Such is the quote chosen for the back of the new, stylishly attired Penguin edition of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, and it does sum it up quite perfectly. This edition is a thoroughly complete and unabridged version, in a new translation by Robin Buss, who also penned the introduction ... Read review
Advantages: A gripping, moving, very worthwhile read Disadvantages: Discourages with its length, which is unfortunate
Such is the quote chosen for the back of the new, stylishly attired Penguin edition of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, and it does sum it up quite perfectly. This edition is a thoroughly complete and unabridged version, in a new translation by Robin Buss, who also penned the introduction (worth a look) and notes. This weighs in at decent doorstop size, £8.99 (RRP) buying you entertainment for quite some time… three weeks, for myself entertaining ... ...a synopsis of one of the most popular and enduring stories ever told…
Edmond Dantes is a young and promising French sailor, about to be promoted by his boss, ready to lift himself and his father out of a life of genteel poverty and preparing to marry his sweetheart, local Catalan beauty Mercedes. Before he has a chance to realise his dreams, the jealousy of those around him intervenes. The envious first mate of Dantes’ ship, ... more
Such is the quote chosen for the back of the new, stylishly attired Penguin edition of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, and it does sum it up quite perfectly. This edition is a thoroughly complete and unabridged version, in a new translation by Robin Buss, who also penned the introduction (worth a look) and notes. This weighs in at decent doorstop size, £8.99 (RRP) buying you entertainment for quite some time… three weeks, for myself entertaining myself on a daily commute.
So why read all 1245 pages of tiny, crowded print? Let’s start with a synopsis of one of the most popular and enduring stories ever told…
Edmond Dantes is a young and promising French sailor, about to be promoted by his boss, ready to lift himself and his father out of a life of genteel poverty and preparing to marry his sweetheart, local Catalan beauty Mercedes. Before he has a chance to realise his dreams, the jealousy of those around him intervenes. The envious first mate of Dantes’ ship, M. Danglars, teams up with Mercedes admirer since childhood, Fernand, and Edmond’s dissolute neighbour Caderousse to hatch a plan that will destroy all Dantes’ plans. Accusing him by poison pen of being a sympathiser of the “usurper” Napoleon, the denunciation falls into the hands of the young and ambitious M. de Villefort, who sends Dantes to the grim fortress of the Chateau d’If, where he remains for fourteen years. During that time, he is told of a huge hoard of treasure concealed on the Isle of Monte Cristo, and slowly comes to realise who must be behind his term of wrongful imprisonment. His determination grows to escape his terrible prison, claim the fortune and take revenge on his enemies…
The Count of Monte Cristo is an extraordinary book. I came to it from The Three Musketeers, the end of which was serialised in conjunction with the beginning of Monte Cristo. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Monte Cristo contained what I loved most about The Three Musketeers, namely it’s episodic format, which made for a roller coaster read, married to more depth of character and an examination of suffering, revenge, remorse and justice. The basic plot is an old and simple idea, and Monte Cristo was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment. This approachability is a hallmark of Dumas. Characters are often familiar types and are easy to understand or identify with. The overall plot may be hideously complicated but chapter by chapter each step along the way is in bite-size, exciting pieces, making it a pleasure to read whether you have time to digest huge chunks or just want to read a chapter a day on the train.
What makes Monte Cristo in particular so compelling is its dark side. The book seethes with schemes and plots, but so does any other similar adventure story. This one has a very serious undercurrent, as people’s lives are slowly torn away from around them… Although Dantes’ suffering in prison is well documented, the second phase of the story skips sixteen years from his escape (I’m not giving anything away here, you know he does, otherwise where is the revenge story?) when the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo arrives on the scene. We know nothing of Dantes’ life in the interim, and the Count is nothing like the gentle, warm, sailor boy we knew. Of course we should remember that the Count would not exist without the plot that ruined his life, but as the lives of Danglars, Fernand, Villefort and Caderousse are influenced, it can be hard to reconcile the intended punishment, should it come about, with the crime, even though the Count does not create the circumstances by which he hopes to achieve his revenge, but relies on their own corruption to generate them. This is the heart of Dumas’ writing- the further away from the Chateau d’If and Edmond Dantes we go, the more the moral uncertainty of the tale rises to the surface, and tugs at the mind and heart. Although sometimes condensed as one, this is not a children’s book. As Buss points out in the introduction, its content would disqualify it as much as its length, touching as it does on (to choose a few from his list): “infanticide, a stabbing and three suicides…torture and execution, drug-induced sexual fantasies, illegitimacy…the effects of hashish and so on”. This is an exciting, gripping read, but it is not just a bloodless, character-heavy action adventure, even though it couples this human depth with a passionate love of the dramatic.
If there is a weakness to Monte Cristo, it’s also the part of it that inspires the most fondness in me. It’s a highly unbelievable novel at times, with the most amazing coincidences and sequences just this side of credibility. Edmond’s escape is a fantastically imaginative, gripping part of the story, but also highly unlikely! To enjoy Monte Cristo, you need to surrender yourself to it, allowing it to sweep you along in its theatrical flourishes, and choosing to take the leap of faith. Those who prefer gritty, urban realism are advised to leave well alone…
As well as this, Dumas has occasionally been accused of a lack of continuity with the characters in Monte Cristo, in particular Danglars, thanks to the sudden sixteen-year fluctuation in the narrative flow. I would say that on the contrary, although Danglars is outwardly, in manners and appearance, much changed, inwardly the same streaks of malevolent greed are very much there, but I leave it to the individual reader to see if they are unsettled by the change. Fernand is almost unrecognisable, it’s true, but as far as I can see, he’s meant to be. It’s not just Edmond that has changed his appearance, character and name (it has to be credible that, even after thirty years, no one seems to sense there is anything familiar about him), others too have undergone transformations.
If you are able to give yourself up to it, it is a tremendously enjoyable, slow-burning tale. Perhaps due to Dumas writing by the line, it’s an extremely verbose offering, with chunks of long conversation, including much reported narrative, complimented by simple, instructive description, and peppered with a rather sly sense of humour. Those whose French, Greek and Turkish history isn’t up to much (like me!) will find the notes at the back of this edition particularly useful in stringing together all the strands of the plot, and understanding some of the asides. Sometimes the epic discussions can get a bit tiresome, especially if there is much exposition, but some of the interesting underlying issues, such as how the Count is reacting to the results of his burgeoning plans, only come out during conversation. This translation, as is explained in the introduction, tries to mirror the same lightness and accessibility of the original French, and prefers to steer away from clogging the brain cells with excessively ornate language, which can be off-putting and get in the way of a good story. As such, it moves quickly- I surprised myself with how fast I was moving through it, when it’s taken me longer to read much shorter books. But despite the basic story of Dantes being drawn out almost to snapping point, much goes on in the meantime- there are subplots to explore and groundwork to lay- so it’s constantly engaging. The character of the author, said to be a man who had no truck with moderation in any aspect of his life, is in every pore, and if you do enjoy it, you will love it and have a great feeling of fondness towards it and some of its characters: apart from Edmond, I love some of the characters introduced in the latter half of the book, such as Albert de Morcerf and Franz d’Epinay, which inject the necessary balance of youthful enthusiasm into the Count’s mysterious existence.
Of course I’m going to recommend it. This may be a story first published in the 1840s, and which begins in 1815, it’s as universal a tale as any, and as appealing as ever: just look at the endless string of film and TV adaptations that have sprung from it. But this is one of those books that could never be accurately condensed- for the full force of the experience try not to be distracted by its hefty size (you read this pretty lengthy op, didn’t you?!) and let yourself be entertained.
Advantages: Hard to put down, time consuming, and an excellent book ! Disadvantages: A bit long !
I first discovered the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas while reading the book sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra. The main character that narrated the story was nicknamed Shakes because he loved to read and he always carried a copy of the Count of Monte Cristo in his back pocket, wherever he went. When I finished sleepers I was hungry for fresh literature. I convinced my Dad to buy it for me off the net, using Amazon, and a few days later a ... ...house. Looking into the box I could only see the front cover, a dark blue book with a picture of the main character of the story, Edmund Dantes. The front cover was roughly 12cm wide and 20cm high. It wasn't until I picked it up that I realized how thick it was !!! The first thing I thought was, how the hell could Shakes in Sleepers carry a book this thick in his back pocket wherever he went? Wow he must've had a BIG back pocket! How could he sit ...
Mr_Jingles 15.08.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Advantages: Brilliant, exciting, enthralling adventure story set in Napoleonic times Disadvantages: Original text is two volumes and not very portable. eBook on PDA is great alternative.
Watch The Film or Read The Book?
=========================
I came across this book by accident on a secondhand stall. I had already seen a couple of film versions and thought it would be good to read the original.
I wasn't expecting the book to be so very much better than the films, but it was. There is so much more detail in the book, and the filmmakers had changed the plot as well.
The Plot
=======
I'm not telling you too much of the plot ... ...Basically it is set in the Mediterranean in the Napoleonic times, and the handsome hero Dantes returns after a long while at sea to marry his fiancee and is stitched up by his rival. He ends up in jail and then spends the rest of his life plotting and gaining revenge. The plot has many things - a love story, a tragedy, a thriller, with lovers, plotters, pirates, brigands, and overall the book has many lessons to teach us. Dantes was consumed with ...
Guppy123 02.09.2005 (05.09.2005)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo is a really interesting story, where we can see how selfish and hypocrite people can be to have what they want even make other lives a complete misery...
It's, what we can say as, the human nature...
1) *THE HUMAN NATURE: SELFISH, AMBICIOUS, HYPOCRITE
The story begins in 1815, Edmond Dantes, a yound officer, cames back from a trip, in the Morrel's ship called Pharaon. Dntes had to take the place of the capitain Leclerc ... ...Dantes then, that brings back the Pharaon to the port of Marseille.
Since his arrival, he's received by Morrel, the ownership who made him the promess to make him the captain of his ship.
Dantés is completely happy, this way he will be able to help his old father financily and marry his beautiful fiancee, Mercedes. But this happiness makes other jealous...
First, there is Danglars the accountant of the ship who is fighting for the post of the ...
sweet_baby 11.02.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
I bought the book for £1.50 at a local bookstore. The size of the book was quite daunting but I easily got into the thread of the story. The way the main character gets his revenge is genius and was quite fulfilling for me. Although sometimes Dumas gave boring descriptions of the weather it was quite interesting as it is set in a different time where swords still have power and only early versions of guns were used.
I believe it is better than "The ... ...me. I could empathize with the main character Dantes and imagined myself getting my own revenge, Ha Ha! Especially as he becomes a rich count near the middle, which is one of many dreams that you have when you're young. Dumas also feeds the imagination of sea lovers as Dantes initially works on a ship. The setting of France also induced me as I was learning French at school.
In the story Dantes is found with a treasonous letter from Napoleon Bonaparte. ...
mamalik37 21.07.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Advantages: The plot, characters and first few hundred pages Disadvantages: A little heavy in the middle
...to be one of the most gripping book ever written. From the first hundred pages where the leading character is jailed, his expereninces in jail, his rise to near G-d like power and influence, to his mastery of man, to his insight and intricate weaving of a greater plan against his instigators.
This is a classic of classics, I wish there was a sequel. I guarantee you will be hard pressed to find a book with a better first few hundred pages. I admit ... ...but picks up again to the later half of the novel. The author Dumas actually wrote this type of novel just to make money! I can only imagine what he could of written out of love.
The jail sequences are so good this book was impossible to put down. I lent it to my brother who was sceptical at first, but he admitted afterwards that this truly is a brilliant book.
If you have some familiarity of French and Italian society in the 18th Century, it will ...
gideon 27.08.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Similar products and search queries by other users »
The Alexandre, The Count Alexandre, The of Alexandre, The Monte Alexandre, The Cristo Alexandre, The Count of Alexandre, The Count Monte Alexandre, The Count Cristo Alexandre, The of Monte Alexandre, The of Cristo Alexandre, The Monte Cristo Alexandre, The Count of Monte Alexandre, The Count of Cristo Alexandre, The Count Monte Cristo Alexandre, The of Monte Cristo Alexandre
Are you the manufacturer / provider of The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas? Click here
