![]() ![]() He totally buys the whole “best served cold” part of the adage. But the Count doesn’t take revenge quickly. Danglars, Villefort, and Fernand have risen to important titles in Parisian society. When he descends upon Paris, two decades have elapsed since the betrayal that led to his imprisonment. The Count of Monte Cristo isn’t badass he is the badassest. Everyone in Parisian society becomes infatuated with him. His servants and entourage are devoted to him. He plays Xanatos Speed Chess blindfolded (TVTropes). He is absurdly, fabulously rich-and, more interestingly, very good at spending his riches. The Count of Monte Cristo has been everywhere, done everything, seen it all. The Count of Monte Cristo is basically the Most Interesting Man in the World: He doesn’t deserve what happens to him-unlike the three against whom he exacts his revenge.īut the Count of Monte Cristo? Ah, the Count is not a good man. And just when it seems like Fernand’s scheme will fall through, Edmond falls victim, through no fault of his own, to the intrigue of Villefort. Dumas goes out of his way to make Edmond as innocent as possible. He is cavalier about a trip to Elba during a time when even the whiff of Bonapartism was a good way to get thrown in jail. Despite some careful warnings from Caderousse and others, he ignores the ill will emanating from Danglars and Fernand. The beginning is slow, but it provides essential contrast to Edmond’s later conduct as the Count. I can easily forgive a reader who finds the first few chapters of TCMC stultifying in their boredom the plot doesn’t really begin to thicken until Edmond is imprisoned, and the pace doesn’t take off until he escapes and reinvents himself as Monte Cristo. Slowly, Dumas arrays the forces of jealousy and envy against him, in the form of the villains Danglars and Fernand. He’ll be able to provide for his old, infirm father. ![]() He’s about to become captain of a trading vessel and marry a pretty Catalan girl who is madly in love with him. Sure, the novel starts slowly, introducing the young Edmond Dantes, so buoyant with hope. Alexandre Dumas delivers one of the most detailled and compelling stories I have ever experienced. Whereas T3M has achieved immortality as a dashing adventure romance, TCMC is the revenge plot done up in the finest of clothing and served with the most sumptuous of (cold) repasts. It is an amazing tour de force of a text that was well worth the 10 days it took me to read it. This is indubitably superior to the former work in all respects. The Three Musketeers has nothing on The Count of Monte Cristo. I gave The Three Musketeers five stars and a glowing review. The introduction isn’t much to talk about-it’s short, which is actually a point in its favour and it’s informative but not quite insightful. But on my first visit to the Thunder Bay library after my return from the UK, I saw this lovely edition with an introduction by Umberto Eco, one of my favourite authors. I didn’t plan on reading The Count of Monte Cristo so soon after The Three Musketeers. ![]() ![]() There is so much variety in here, so many different stories, that I could read it in bits and pieces, even out of order, and remain inspired and entertained for a long time. Why choose? Seriously, though, The Count of Monte Cristo wouldn’t just be on the list it would be my top pick for such a book. I hesitate to name Desert Island Books, because I love so many books. If you can get past the sheer weight of words and the cumbersome phrasing in the writing style, this is a magnificent emotional experience with all the highs and lows of great art. What makes The Count of Monte Cristo so amazing is the sheer breadth of human experience that Dumas includes in his story, even as he focuses with laser sharpness on the effects of obsession with revenge on Edmond Dantès. If I were to attempt a new review, I’d basically recapitulate what I said already: this is the real deal, one of those timeless stories. I don’t have anything substantive to add to my first review, below. Reading this book was every bit as pleasurable, diverting, and moving as it was the first time everything reaffirms my original sentiments regarding this book’s place in history and Dumas’ talents as a storyteller, if not perhaps as a writer. I was, for the most part, successful in this goal. I decided that on my week off I wanted to sit outside and work my way through this classic behemoth during what might be our last nice days before the autumn chill kicks in. I bought a house this summer I have my very own deck now. It has, coincidentally, been exactly 3 years since I first read The Count of Monte Cristo. Second review, addendum: September 5, 2017 ![]()
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