The Count of Monte Cristo

Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Classic
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo has just about everything you could ask for in a novel: adventure, suspense, intrigue, betrayal, sword-fighting, and revenge. Here's a brief run-down on the storyline (I'll not give anything critical away). The year is 1815. Edmond Dantes, a young sea captain from Mersailles, France returns to port to be with his fiancé, the beautiful Mercedes. He carries a letter given to him by Napolean Bonaparte (currently exiled on the island of Elba off the coast of France) and charged to secretly deliver it to a well known Bonapartist who is the father of the current Deputy Procuror to Louis XVIII. Dantes does not deliver it but three of his friends conspire against him and falsely accuse him of treason, Fernand Mondego because he wants to marry Dantes' fiancé (Fernand's cousin), Danglars because of Dantes' recent promotion to captain over him, and Villefort because his father is the abovesaid Bonapartist, and wants no word of the letter to get out. Dantes is imprisoned for 13 years, escapes, and returns to Mersailles learned, sophisticated, politically and socially well connected, trained in nearly every art of combat, and wealthy beyond measure to take his revenge.

This book is long, about 1100 pages, and before taking on such a book people usually want to know if it's worth it. If you like 19th century French Revolutionary novels then the answer is a decisive yes. And even if you're not prone to picking up 200 year-old classic behemoths on a whim, this is still a good read. At its core, the story is a thriller, not an adventure tale. I went in thinking this was going to be The Three Muskateers (one of Dumas' other, perhaps more well known, stories). I was expecting constant excitement and swashbuckling adventure. And while there is a good portion of this in Monte Cristo, most of the book is dialogue...lots of dialogue. In contrast to someone like Hugo (Les Miserables), Dumas is not prone to diverging into 75 page monologues on say, the Battle of Waterloo. Instead, Dumas keeps the tension up constantly; there are always hidden agendas, secret plots, and characters so engaging and proficient in the art of conversation and cunning that you wonder if people like this actually exist. One of the most amazing features of the storyline is the sheer number and complexity of the relationships between characters. Just to give you an idea: Monte Cristo's servant, Bertruccio has a sister named Assunta who is the mother of an adopted Andrea Cavalcanti who is the biological brother of Valentine who is the daughter of Villefort who is the former husband of Renee who is the actual mother of Andrea Cavalcanti. Oh yes, and Valentine is the lover of a friend of a lover to the wife of the father of a girl who is betrothed to the friend of the man who is actually betrothed to Valentine! I kid you not! Altogether the characters comprise a tangled web that can make for a confusing read if you don't keep careful track of who's who. There is also a glossary in the back of the book that helps with many of the historical names and places. Monte Cristo is as much a history lesson as it is an adventure.

Much of the story takes place in aristocratic estate rooms or at fancy dinner tables. But interspersed throughout are scenes in caves, prison cells, tunnels, ancient ruins, dark alleyways, and of course, treasure hunting on Isle Monte Cristo. My favorite parts are the prison chapters (nearing 100 pages) because of the insight they give into Dantes' character. Most of the book, however, centers around Dantes' laborious and incessantly meticulous plots to bring ruin to his betrayers. Dumas devotes hundreds of pages to explaining in excruciating detail the Count's interactions with dozens of characters, all with the goal of setting them against one another so he can sit back and watch as each of his enemies inadvertently bring ruin on themselves through their own greed or sense of injustice. Indeed, Dantes' comes to believe that he is an angel of providence sent by God to deliver justice. He becomes self-absorbed, obsessed, and so removed from society into his own self-created legend that it is impossible for him to find any comfort in his actions or goals.

This story is a sweeping and powerful one. The character of Dantes epitomizes wealth, power, sophistication and determination. The recently released movie only hints at the complexity of the story. Many characters like Valentine, Caderousse, Andrea, Franz, Renee and others are completely omitted and Morrel, Danglars, and Vampa are reduced to rather minor roles. The movie is, for the most part, accurate up through the prison scenes and then the storyline and even the ending are completely changed (it's more of a philosophical, pragmatic ending in the book, not a classic fairy-tale one). Overall a great book, especially if you like a good thriller.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece, A French Classic Thriller
Review: Alexander Dumas was an early 19th century writer who would be considered a writer of suspense novels or thrillers today. He wrote in the Romantic style of the day, but he wrote adventure novels that became popular bestsellers. The escape into the past, especially the reign of Louis XIV, or the Napoleonic Wars, was fictionalized and romanticized. One can imagine the mulatto French writer, mind off into a world of adventure and a quill pen writing endlessly as he burned the midnight oil. Escapist literature, it seemed, was well received in France. His novels enabled Dumas to live an extravagant lifestyle which resulted in his demise. He died penniless because he had spent so much of his money on women, alcohol, card games and pursuits of pleasure.

Dumas most recognized work is The Three Musketeers but "The Count Of Monte Cristo" is his best work. It is his most well written, his most expressive, psychological and deepest work of fiction. It is not just a revenge tale. Ultimately, it sends a message against taking revenge and living a life of virtue. The hero, Edmond Dantes, is a young man in the French navy, who has jealous enemies. He is accused of aiding Napoleon's escape from his island exile, and sentenced to life imprisonment in a gruesome island prison (like a French Alcatraz). His fiancee, Mercedes, is left alone to grieve his terrible misfortune. During his imprisonment, Dantes befriends an old man who inspires hope in him and moreover, shows him a map of treasure worth thousands. Dantes escapes the prison and finds the treasure, becoming a powerful and wealthy Count.

Finally, Dantes, in his guise as the Count of Monte Cristo, extracts revenge on his enemies, especially when he finds out Mercedes has married his worst enemy and birthed a son. The last parts show Dante at his most inhuman, as his revenge is manifested, he realizes he is losing his humanity, and even Mercedes no longer sees the good man she once saw. Mercedes and Dantes do not end up happily ever after, nor married, as films often portray. Their tragic parting is a reminder to Dantes of his flaw of revenge. The novel is poignant, well written, a classic sure to enthrall French literature fans as well as fans who love to curl up with a great book of meaningful adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Brutal, gentle, and powerful. Excellent.
Review: After watching the movie and then finding myself compelled to read the book, I wrote a review for the DVD version of this great classic by Alexandre Dumas. I did give the adulterated movie 3 stars, even with its deviation from the far superior storyline of the novel (this story does not lend itself to being told in a 2-hour movie). But rather than 3 stars, the book is well deserving of 5, and then some. The tale of the Count is one of heavy, dark intrigue. This is not light reading, and the story will tax your patience and demand of you significant time and concentration if you are to mine its riches. Those with an attention span of a six-year-old need not apply, although any person, young or old, who yields to the lessons being lived out will come away from this book with impressive knowledge regarding the pitfalls of willful ignorance, deceit, and pride; and hopefully a better appreciation for justice, compassion, and love. As for the story itself, Edmond Dantes, a young man of considerable good character, finds himself wrongly imprisoned under dreadful circumstances. He eventually is tutored in prison by a man with extraordinary wisdom-just as the reader is tutored without realizing it as he reads the unfolding chapters. Edmond loses all, gains eternal wisdom and insight, and then begins his true journey into lands where friends and foes experience his heavy influence. The story is one of desperation and deliverance, defeat and despair, and ultimately of triumph at an awful cost. Spiritual applications abound throughout as learned from within dungeons to palaces, and our notions of justice and mercy are sorely tested as a wronged man loses all and then begins to execute what he considers to be, and may well be, God's judgment. If you dedicate the time and attention that this book deserves, you will not be disappointed. If you want to speed-read and add another title to your library card, save your efforts and do not insult the worthwhile messages that this book can bring to the soul. I say soul, but for those with spiritual understanding, the better term is spirit, for this is above all a spiritual book if you have that kind of understanding. The movie alludes to it; the book embodies it. Having now read the book and carefully endured the more tedious portions to ensure that I missed little, I can only say that we do ourselves much disservice by not committing the time to study works such as this. Love, hate, revenge, mercy, justice, and forgiveness are explored in detail in the lives of Edmond Dantes (the Count) and his friends and foes. This complicated novel is unbelievably rich in its timeless spiritual lessons.

Rating:
Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo: Great plot, little lengthy
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo is the kind of book that the author has a wonderful idea, but has the thought spread too thin over the novel to keep the reader's attention. Alexandre Dumas is an excellent writer but seems to accentuate too many subplots that are unimportant. He also focuses on numerous small and confusing characters.
The basic plot, is about human nature, particularly revenge of a young man named Edmond Dantés. At the age of nineteen, Dantés has a series of important events happen to him. He is convicted of being a Bonapartist by two jealous rivals. He is unable to marry the lovely Mercedes and he is no longer capable become captain of the Pharaon, the merchant ship, on which he used to work on as a first mate. He is thrown into the notorious dungeon, Chateau d'if, for fourteen years. He escapes with a large secret: the map to the famed treasure of Spada. Naturally, he'll use it for his revenge. As they say, the rich can do anything.
The book has so many intricate subplots and minor characters that the real plot seems to be lost in a hurricane of court intrigues, treasonous affairs, and numerous social gatherings. There are at least nine chapters concerning meals and balls, ranging from brunches to dinners, suppers to breakfasts, from a mere ball to a summer ball, and everything in-between. If you understand the difference between a baron and a count, then these things would obviously make sense, and may even be interesting to you. If you don't know the difference, prepare to be a little confused.
Getting to the action takes a while, but when it comes, Dumas gives you a good read. From being captured by bandits, meeting Dantes's old fiancé (who is now married to his arch rival and has a child), to getting even with all those evil men who planned his imprisonment. Although, if you're not at the action yet, get ready for a long, not-so interesting read. Dumas, still manages to throw in some unimportant details and small talk in-between the action. You can't just go skipping around the book, because there are too many important details embedded in the small talk. If you don't read every word, I guarantee you'll get lost.
This book is jam-packed with murderous action, so if that sounds good to you, you should consider reading this book. If you are looking for a challenge then this is a book for you. We recommend this book to older, more advanced readers.

Rating:
Summary: This book was intizing
Review: I loved the book me and my friend David Chon would stay up late on fridays and read 2 chapters and then talk about it. It was verying interesting and loved it lots. I encourage you to read it and get a close friend an read it together,you will love it. this is by far the best book.

Rating:
Summary: save yourself dont read this book! watch the movie instead
Review: THIS BOOK IS BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I watched the movie, and loved it, but was completely and totally bored by the book. on the other hand the movie was wonderful. lots of action and drama. it is about a young man who is framed and taken to the prison island of monte christo. he escapes and finds treasure in a hidden cove. He uses the riches to take revenge on his enemy who framed him. please take my advice and just watch the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Count of Monte Cristo
Review: This book is stted in Paris, France and the main actor is Edmond Dantes. A inist sailor is sent to a exoctic island to send a message to Napolean. This was a secret message that was never mentioned again. When all of a sudden the word gets out Dates is sent to he worst of all jails and was there for a long period of time. He was sent to the jail for his entire life. He meets a priest who helps him escape searchng for the one who sent him there, his best friend. He also in love with Dante's women, Mercedes which may also be tied in some how.

Rating:
Summary: Astonishingly Good!
Review: Sitting through the sad film remake inspired me to seek out the original. How glad I am! Even if you enjoyed the recent film, I have good news for you-- buy this book and read it, for you will find riches beyond your dreams here. Fantastic descriptions, delicious characters, exquisite ironies, and more! Five stars are too few.

Rating:
Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo
Review: Dumas' book, The Count of Monte Cristo, shows a vivid image of how life was in Europe at the time. I think that the book is amazing and that NO movie can remake well enough! heh. I think that it is an amazing book, however it tends to become tedious to read as some points of the novel. The novel has an enourmous amount of characters and conflicts. It is really impressive how Dumas has presented the life of the main character, Edmund Dantes, from the point of view of other characters as well as Dantes himself.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo should be regarded as one of the most amazing and influential books of the world. It certainly puts a new perspective of the world into your mind. I've gained a whole new philosophy from it.