s relationship with Marguerite. Picaud was eventually .. shut up in the castle of Fenestrelle, where he acted as servant to a rich Italian cleric. When the man died, abandoned by his family, he left his money to Picaud, whom he had come to treat as a son, also informing him of the whereabouts of a hidden treasure. With the fall of Napoleon in 1814, Picaud, now called Joseph Lucher, was released; in the following year, after collecting the hidden treasure, he returned to Paris. Here he discovered that Marguerite had married Loupian. Disguising himself, and offering a valuable diamond to Allut, the one man in the group who had been unwilling to collaborate in the denunciation, he learned the identity of his enemies. He then set about eliminating them, stabbing the first with a dagger on which were printed the words: ‘Number One’, and burning down Loupian’s café. He managed to find employment in Loupian’s house, disguised as a servant called Prosper. However, while this was going on, Allut had fallen out with the merchant to whom he had resold the diamond, had murdered him and had been imprisoned. On coming out of jail, he started to blackmail Picaud. Picaud poisoned another of the conspirators, lured Loupian’s son into crime and his daughter into prostitution, then finally stabbed Loupian himself. But he quarrelled with Allut over the blackmail payments and Allut killed him, confessing the whole story on his deathbed in 1828.

This is close to the plot of the famous novel with all it’s twists and turns, but it’s not a magical formula. It needs much adaptation and creative fire to make anything of it, let alone create a 176 year old classic. Interesting real life stories are out there waiting for budding writers to adopt them. All they need to do is pick one and develop it into a blockbuster yarn. Easier said than done, of course.

2. USING A COLLABORATOR:

In 1845 a critical pamphlet was published: ‘ Alexandre Dumas and Co, novel factory’ . The thrust of the accusation, apparently, was that Dumas was so productive it must be more than just him doing the writing. And indeed he is one of the most prolific writers of all time. Over his career, Dumas was responsible for about 650 books. [Source: Guardian , see below]

“[Examining] the Calmann-Lévy edition of his [Dumas’s] complete works. These run to some 37 million words, or an average of 16,000 words written weekly over four decades and 15 titles a year. Among them are novels both long and short which contain, it has been estimated, four thousand main characters, nine thousand secondary roles, and 25,000 walk-on parts.” [ source : Guardian newspaper].

Dumas supposedly said: “ I want to end my literary work of five hundred volumes with a cookery book ”. Well, he exceeded his desired 500. The cookbook appeared as Le Grand Dictionaire de Cuisine (1,150 pages).

How did he do it? Undoubtedly because of vast energy, much talent and a “write as I speak” writing method – but also by collaborating with others. Dumas never hid that he had a system of collaboration. If this shocks you, it shouldn’t. Most of us like to think that our favourite books are the work of a lone genius. The genius writes the manuscript in private, before taking it fully formed to the publisher for printing and releasing to the world. But it rarely happens like that today, and there is no reason to believe it was any more common in the past. Commercial publishing can be a vulgar trade. The same can be said of show business, the movie world and the music industry. It’s just that books are usually released with just one name on the front (the author).

Reading often feels like an intimate experience. You and the author alone together in conjugal bliss. Who wants to believe that there are several others in the bed? Most of the others will not be well known or distinguished. Editors and sub-editors. Proofers and professional readers. Researchers and translators. Old Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all. Working with a collaborator or ghost writer is a step beyond this, however, and should be acknowledged.

Arguably the best of Dumas’s writing was when he worked with one partner in particular, Auguste Macquet. Macquet trained as a historian, was a professor at the age of 18, switched to writing, and became close with various literary figures of the day. We don’t know exactly what support he provided, but it may have been historical research and then the breaking down of that research into chapter and plot outlines. He may also have included some character summaries. Once again, I am indebted to Robin Buss’s introduction to the Penguin edition of the novel for informing us that it was Macquet that suggested The Count of Monte Cristo include Dante’s arrest and imprisonment, rather than beginning the story in Rome (after the escape and the securing of the treasure).

Dumas and Maquet worked on 18 novels and many plays together, including The Count of Monte Cristo and the d’Artagnan Romances. The latter writer took the former to court three times.

Then in 1858, the pair fell out over money, which the debt-ridden Dumas owed his ghost writer. Maquet took him to court three times, asking not just for money but recognition. Article , Telegraph newspaper .

In one court case a judge awarded Maquet proceeds on their joint efforts, but refused to allow joint accreditation on the books because “ Dumas without Maquet would have been Dumas: what would Maquet have been without Dumas?” . My hunch is that this was a good decision. The Count of Monte Cristo’s page turning qualities come from it’s daredevil charm, unstoppable energy and joy of life. These are qualities that appear to have been part of Dumas’s own character, rather than Maquet’s. But I wasn’t there, so what do I know?

If you enjoy the work of Alexandre Dumas, be happy that he worked with a number of collaborators and was able to be so prolific. If you haven’t read him yet, he influenced many other writers, so you have probably enjoyed him vicariously.

SELECTED QUOTES (not used elsewhere):

• ‘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.’
• “All human wisdom is contained in these two words – Wait and Hope”
• “The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
• “…The friends we have lost do not repose under the ground…they are buried deep in our hearts. It has been thus ordained that they may always accompany us…”
• “I have always had more dread of a pen, a bottle of ink, and a sheet of paper than of a sword or pistol.”
• “Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realise the blessings of fair weather.”
• “I don’t think man was meant to attain happiness so easily. Happiness is like those palaces in fairy tales whose gates are guarded by dragons: we must fight in order to conquer it.”
• “…remember that what has once been done may be done again.”
• “And now…farewell to kindness, humanity and gratitude. I have substituted myself for Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked.”
• “Yet man will never be perfect until he learns to create and destroy; he does know how to destroy, and that is half the battle.”
• “He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”
• “Your life story is a novel; and people, though they love novels wound between two yellow paper covers, are oddly suspicious of those which come to them in living vellum.”
• “We frequently pass so near to happiness without seeing, without regarding it, or if we do see and regard it, yet without recognising it.”
• “Ah,” said the jailer, “do not always brood over what is impossible, or you will be mad in a fortnight.”
• “God is always the last resource. Unfortunates, who ought to begin with God, do not have any hope in him till they have exhausted all other means of deliverance.”
• “I have no fear of ghosts, and I have never heard it said that so much harm had been done by the dead during 6,000 years as it brought by the living in a single day.”
• “My son, philosophy as I understand it, is reducible to no rules by which it can be learned; it is the amalgamation of all the sciences, the golden cloud which bears the soul to heaven.”
• “Yes; I am a supercargo; pen, ink, and paper are my tools, and without my tools I am fit for nothing.”
• “Great is the truth, fire can not burn, nor water can drown it!”
• “A man is always in a hurry to be happy.”
• “God may seem sometimes to forget for a while, whilst his justice reposes, but there always comes a moment when he remembers.”
• “Danglars [the banker] was one of those men born with a pen behind the ear, and an inkstand in place of a heart. Everything with him was multiplication or subtraction.”
• “What is life? Is it not a hall in Death’s anteroom?”
• “Say no more, I entreat you. I do what I please, M. Beauchamp, and it is always well done.” “Sir,” replied the young man, “honest men are not to be paid with such coin.”

ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO:

The black and white illustrations here are by G. Staal (1817-1882), J.A. Beauce (1818-1875) and ‘Other eminent French artists’.

(1) The young Edmund Dantès and Mercedes.

(2) The notorious Château d’If island prison.

(3) Edmund Dantès in his d ungeon, enduring fourteen years in s olitary confinement. Illustration from the premiere of a theatre production (1848).

(4) An unexpected guest for Edmond Dantes.

(5) Abbé Faria, cleric scholar and mentor of Edmund Dantès.

(6) (i) The death of Abbé Faria in the d ungeons. (ii) Prisoner number 34, pretends to be number 27 and escapes.

(7) ‘Alone with these countless, these unheard of fabulous treasures.’

Three compartments divided the coffer. In the first, blazed piles of golden coin; in the second, were ranged bars of unpolished gold, which possessed nothing attractive save their value [a thousand ingots of gold, each weighing from two to three pounds] in the third, Edmond grasped handfuls of diamonds, pearls, and rubies, which, as they fell on one another, sounded like hail against glass.

(8) Three major characters from the novel: (i) Gérard de Villefort: Chief deputy prosecutor, (ii) Baron Danglars: Dantès’ junior officer and later a wealthy banker, and (iii) Gaspard Caderousse, originally a tailor and later the owner of an inn. He fails to protect Dantès and then turns to crime.

(9) Much digging in the Auteuil garden – but for what?

(10) How a Gardener [or Telegrapher] May Get Rid of the Dormice that Eat His Peaches

(11) Edmond Dantes and Haydee. Illustration by James E. McConnell.

(12) Illustration of Fernand Mondego and Edmund Dantès – from chapter XCII “ Le suicide ”.

(13) The real Chateau d’If. A fortress (and later a prison) located on the island of If in the Mediterranean Sea, about 1.5 kilometres (7⁄8 mile) offshore of Marseille, France.

(14) The real island of Monte Cristo (‘Montecristo’). Located in the Tyrrhenian Sea and administered by Italy. The island is 10.39 km 2 or 4.01 miles 2 .

CREATED TO PROMOTE THE BOOK REVIEW:

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12 thoughts on “ book review: the count of monte cristo by alexandre dumas ”.

• Pingback: The Classics Club / My reading list – The Long Victorian – c.1789 – 1914

What a great review! I love the illustrations you used. This is my husband’s favorite book! (I will need to read it, per my dear husband’s request.)

Like Liked by 1 person

Thank you! I say on my About page that, as a page turner (“thumping good read”), I rate it second only to The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. 😀

And that’s another book my husband loves! I will send him to your website!

Your husband has great taste in books. 😎

I’ve been needing to read this book for a while!

It’s waiting patiently for you until you’re ready. Which translation you read might make a bit of a difference to your enjoyment. Someone has put up a web page about that: https://spjg.com/2018/12/11/which-english-edition-of-the-count-of-monte-cristo-should-i-read/ – Although I didn’t see this until after I had chosen my edition.

thanks for sharing!

I like holding my breath and smiling so this is definitely one for the list!

Ha ha .. 😀 I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. But not a quick read, of course.

I might put it on my next classics list so I can give myself plenty of time

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The Count of Monte Cristo

By alexandre dumas.

A prisoner escapes from Château d'If, a fortress in Mediterranean Sea, opening a tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption that has captivated readers for ages.

About the Book

Article written by Ebuka Igbokwe

Bachelor's degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ is an adventure novel written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. It tells the story of Edmond Dantes, falsely accused of treason and imprisoned without trial, who escapes and plots revenge against those responsible for his imprisonment. The themes handled in this novel include revenge, the vicissitudes of life, honor, and debt. ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ is an all-time classic, inspiring movie and comic book adaptations and theatre productions since its publication in the 19 th century.

Key Facts about The Count of Monte Cristo

• Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
• Published: 1844-1846
• Literary Period: Romantic Literature
• Genre: Adventure, Historical Novel
• Point of View : Third person
• Setting: set mainly in France
• Climax: Edmund Dantes and Ferdinand Mondego face off in a duel.

Alexandre Dumas and The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas reported getting the inspiration to write ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ as a revenge tale from a vignette published by a police archivist. Dumas had also published a short novel, ‘ George ’, from which he borrowed ideas and plot devices for this novel.

Born in Picardy, France, in 1802, Alexandre Dumas was the son of a well-decorated French general, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. His father died when he was only four, and young Dumas grew up in poverty. He worked for a brief period with Louis-Philippe before he became king and started his career as a playwright before establishing himself as a novelist. Alexandre Dumas had an immensely successful career, both in popularity and financially rewarding, publishing such well-known and influential literary works such as ‘ The Three Musketeers ’, ‘ The Man in the Iron Mask ’, and ‘ The Corsican Brothers ’.

The story of ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ is a classic tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption. Set in France in the 19th century, the story tells of Edmond Dantes, a young sailor falsely accused of treason and jailed without trial in Chateau d’If. He meets here an Italian priest, Abbe Faria, who instructs him and reveals to him where he has hidden treasure. Dantes escapes, finds and retrieves the treasure, and returns to society, transformed into the count of Monte Cristo. His sole purpose was to exact revenge on those who conspired to destroy him. With intricate plotting, captivating characters , and a masterful blend of adventure and intrigue, ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ is a spellbinding masterpiece, enchanting generations with its themes of vengeance , forgiveness, and the pursuit of retribution.

Books Related to The Count of Monte Cristo

These are also books related to ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ written by the same author.

• ‘ The Black Tulip’ is a novel by Dumas exploring similar themes of revenge and love. In 1672, in the Netherlands, the de Witt brothers Johann and Cornelius were lynched as rebels against William II of Orange. In this story, Dumas tells of a fictional godson of Cornelius de Witt, Cornelius van Baerle, who was engaged in the challenge set by the city of Haarlem that invited gardeners to grow a black tulip for a chance to win 100,000 francs. Fearing Cornelius is close to a breakthrough, an envious neighbor falsely accuses him of being a rebel with his godfather and has him imprisoned. He falls in love with Rosa, his jailer’s daughter, who helps him continue his pursuit of the grand prize.
• ‘ The Three Musketeers ’ is a historical novel by Alexandre Dumas, featuring an intrepid young Gascon, D’Artagnan, who comes to Paris to join the famed Musketeers of the Guard. He meets and becomes friends with the three musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and the group becomes involved in intricate political schemes and romantic intrigues of the French royal court.

If you liked ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’, you may like these books by other authors.

• ‘ Hamlet ’ is a play by Shakespeare with revenge woven into courtly drama. Claudius murders the King of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. He takes the throne and marries Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet pretends to be insane but works his revenge against his uncle and his mother in secret. His uncle, afraid of Hamlet’s revenge, also devises plots targeted at eliminating him.
• ‘ Les Miserables ’ written by Victor Hugo , is also a work chronicling historical events contemporary with the events of ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’. The novel’s protagonist, Jean Valjean, is just released on parole after serving a nineteen-year prison sentence for stealing to feed his starving family. He breaks the terms of his parole and escapes the dogged pursuit of the policeman Javert. He changes his name and turns his life around, but in demanding justice for an unfortunate prostitute, he comes into conflict once again with his police nemesis.

Lasting Impact of The Count of Monte Cristo

How does one judge the lasting impact of a classic? In its time, ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ was an instant and runaway success . People talked about the novel as a popular and current event. It was considered the most popular book published in Europe at the time. The story has had such an impact that it has been translated into many languages and has never been out of print in most of these languages.

The success of the novel has sparked sequels and related stories from various authors ever since. It has also inspired great works of fiction. Alfred Bester retold a science-fiction version of it called, ‘ The Stars My Destination .’ Stephen King’s novella, ‘ Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption ’, heavily referenced the novel, and adapted some of its plot devices in its storytelling. It tells of an unjustly imprisoned man who digs his way out and escapes from an island prison. The novella was also adapted into a movie called ‘ The Shawshank Redemption ’, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

A gold mine, a luxury Cuban cigar manufacturer, and several casinos bear the name Monte Cristo, paying homage to Dumas’s fictional creation. This incident proves the cultural impact of the novel. Interestingly, the name is often associated with wealth and luxury.

No fewer than twenty-five notable movie adaptations have been made of the novel, and enthusiasts have made countless stage productions, comic books, and radio performances, too. In addition, even when unrelated to the plot of Edmond Dantes’ classic tale of betrayal and revenge, many movies attach the name of Monte Cristo to their title, borrowing from the story’s enduring star power and recognizability.

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Classic review: The Count of Monte Cristo

A swashbuckling new edition of a story that never grows old.

• By Erik Spanberg

February 6, 2011

[This review from the Monitor's archives originally ran on July 14, 2009.] The Count of Monte Cristo , Dumas’s doorstop of derring-do, demonstrates its durability yet again, this time in a newly edited version led by a perceptive essay by Italian master of letters Umberto Eco . In the name of the throes, Eco outlines all of the novel’s excesses and weaknesses but still pronounces it irresistible.

He’s right in every sense. Dumas suffers from logorrhea, induced by the simple formula that the more he wrote, the more money he made. Beyond that pecuniary circumstance, the author serialized his works, forcing endless repetition of scenes and dialogue in an attempt to ensure continuity. This newly edited version of “Monte Cristo” offers some streamlining, but it hasn’t been noticeably trimmed.

After all, any novel running close to 1,200 pages cannot be deemed overedited. So it must be said of the latest Dumas. To this reader, who has read other editions of the book several times, the Everyman’s version retains the heft and majesty of “Monte Cristo” in all of its breathtaking glory.

6 books to beat the winter blues

Dumas published the book in 1846. It is no exaggeration to say “Monte Cristo” still ranks as one of the most exciting stories imaginable, one every bit as good as anything Steven Spielberg or J.K. Rowling could ever conjure up.

Edmond Dantes, a young sailor on the cusp of being named captain of a cargo ship and preparing to marry his sweetheart, becomes the victim of a plot by envious rivals. It leads to false imprisonment of the worst kind, with young Dantes banished to the 19th-century French version of Alcatraz .

Dantes is an innocent of spectacular proportions, clueless as to who has conspired against him – and just as ignorant about how horrible his prospects for ever seeing daylight again have become.

As Eco notes, Dumas pulls off three spectacular narratives in “Monte Cristo.” He tells the story of a wronged innocent man, relates a spectacular hidden-treasure scenario, and caps the fall and rise of his hero’s fortunes with a thrilling series of vendettas allowing readers the endless satisfaction of seeing retribution delivered with violent verve.

Those are technical descriptions of what Dumas accomplishes. Better put, Edmond Dantes makes James Bond , Indiana Jones , and Jason Bourne look in the mirror and wonder why nothing interesting ever happens.

Among other things, Dantes escapes certain death after being thrown off a cliff while wrapped in a shroud, dabbles with pirates and smugglers, disguises himself as an Italian priest and a British aristocrat and, just for grins, floats easily among high society and lowlife thieves across Europe and the Far East .

Eventually Dantes morphs into the count of the Italian islet of Monte Cristo. He then commands a hidden grotto filled with otherworldly comforts and a staff of loyal servants ready to serve up Cordon Bleu cuisine, not to mention untold riches that afford him the luxury of re-creating this Neverland wherever he travels. It’s enough to make Jerry Bruckheimer wonder why his plots lag so.

And, of course, Monte Cristo is an expert shot and swordsman; navigates oceans in a custom yacht; dabbles in potions and poisons; and still manages to know the latest in fashion, opera, and financial speculations. This last carries more than a whiff of contemporary urgency: Fortunes dissolve in hours or days as schemes thinner than the paper they’re written on devolve into financial ruin, with panic and yo-yo markets driven by greed and corruption.

As much as anything, Dumas sheds a withering light on political machinations and intrigue during the time of Napoleon’s Hundred Days. Paranoia and accusations fly, with people powerful and otherwise jailed, ruined – even killed – by insinuation and negligible betrayals.

“Monte Cristo” hews to stock characters, but these stereotypes brim with life because of the extraordinary circumstances and delightful coincidences Dumas draws around them. Of course the three conspirators against Dantes in his youth become respected if tenuous aristocrats 15 years later, just as the newly christened Count of Monte Cristo begins plotting to balance the ledger.

Eco, in an unspoken nod to Mark Twain , doubts the aesthetic art of “Monte Cristo,” but salutes the novel’s narrative drive. It’s another way of saying it’s not Twain’s definition of a classic (“something everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read.”) Instead, because it is so readable, “Monte Cristo” is still difficult to put down more than 150 years after being first published.

For all his digressions and overwriting (once Eco tips a reader off to speakers in the novel turning “pale,” it seems impossible to make it two paragraphs without seeing this and other verbal tics), Dumas delights with his insatiable appetites for digression and observation.

One of but many examples comes in a conversation between Dantes’s Italian priest and a lesser conspirator:

‘Ah!’ said the abbe, with a peculiar tone, ‘he is happy.’ ‘Happy! Who can answer for that? Happiness or unhappiness is the secret known but to oneself, and walls have ears, but no tongue....’

Does anyone talk like this? Doubtful, but no matter. Dumas, much like Edmond Dantes, can get away with just about anything. Erik Spanberg is a freelance writer in Charlotte , N.C.

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Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Lessons from the count of monte cristo.

These are some of the big lessons from The Count of Monte Cristo. Many classics have profound lessons, and that's why they are labelled classics.

• Having mentors in life is so important.
• Money should not be hoarded but used to help others to do good.
• Revenge is never a good thing.
• Feed your mind and master the fundamental knowledge in your field.
• Be compassionate.
• Forgive, forgive, and forgive.

Who is The Count of Monte Cristo for?

• Anyone who loves a good story.
• People who love reading the classics.
• People who love global fiction.

At over 500 pages, the Penguin, Signet Classic version of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is an abridged version, so the original must have been very long. While reading the book, I didn’t feel as if I missed anything. The book was first published in a serialized format from 1844-1845.

What Is the Count of Monte Cristo About?

In the story, 19 year old Edmond Dantès , a sailor, has just returned from a voyage. Dantès has a very happy personality and is very grateful for life. After being away for a few months, he goes to visit his father and then on to see his beloved Mercedes. While on the voyage, Captain Leclère dies from brain fever, but before this happens, he givse Dantès two envelops to deliver. Though Dantes is quite young he captains the Pharaon to their final destination – Marseilles . Before he docks the ship, Dantès takes the time to deliver one of the letters.

Dantès and Mercédès are deeply in love and plan to get married. Monsieur Fernand Mondego is also in love with Mercédès and is jealous of Dantès. Monsieur Danglars, the purser of the Pharaon, is envious of Dantès because the owner of the Pharaon, M. Morrel makes him the new ship captain. During the bethrothal feast, Dantès is arrested for being a Bonapartist faction, but is not told anything about the charges.

The Count Of Monte Cristo Theatrical Trailer HD

If you cannot view the YouTube movie trailer of The Count of Monte Cristo, please click here .

During Dantès’ examination by M. de Villefort, the Deputy Procureur Du Roi, believes what he is hearing, but when he reads the second letter that Dantès is supposed to deliver, he is quite frightened and burns the letter, telling the young man not to ever tell anyone about the letter suggesting that the contents would harm him. The letter that Dantès is supposed to deliver is addressed to M. de Villefort’s father, who is a Bonapartist. If anyone sees the letter it would be damaging to  M. de Villefort’s career. Dantès is very naive and believes that he will be freed, but that wasn’t to be the case. He is imprisoned at the Château d’If for 14 years.

The next part of the story is critical to the plot because it’s the point in Dantès’ life when he becomes awakened. His fellow inmate is a learned priest, Abbé Faria , who is also condemned to lifelong imprisonment. Abbé Faria also has an escape plan. Both can relate to each other because they are wrongfully accused. Abbé Faria asks Dantès to relate everything that happened to him prior to imprisonment and they would figure out what really happened. The important thing that Faria wants to know is who stood to gain the most from Dantès imprisonment – surprise, surprise, Fernand and Danglars.

The priest was regretful that he helped Dantès to figure out the people who did him wrong, because he loses his innocence and now wants revenge. Abbé Faria becomes a mentor to Dantès, and he is a worthy one. At the time, Dantès had been in prison four or five years. The priest commits to teaching Dantès all he knows during the next two years and they draw up a plan to do so. He teaches Dantès history, mathematics, physics and the three or four languages he knew. Dantès’ mind was like a sponge, “Dantès had a prodigious memory and a great facility for assimilation. The mathematical turn of his mind gave him aptitude for all kinds of calculation, while the sense of poetry that is in every sailor gave life to dryness of figures and severity of lines.

Abbé Faria and Dantès develop a true friendship, one of give and take, and they develop a great trust between each other. The priest however suffers from cataleptic fits and has one. He had the opportunity to tell Dantes what to do and the young man gives him the medicine and brings him back from the brink.

Abbé Faria discloses the whereabouts of a treasure that he will seek when he escapes from prison and offers Dantès half when they escape. These two men demonstrate patience while they execute their escape plan. Though Dantès wants revenge against those who did him wrong, there is much goodness within him, and even when freedom is close by, he decides to stay with the priest. The priest tells him when he dies, Dantès should execute the escape plan and all the treasure is his. When Abbé Faria has the third attack, it’s fatal.

When the gaolers do their daily check on the prisoners in the dungeon they realize that Abbé Faria is dead. The priest is placed in a death sack for burial. Dantès gets the idea to swap the priests body and lie in the death sack, so he makes the switch. He makes sure that he has an implement to dig himself out of the grave. Dantès does not realize that inmates have a watery grave because they are thrown into the sea. They weight him down so the body will sink when thrown into the sea, and fortunately for him he has a knife and uses it to free himself, and his ability as a strong swimmer saves him.

Dantès is picked up by pirates and has a prepared story about who he is. Even though he is free, he doesn’t seek the treasure immediately, instead he spends months working as a sailor for the pirates until the time is right, timing is always everything. The treasure is exactly where Abbé Faria figured out where it would be and it is vast. Dantès becomes the Count of Monte Cristo, and because so many years has elapsed since he was imprisoned, his features have changed, so his old “friends” are not able to recognize him. However, he is able to recognize all of them.

Abbé Faria trained and mentored Dantès well, so he knows what it is like to be patient, and one of the things that I admire about him is that he also uses some of the treasure to do good. The story really takes off from here as he investigates and learns how his father died and what became of his love, Mercédès. Fernand has married Mercédès and is now known as Count de Morcerf.

The story is actually quite gripping, and Dantès masterfully executes his plan of revenge against those who harmed him. Mercédès discovers that Dantès is the Count of Monte Cristo and appeals to him to spare her son’s life, when the two are supposed to fight a duel. He listens to her, which says that he has not lost all his compassion and goodness. The key players who had a hand in his imprisonment suffer terribly.

Maybe I expect too much, but I didn’t find the end of the story gratifying, it feels unfinished to me.

Should You Read The Count of Monte Cristo?

The Count of Monte Cristo Book and Video

Alexandre dumas books.

Further Reading

• Interview With Invisible Mentor Sean MacDonald, Lawyer for the Wrongfully Convicted
• Interview With Invisible Mentor Sean MacDonald, Lawyer for Wrongfully Convicted Part Two
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – BBC Radio Drama
• Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
• The count of Monte Cristo Download from Gutenberg.org

Video Credit: Uploaded by  ShauntProductions  on Apr 3, 2010

About the Author  Avil Beckford

Hello there! I am Avil Beckford, the founder of The Invisible Mentor. I am also a published author, writer, expert interviewer host of The One Problem Podcast and MoreReads Success Blueprint, a movement to help participants learn in-demand skills for future jobs. Sign-up for MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World today! In the meantime, Please support me by buying my e-books Visit My Shop , and thank you for connecting with me on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest !

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Reading The Count of Monte Cristo For The First Time: The Ultimate Guide

• by Bilyana Ivanova
• February 6, 2024 February 6, 2024

Tips and trick on finishing this epic 1000+ pages classic book by Alexandre Dumas

NOTE:   This article about The Count of Monte Cristo is spoiler-free ! I mention certain chapters, key locations and sections of the book, for the sake of context, but there’s no mention of any events that aren’t featured on the back-cover blurb. You can safely read this post without ruining your reading experience of the novel.

The Count of Monte Cristo , or Le Comte de Monte-Cristo as is the original French title, is a lengthy novel by  Alexandre Dumas . The book contains one of the most epic literary tales of adventure, romance and revenge, following the life of the protagonist Edmond Dantès.

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

One of my dearest teenage memories is reading  The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time during summer break. It was on our list of mandatory books for the next school year, along with a bunch of other 18th and 19th century classics. I had no prior knowledge of the story, the author or the length of the book — our teacher didn’t inform us there was an abridged version. So when I went to my local library (a good habit for sustainable reading ) and picked up a 1980’s edition of the novel, split in two hard cover tomes, all making up over 1200 pages with a few illustrations in-between, I was rightfully a little intimidated.

I packed my bags to visit my grandparents at their village for a few days and took the novel with me.  Then I started reading.   The Count of Monte Cristo  captivated me from the very first pages. I spent countless hours not taking a minute’s break from this incredible book, my vision got so blurry one evening my grandma had to cut cold cucumber slices for me to put on my eyes for relief 😅

If you’re an avid reader, you’ve surely seen this book mentioned numerous times on many “best books of all time” lists. But maybe you haven’t read many classics, prefer a different genre or simply you’re put off by the length of the novel. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered: I’ve compiled a number of tips that will hopefully motivate you to finally start the book or pick it up again from your ‘did not finish’ pile.

Let’s get reading!

Why You Should Read The Count Of Monte Cristo ?

If you’re going to start reading  The Count of Monte Cristo , get ready for:

• An exciting page-turner that keeps you engaged and wanting more and more.
• Complex and morally ambiguous characters to love and hate.
• A satisfying and unpredictable story with many layers.
• The pride of finishing one of the longest and best classics ever written.

Reading through  The Count of Monte Cristo  you’ll encounter many moments scattered throughout the story that seem like nothing, but in the end everything connects. As a reader, there are few things more satisfying about a mysterious story than having even the tiniest things have great consequences. Every small detail is a vital ingredient in a complex plot and character development, resulting in a timeless classic like no other.

The Length and Structure of The Count of Monte Cristo

One of the first considerations when approaching a lengthy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo is its sheer size. It’s simply a big chonker, there’s no ignoring it. With over 1,200 pages in some unabridged editions , the book can look pretty scary to readers who are used to shorter works. However, it’s important to remember that the length of a book does not necessarily determine its difficulty.

In fact, The Count of Monte Cristo is so captivating and readable, that once you get into it it’ll be impossible to put down. I originally read the book in about a week and my eyes were not happy about it. 😀

The novel is divided into numerous chapters, each with its own subplots and character developments.

Fun fact: the book was originally published by Dumas as serialized chapters in a French newspaper. That’s why so many chapters kind of read like their own self-contained mini-story and end with a cliffhanger that keeps you flipping the pages.

I find that this structure helps to break up the story into digestible sections. The unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo c ontains 118 chapters . Additionally, the chapters are relatively short so it’s pretty easy to read from section to section in one sitting.

Is The Count of Monte Cristo a Challenging Read?

Other than the sheer size of it, another aspect that may influence the percecived readability of the novel is the language and writing style used by Alexandre Dumas . The book has been translated into numerous languages over the years. While most translations aim to capture the essence of the original work, some readers may find the language and vocabulary to be archaic or challenging.

However, I find that the plot is so mesmerizing and captivating that it’s very difficult to put down once you get into it.

And how you read The Count of Monte Cristo is a matter of your mindset too. Don’t approach the book as if you would a contemporary novel. The writing style reflects the time period during which it was written, so you may need to adjust your expectations to immerse yourself in the historical context.

Once you become acclimated to the French names, historical speech patterns and writing style, you can fully appreciate the richness and beauty of Dumas’ prose.

Reader experiences and perspectives

I should note that individual experiences with reading The Count of Monte Cristo can vary widely. I’ve spent countless hours reading Goodreads reviews of the novel and even though this is my favorite book of all time, some of the one and two star reviews are making valid points.

The truth is, what one reader may find enthralling, another may find challenging . Some people relish in the complexity of the plot: they love the depth of the characters, the slow build-up towards a satisfying payoff, and the intricacies of the writing style. Others may struggle to keep track of the numerous subplots and side characters .

Who the heck is Luigi Vampa??

Ultimately, it all boild down to your preferences, prior reading experiences, and commitment to tackling a lengthy and complex literary work. While it may require more time and concentration compared to shorter novels, I find that the rewards of completing The Count of Monte Cristo are well worth the effort.

How to annotate The Count of Monte Cristo

On your first read I would suggest devouring the book in the best way that suits you. But if you’re someone who enjoy annotating and dog-earing your favorite moments, get ready with some book tabs and highlighters because there’s a lot to love here.

I suggest setting up an annotation system that includes at least the following:

• Character descriptions : There are a lot of characters that appear all throughout the story, some of which disappear for many chapters, only to play a pivotal role later on.
• Major plot points : Dumas weaves a tangled web of events, some of which take hundreds of pages until they’re brought up again. If you don’t want to miss out on any of the details, it’s best to highlight pivotal moments to keep tabs on.
• Favorite moments and  quotes : Get ready with a lot of tabs because you’re sure to find many witty lines, paragraphs on morality, love and wisdom to mark down.

The 2 Sections Of The Novel Where Readers Quit

The Count of Monte Cristo  is one of those chunky books that some readers struggle getting all the way through. I fell in love with the book almost instantly and had no issue reading 300 pages a day, but that’s not everyone’s experience. During my research, I concluded that there are two main sections of the novel, that trip up readers and cause them to give up on finishing this must-read classic:

1. The opening chapters

The beginning of the book, from chapters I to chapter XV in an unabridged version, is the first critical part of the story where a lot of readers give up on  The Count of Monte Cristo . The main reason is the intro is  very  heavy with exposition. In fact, it consists almost entirely of moments setting up plot lines, characters and mysteries that get resolved much later down the line.

How to get through the intro section without DNF-ing the book:

Personally, I enjoy these chapters, but I can see why people quit here: it’s about 100 pages worth of nothing more than worldbuilding. But that’s the thing. The story  could  probably work if we have a couple of longer chapters that set up the plot into motion more concisely and then we jump straight into what everyone points out as the best part of the book — the Château d’If years. But if you want to get through these without feeling like they’re a drag you must get curious:

• Get to know the main characters:  Throughout the novel you’ll be following a large set of characters, each with their quirks and motivations. These first chapters are the best way to get to know how each of them thinks and what drives them to take the actions they do.
• Play detective and highlight future references:  While annotating the book on a re-read, I loved highlighting moments of foreshadowing that had direct consequences and payoff in future chapters. It’s immensely satisfying how everything is so well connected. If you’re reading for the first time, stay vigilant and see if you can spot all the little hints of things to come.
• Immerse yourself in 1800’s Marseille :  The Count of Monte Cristo is set during one of the most interesting eras of French history and has a lot of references to real historical events and figures. During the first chapters you learn a lot about the culture and political situation in the country, which impacts some of the major plot lines of the story.

2. The Italian affair

As I was reading different takes on why people stopped reading  The Count of Monte Cristo , a lot of people mentioned they got whiplash from the narrative switch in chapters 31 and onwards. This is the section where I, as someone who  always  cites this book as my all-time-favorite, also struggled getting through. Without major spoilers, the story suddenly takes us on seemingly a completely different journey and for a while feels like you’re reading a new story altogether. A lot of people also cite these chapters as “filler” content that can be easily cut off without much consequence to the overarching plot.

Here’s how to survive the “filler” chapters:

• Get familiar with the new characters : Just like in the beginning of the book, this narrative switch brings forth some new characters, who are pivotal until the very last chapter of the book. The shift in perspective marks the transition from one identity to another. The story takes place over multiple decades and locations, and the characters, much like real people, change in almost unrecognizable ways at times.
• Remember the context of how the book was first published : If you didn’t know, Dumas originally wrote  The Count of Monte Cristo  as an episodic story, published serially in a newspaper between August 1844 and January 1846. Allegedly, he was paid for his work by wordcount, so unsurprisingly he did what he could to drag out certain sections. Take this as an opportunity to spend a longer time enjoying this adventure, because you’ll be left craving more once the story inevitably ends.
• The setup for a master plan:  One of the best things about  The Count of Monte Cristo  is how even the smallest details make sense and have a payoff in the end. At first you might be confused why you should care now that things have changed so much, but trust me, there’s a reason for all the events and as you keep reading you’ll find out why they’re important 😉

General advice for reading longer classics

I want to mention a few key takeaways for reading not just  The Count of Monte Cristo , but also other bulkier books and historical fiction classics:

• Set aside time and be patient with the book : Reading is a slow, solitary activity that requires focus and patience. You won’t get through 1000+ pages in a day, so be prepared to invest time into reading this long book. Depending on your pace and free time, it can take from a little less than a week to months to get through the entire story. An unabridged version of the novel is anywhere between 850 to ‎‎1270 pages long. If you read an average of 50 pages a day, it can take anywhere from 17 to 25 days to finish the book.
• Find a reading buddy : Even if you don’t have an irl friend to commit to reading  The Count of Monte Cristo  together, there are online reading clubs, social media groups and forums you can visit to find other readers ready to join you on this literary adventure.
• Don’t give up (but don’t force yourself either) : As I already mentioned, there are a couple of sections that can kind of drag, especially if you’re not used to reading these kinds of books. Alexandre Dumas’ writing is exciting, energetic, witty and very well-paced. If the story is dragging for you, stay open-minded and curious about the journey, you can find joy in the way the author pens the whole narrative. But if you’re  really  forcing yourself to get into it and it’s just not doing it for you, perhaps it’s better to put it down, at least for the moment. Maybe you’re not ready for such a long, complex historical story just yet, or maybe it’s just not the genre for you. Either way, before anything else reading should be enjoyable, so there’s no need to spend time on a book that isn’t right for you.

In Conclusion

Are you ready to finally start reading  The Count of Monte Cristo ? If you are, please get back to me with your opinion 😃 I’m obsessed with this book and I’d be happy to convert at least one reader into falling for this classic. I’m definitely tempted to ignore everything else on my TBR and jump back into another re-read of this spectacular novel.

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Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

April 7, 2014 By Jessica Filed Under: Book Review 5 Comments

The Count of Monte Cristo

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of 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. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s.

I was not expecting this classic novel about revenge to also be ironic, sarcastic, funny, witty, and based on a true story. The Count of Monte Cristo is about more than just revenge, especially in the unabridged edition that I read. As long as this story is, I really can’t see how you would abridge it without losing something.

A few of my favorite funny moments were when this love sick guy talks about dying for love and the drunk guy responds,  ‘There’s love, or I don’t know it (pg. 34).’  I also thought it was hilarious when Albert is trying to hook up in Italy and finds that Italian women are faithful in their infidelity and so not at all interested in him.

I’m pretty sure that this is the funniest line in the whole novel:

Do you think that, if I did, I would lead you to the answer inch by inch, like a dramatist or a novelist? – Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo  (pg. 741).

There’s nothing quite as funny as an author making fun of themselves.

The irony that shows up every now and then could be summed up in this one perfect line:

No one likes a free box as much as a millionaire. – Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo  (p. 597)

Revenge shows up and not just from the Count.  When I saw this line I just couldn’t help hunting down a certain gif from the best movie ever.

“I am Giovanni Bertuccio! Your death is for my brother, your treasure for his widow: you can see that my revenge is more perfect than I could have hoped.” – Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo  p. 499

Every one talks about this plot being about revenge, but I found it interesting that the Count just kind of gives them a tiny, little nudge and they bring about their own destruction.  I like the introduction’s description of the Count as an early detective.  All the Count really did was uncover the truth for justice to come about.  Well, except for maybe the last revenge which was my favorite because it was very fitting and kind of funny.

Speaking of descriptions of the Count, I found the frequent comparison of him to a popular literary vampire hilarious. Vampires were popular in the 1820s.  Who knew.  I also found it interesting that there were numerous chapters and story lines where the Count of Monte Cristo was actually a side character.  I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that done before.

I found some of the themes and topics in this novel surprisingly modern.  Chapter 31 was all about getting high.  There’s a lesbian character that says to heck with marrying who her father says and runs away instead.  There’s commentary on sexism and how men can be elevated by scandal and women ruined by the same scandal.

As modern as the themes were, I did have a few issues with predictability and writing that drove me nuts.  It was obvious to me why a character got kidnapped which made it slightly tedious, but it was funny to see that characters reaction to it.  I think every character went pale every other page.  For shock, for illness, for fear, for kicks, for giggles etc.  And it was stretching it a little too much when a man who can’t move or speak could say “obey” with his eyes.  This roll of my eyes means “give me a break.”

Despite a few moments of bad writing (that could very well have been from the fact that this was a translation), I did enjoy the writing overall and it’s many witty moments.  The Count puts a pompous guy in his place with verbal sparring about noble titles that was perfect.  And when the Count takes a tour of some apartments owned by another pompous idiot, he describes it as “characterized by tedious ostentation and expensive bad taste (pg 537).”

Overall, it was a great classic novel about much more than revenge with modern themes, humor, wit, and was enjoyable to read even unabridged.

Content Rating : Mild , for a drug reference (hashish) and a scene describing his thoughts/feelings when high.

About Alexandre Dumas

Alexandre Dumas, père (French for "father", akin to Senior in English), born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. Many of his novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne were serialized. Dumas also wrote plays and magazine articles, and was a prolific correspondent.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Chunkster Challenge 2014
• Classics Club
• eBook Challenge 2014
• TBR Pile 2014

April 7, 2014 at 5:48 am

Great review! I had similar thoughts when I read the book. I was surprised that it wasn’t just a revenge story and sometimes the Count was just in the background. There were even times when I wasn’t sure if was the same man who went to prison, he changes so much from the young sailor we meet in the beginning. I thought it was a great story, just a little too long. But I read it was originally a series and I’m sure Dumas was paid more for dragging the story out.

April 7, 2014 at 2:46 pm

Everybody loves this book but I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe one day.

April 7, 2014 at 10:18 pm

I love when I see people reading classics. This is one of my FAVORITE books. I remember reading it I just had to read it everyday. I am so glad I took the time to read it. I actually read it with a book club on goodreads many moons ago and that made it a lot of fun to read also.

April 8, 2014 at 8:02 am

I have thought about it and thought about it but I can’t seem to get into really wanting to read it (yet) I have to say the page count is a bit over the top for me. LOL!

Don’t forget to link this one up to the D.O.T.S. April review linky. I think it would be great to add a classic to the list.

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Book Review

The count of monte cristo.

• Alexandre Dumas
• Adventure , Drama , Historical

Readability Age Range

• Penguin Classics, an imprint of Penguin Books; 1844-1845 by Pétion and 2003 by Penguin Classics Books

Year Published

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas has been reviewed by Focus on the Family ‘s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

In 1815 France, 19-year-old Edmond Dantes is returning to the port city of Marseilles on the Pharaon . During the voyage, Captain Leclere dies of a fever, leaving Edmond in charge. Edmond is a skilled sailor and an honest man who commands the respect of his crew and the favor of the ship’s owner, M. Morrel.

Upon his return, Edmond tells Morrel of the captain’s death and how his dying wish was for Edmond to deliver a letter to the island of Elba, where Napoleon has been exiled. Feeling it is his duty, Edmond carries out the captain’s wish and then agrees to also deliver a letter from Elba to a man in Paris.

Morrel agrees that Edmond’s actions were right and says that, with the blessing of his business partner, he plans to make Edmond captain of the Pharaon . M. Danglars, the ship’s dishonest purser, sees his chance of being captain lessening and becomes jealous of Edmond.

Edmond visits his elderly father and then Mercedes, his betrothed, where he meets Mercedes’ cousin Fernand Mondego, whom Mercedes loves as a brother. Fernand, though, is in love with Mercedes and is devastated that she only has eyes for Edmond.

Fernand meets with Danglars and Caderousse, who is Edmond’s neighbor and is also jealous of him. While drinking, the trio create a letter that reveals that the trip to Elba as an act of treason.

On the day of Edmond’s wedding, the gendarme arrest Edmond without giving anyone a reason. He is brought before M. Villefort, a prosecutor in Marseilles. Upon questioning him, Villefort discovers that Edmond is carrying a treacherous letter, but that he has no knowledge of what the letter contains.

Villefort is about to release Edmond until he discovers that the letter was intended for Noirtier, Villefort’s Bonapartist father. To save himself from being connected to his criminal father, Villefort burns the letter and has Edmond imprisoned.

Not knowing why he’s been imprisoned, Edmond falls into despair. As time passes, he becomes depressed and begins starving himself in an attempt to die. He is determined to die until he hears what sounds like someone digging in the walls. Buoyed by the hope of a fellow prisoner to speak with and potential escape, Edmond begins to dig on his own wall.

Eventually he meets Abbe Faria. Realizing his calculations were off, Faria decides to stop digging until he can come up with a new plan. In the meantime, he teaches Edmond all he knows, which includes many languages, history and science among various other subjects.

When Edmond recounts the story of his imprisonment, Faria helps him figure out that Fernand, Caderousse and Danglars tipped off the judge. Then Villefort imprisoned him to protect his own reputation. With this knowledge, Edmond vows to get revenge.

As the years go by, the two come up with another escape plan. They are days away from enacting their escape when Faria, who has been ill, has an epileptic fit, which leaves half his body paralyzed. Edmond refuses to leave Faria behind and vows to stay with him. On his deathbed, Faria tells Edmond about a fortune hidden on the island of Monte Cristo and how to find it.

When Faria’s body is discovered, the jailers sew him into a burial sack and leave him in the cell until he can be laid to rest. Edmond takes Faria’s place. When the jailers come, it is Edmond who is cast into the sea, and he escapes.

Edmond is picked up by a group of smugglers and joins their ranks. After a time, he is able to reach the island of Monte Cristo without suspicion. There, he finds Faria’s treasure. He uses his limitless wealth to travel and set the foundation for his plan of revenge.

During this time he travels under many aliases and learns all the details of the events that led to his imprisonment and what happened to Mercedes and his father. Mercedes has disappeared, and his father has died, but Edmond learns that Morrel was a true friend to Edmond and tried to care for his father before he died. Edmond rewards this friendship by secretly helping the nearly bankrupt Morrel pay off his debts and regain his footing as a merchant.

Fernand has married Mercedes, and they have a son, Albert. Edmond reappears in Rome as the Count of Monte Cristo, where he befriends Albert. This friendship secures the Count an introduction to Paris society. In Paris, he meets Danglars, who is a prominent banker, Fernand who made his name in the military and Villefort who became a powerful prosecutor.

The Count uses Danglars’ adulterous wife and her lover to bankrupt Danglars. When Danglars tries to escape and rebuild his fortune, Edmond has a group of bandits capture him and bleed him of his remaining money. Only then does he reveal who he is to Danglars.

Mercedes recognizes the Count as Edmond, and he exposes the terrible acts Fernand committed to gain power. One such act was Fernand’s betrayal of Ali Pacha, a Turkish ruler. Fernand sold Ali’s wife and daughter, Haydee, into slavery to obtain the title of Count. Being faced with the truth, Mercedes and Albert abandon Fernand. When Fernand confronts Monte Cristo, Edmond reveals who he is. Feeling that he’s lost everything, Fernand kills himself.

The revenge on Villefort takes more time and planning. The Count gives Villefort’s wife a potion that, in high doses, is lethal. She uses this substance to murder her enemies, including Villefort’s daughter from his first marriage, Valentine. When Villefort discovers his wife is a murderer, he commands her to kill herself with the same poison rather than turn her in and make her sin public, which would shame him. He leaves for court, expecting his wife to be dead when he returns.

In court, Villefort is prosecuting a man who turns out to be his love child with Danglars’ wife. This truth is revealed to everyone, and Villefort leaves in shame, having realized he is no more innocent than his wife. He arrives home to find that his wife followed his orders and killed not only herself, but also their young son. With his whole family dead and his reputation destroyed, Villefort goes insane.

While planning his revenge, the Count discovers that there were many innocent people who were hurt. One such person was Valentine Villefort. After discovering Madame Villefort planned to kill Valentine, Edmond saves the young woman and helps her fake her death. Maxamillion, Morrel’s son, loves Valentine. Learning she died, he wishes to commit suicide and join her. Edmond convinces Maxamillion to wait a month before he kills himself; to be sure that’s what he wants. Maxamillion agrees.

At the end of the month, Edmond offers his young friend a vile of what is assumed to be poison, but is really a sleeping potion. Maxamillion takes it, expecting to die. When he falls asleep, Valentine is brought to him. Edmond tells her to never to leave Maxamillion, as he has proved his love by being willing to die for her.

He leaves a letter for the young couple before leaving with Haydee, whom he purchased out of slavery and fell in love with. When Maxamillion wakes, he discovers that the Count has left him all his property in Paris. The letter advises Maxamillion to wait and hope.

Christian Beliefs

“Monte Cristo” is translated to mean “Mountain of Christ,” which is meant to draw a parallel between Edmond’s suffering in prison and Christ’s suffering on the Cross.

Edmond believes that God has a purpose for his life, and that’s why he keeps living and is successful in escaping prison. He says that if he weren’t meant to be free, God would have sent him back to prison.

Characters call on God for help and thank Him when good things happen. Albert and Franz are in Rome for Carnival, which is the celebration before Lent begins.

Other Belief Systems

Authority roles.

Abbe Faria is a fellow prisoner Edmond meets in the Chateau d’If. Faria is an extremely smart man, who spends his years with Edmond imparting all the knowledge he has, including foreign languages, science and history, among many other subjects. Faria listens to the story of how Edmond came to be imprisoned and is the one who helps Edmond unravel the mystery of who sent him there. The two men have a strong bond, with Edmond viewing Faria as a second father.

Morrel is one of the owners of the Pharaon . At the beginning of the book, he is successful and well respected in Marseilles. He uses his influence to try and help the innocent Edmond; when his efforts are unsuccessful, he tries to take care of Edmond’s elderly father. When he is brought low by the sinking of most of his merchant vessels, Morrel doesn’t run from his creditors. He shows bravery and does everything in his power to repay his debts.

Villefort is a power hungry prosecutor who abuses the law for his own gain. He uses his influence over the law to have Edmond thrown into prison. It is through such actions that Villefort rises to power in Paris.

Profanity & Violence

Abbe Faria dies during an epileptic fit. He is described as having twisted limbs, swollen eyes and bloody foam coming from his mouth.

The festivities of Carnival are to begin with the execution of two prisoners, one by beheading and the other by having his head bashed in. One man is pardoned, while the other is killed. The executioner hits him in the head, slits hit throat open and repeatedly jumps on the corpse, causing blood to squirt from his neck.

Caderousse and his wife plot to rob and then kill a jeweler who is staying in their inn. The man fights back, and Caderousse’s wife is killed along with the jeweler. His wife is shot in the neck and has blood pouring from that wound and her mouth. The jeweler is shot three times in the chest and stabbed. He is also described as sitting in a pool of his own blood.

Villefort tries to kill the child Madame Danglars bore as a result of their affair. He is in the middle of burying the child alive when a man tries to kill him by slitting his throat. Villefort survives the attack, and the man takes the child from his murderous father and raises the child as his own.

Sexual Content

Many of the characters have affairs. In some cases, the spouses are aware that their husband or wife has a lover. No sexual acts are described in the novel.

While in Rome for Carnival, Albert expresses the desire to sleep with a woman. He flirts with a beautiful woman he sees during the festivities but it turns out to be part of a plot by bandits to abduct him and hold him for ransom.

Eugénie Danglars and her music teacher, Louise, profess to hate men and run away together to live as artists.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Drugs: Edmond, as Sinbad the Sailor, gives Franz hashish. While Franz is high, he has dreams of statues coming to life.

Alcohol: Characters in the novel drink, and some to excess. Caderousse becomes so drunk that he sits by as Danglars and Fernand discuss framing Edmond as a Bonapartist.

Suicide: Edmond considers suicide while in prison and tries to starve himself to death until he meets Abbe Faria and turns his focus to escape. Morrel vows to kill himself rather than admit bankruptcy and bring shame to his family. After his corrupt past is revealed, Fernand shoots himself in the head. Madame d’Villefort poisons herself and her son at the request of her husband.

Movie review tie: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/countofmontecristo/

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre dumas.

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Count of Monte Cristo: Introduction

The count of monte cristo: plot summary, the count of monte cristo: detailed summary & analysis, the count of monte cristo: themes, the count of monte cristo: quotes, the count of monte cristo: characters, the count of monte cristo: symbols, the count of monte cristo: literary devices, the count of monte cristo: theme wheel, brief biography of alexandre dumas.

Historical Context of The Count of Monte Cristo

Other books related to the count of monte cristo.

• Full Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
• When Written: 1844-45
• Where Written: Paris, France
• When Published: 1844-45
• Literary Period: The high-point of the midcentury European novel
• Genre: literary adventure; revenge novel; episodic novel; historical novel; serial novel
• Setting: Marseille; Rome; Paris; Monte Cristo
• Climax: The Count ruins the lives of M. de Villefort, the Baron Danglars, Fernand de Morcerf, and Caderousse, through manipulation of their incomes, destruction of their reputations, or physical violence, as repayment for their scheme to falsely imprison him
• Antagonist: Villefort, Danglars, Morcerf, and Caderousse
• Point of View: Third-person

Extra Credit for The Count of Monte Cristo

Adaptations. Numerous film adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo exist, including a 2002 version (dir. Kevin Reynolds), a 1998 miniseries (with Gerard Depardieu), a TV show (1964, on BBC 1), and a sequel, not derived from Dumas’s work, called The Son of Monte Cristo (dir. Rowland Lee, 1940).

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The Count of Monte Cristo

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• Internet Archive - "The Count of Monte-Cristo"
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• The Count of Monte Cristo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

The Count of Monte Cristo , Romantic novel by French author Alexandre Dumas père (possibly in collaboration with Auguste Maquet), published serially in 1844–46 and in book form in 1844–45. The work, which is set during the time of the Bourbon Restoration in France , tells the story of an unjustly incarcerated man who escapes to find revenge.

The novel opens in 1815 as the Pharaon arrives in Marseille . The ship’s owner, Monsieur Morrel, learns from the young first mate, Edmond Dantès , that the captain died on the journey and that Dantès took over. The ship’s accountant, Danglars, is bothered that the Pharaon stopped at Elba , but Dantès explains that the captain left a package to be delivered to one of Napoleon ’s marshals who is in exile with Napoleon on the island. Morrel makes Dantès captain of the ship, to Danglars’s displeasure. On visiting his father, Dantès learns that a neighbour, Gaspard Caderousse, took most of his father’s resources in payment of a debt. Dantès then goes to see his fiancée, Mercédès, and finds her in the company of Fernand Mondego, who is in love with her. After leaving, Mondego encounters Danglars and Caderousse, and a decision is made to falsely accuse Dantès of treason. In a letter to the crown prosecutor , Danglars alleges that Dantès is a Bonapartist and is carrying a letter from Napoleon to the Bonapartist committee in Paris .

Dantès is arrested, but the assistant prosecutor, Gérard de Villefort, discovers that Dantès is not a Bonapartist agent and is prepared to release him. However, after learning that the young captain has a letter from Napoleon to de Villefort’s father, who is a Bonapartist, he sends Dantès to the Château d’If, an island prison where he remains for many years. One day another inmate, Abbé Faria, arrives in Dantès’s cell through a tunnel he has been digging in an attempt to escape. Faria deduces that Danglars and Mondego framed Dantès as well as why de Villefort keeps Dantès imprisoned. He spends a few years teaching Dantès, and they plan another escape attempt. Faria tells Dantès about a treasure hidden on the uninhabited island of Monte Cristo and then dies. Dantès sews himself inside Faria’s burial shroud and is flung into the sea. He frees himself and is rescued by a crew of smugglers. Later he finds the treasure on Monte Cristo.

Dantès then sets about gaining revenge for his long unjust imprisonment. He disguises himself as an Italian priest and visits Caderousse, who divulges that Danglars and Mondego are both wealthy and that the latter has married Mercédès. Upon hearing that Morrel has fallen on hard times, Dantès secretly solves his financial problems.

Ten years later, in Rome , Dantès, now calling himself the count of Monte Cristo, contrives to meet Albert, the son of Mondego (now the count of Morcerf) and Mercédès. Albert is unhappily engaged to Danglars’s daughter. Dantès subsequently buys a house in Auteuil, outside Paris. Later he tells Haydée, a Greek slave whom he has purchased, that she is now free but must keep the details of her birth a secret. After Dantès arranges for Danglars to lose his fortune, he hosts a dinner party for the Danglarses and the de Villeforts; Maximilian Morrel (the son of Monsieur Morrel) and two convicts hired to play wealthy Italians are also present. It is revealed that Mrs. Danglars was once the mistress of de Villefort and that the younger convict is the son born of that union, whom de Villefort thought he had disposed of as a baby.

Later the count of Morcerf’s secret is also made public: he had made himself right-hand man to Haydée’s father, Ali Pasha, and then betrayed him. He stole Ali Pasha’s fortune and sold Haydée and her mother into slavery. With this news, Mercédès and Albert abandon Morcerf, and he kills himself. De Villefort orders his wife, who has been poisoning family members in order to secure an inheritance for her son from a previous marriage, to poison herself. She kills both herself and her son, while de Villefort’s attempt to kill his infant son is revealed in court, and he loses his mind. On Dantès’s orders, bandits capture Danglars and hold him for several days until he repents. Dantès, his revenge complete, arranges for Valentine de Villefort and Maximilian Morrel to be together (they have been in love, but Valentine’s parents forbade their union), and Haydée declares her love for Dantès, to his great joy.

The ingenious plot involves concealment and revelation, use of poisonous herbs, and all manner of other things. Beyond the exciting narrative, Dumas focused on the corrupt financial, political, and judicial world of France at the time of the Bourbon Restoration as well as on the marginal figures, such as convicts, who inhabited it. Unfolding gradually, The Count of Monte Cristo offers an unusual reflection on happiness and justice , omnipotence, and the sometimes fatal haunting return of the past.

The Count of Monte Cristo , originally published serially, enthralled its readers, and Dumas adapted it for the stage shortly after its publication as a book. Numerous film and television miniseries versions of the adventure story appeared, among them a highly acclaimed 1964 British miniseries, a 1998 French miniseries starring Gérard Depardieu , a 1922 silent film with John Gilbert in the lead role, a 1954 French film featuring Jean Marais , and a 2002 American film with Jim Caviezel playing Dantès.

Review: The Count of Monte Cristo

by Mark Ward Feb 3, 2020 Uncategorized 2 comments

I couldn’t enjoy this book once it became a sprawling set of vendettas—and that was about half the huge tome. I just kept thinking…

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:17–18 ESV)

My own opinion, after (admittedly) just one read and (admittedly) no exposure to literary criticism of this classic novel: Dumas makes half-hearted, too-little-too-late attempts at the end to mitigate the sin of Dantès in dedicating himself to years of revenge. And the story fails to show what revenge really does to a man’s heart.

In the very last pages of the book, Monte Cristo suddenly proclaims that he is remorseful, because he, “like Satan, thought himself for an instant equal to God,” and that he “now acknowledges with Christian humility that God alone possesses supreme power and infinite wisdom.”

These words rang hollow for me, because these feelings came to Monte Cristo so very late in the story. A great deal of the book presumed on the reader’s relishing the feeling of revenge. The professions of love from Haydée also rang hollow for me, because people given to revenge become unlovely. Revenge twists a man’s heart.

But the story does show, almost despite itself, why revenge must be left in God’s hands (“Vengeance is mine; I will repay”): it’s because no man is an island. Take revenge on a man twenty years after his sin, and who knows what good you will destroy along with the evil? Maybe the life of a little boy; maybe the livelihood of five clerks, one of whom has an invalid wife; maybe a bill ending the slave trade. I don’t know! Only God does. And only God can sort out the intricacies of guilt and merit and make sure that what people plan for evil, he plans for good (Gen 50:20).

The story makes Monte Cristo into a god; it places too many powers in the hands of one man, powers that even extreme wealth could not provide. He seems to have not a preternatural but a supernatural ability to foresee how people will respond to his actions in complex situations. There is basically only one moment in the story after Dantès’ escape in which something bad happens that he didn’t foresee (read: cause). He’s everywhere he needs to be; he’s everyone he needs to be; he’s a French superhero.

Monte Cristo’s love for the Morrells was a redeeming quality—and his solicitude for Valentine de Villefort. But these did not make up for his years of self-important conniving.

Maybe I will mark myself as unliterary for complaining about this beloved novel, but once you have extreme wealth and your own island country, can’t you appeal to the powers that be, who are ordained by God to execute justice on the wrongdoers who sinned against you? Pray to God and pay lawyers to have your vendetta for you; because they are hirelings, ironically, they won’t get twisted by that desire for revenge.

I do love the florid nineteenth century style; I do wish I could speak as they do, with their vivid metaphors and complicated and elegant syntax. But though I rooted for Dantès when he was the David, I couldn’t find myself liking him or believing him when he was the all-powerful Goliath, the Count of Monte Cristo.

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Alexandre Dumas 5 Books Collection Box Set( Ten Years Later, The Man in the Iron Mask, Twenty Years After, The Three Musketeers & The Count of Monte Cristo)

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The Count of Monte Cristo Novel Nuggets

Explained like a 5 year old, publisher description.

Dive into the thrilling adventure of "The Count of Monte Cristo," simplified and beautifully adapted for young readers! Join Edmond Dantès, a kind and brave young man, as he navigates betrayal, imprisonment, and a quest for justice. This Novel Nuggets version breaks down the classic tale into easy-to-understand chapters, filled with engaging summaries and important life lessons about kindness, bravery, and the power of forgiveness. Perfect for: Young readers discovering classic literature Parents and educators looking for an engaging and educational story Anyone who loves an exciting and heartwarming adventure Features: Simplified language for easy understanding Engaging summaries that capture the essence of the story Interactive elements to encourage learning and discussion Discover the timeless tale of "The Count of Monte Cristo" in a way that's fun and accessible for kids with Novel Nuggets! Thank you for choosing Novel Nuggets! Enjoy the adventure!

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