Rating: 
Summary: There is much good to be said about this book.
Review: Unfortunately, there is also much that is bad to be said about it; on balance, I think the bad slightly exceeds the good.On the plus side, there is a fascinating basic plotline, and some excellent characters. The writing is effective, and draws the reader into the plot; by the end of the book, I actually found myself caring about the characters and what happened to them, in spite of not really liking the book. And if you like complex, involved, convoluted plots, this book is certainly one that you will not want to miss. On the down side, while there is certainly 400+ pages of excellent plot in this novel, it takes the author 875 pages to tell it. (This refers to the unabridged Wordsworth Classics edition, in paperback.) The writing reminds me of a quote I once heard describing Dickens (and which could easily be applied to many 19th century authors): he was paid by the word, and it shows. Further, Dumas uses an odd convention for conversations: he does not change paragraph whenever he changes speakers. I don't know whether this was a standard convention for his time and place, or whether it is strictly his own. This is a minor quibble, but it is distracting, at least at first. Then, there are some truly immense amounts of suspension of disbelief that one must manage if one is to take the book seriously; primary among them is the fact of Dantes' immense competence, especially in the social skills and understanding of people, during his long, drawn-out revenge. Here, after all, is a man, who when he was a 19 year old was so naive that when he was imprisoned, he couldn't even fathom who would have wished him ill or why. He spent 14 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement, the rest of it with only his one fellow prisoner as company. Granted, he had a native intelligence and charisma, and his fellow prisoner was well-educated, and spent much time teaching him languages, math, science, and history during their years together. And of course, once he escapes, he becomes fabulously wealthy. But native intelligence, a fine classical education, and a ton of money do NOT equate to a knowledge of people; he could not have picked that up in prison, because it is not the kind of thing that one can learn by studying the abstract; it can only be learned through practice, and he had none of that. Yet as soon as he leaves prison, he immediately is portrayed as a masterful schemer and manipulator. Granted, there is a ten-year gap during which we do not see his adventures, but even so, it is dubious that a man with his limited experience would be able to learn all that he learned in that time. Not to mention that it is dubious that a man with his limited experience would have been able to protect his person and his wealth while learning the people skills necessary. Then we have specific instances of his manipulation being more complete than anyone could reasonably expect to do, no matter how much they know, or how much money they have, at least without better explanations from the author (which we do not get). For instance, at the very beginning of his insinuation of himself into Parisian society, he buys the superior horses of one of his unwitting enemies, and then gives them back to the man's wife as a present, to sow marital dischord. When he does this, he knows that she intends letting a friend of hers (also the wife of one of his enemies) have a ride in the carriage behind the splendid beasts the next day. So he positions himself and his servant at precisely the right place to intercept the carriage the next day when the horses run amok and threaten to overset the carriage, and save the lady, thus insinuating himself into her good graces. It is made very clear that he knows that the horses will run wild by the questions and orders he gives his servant, but it is never explained HOW he knew that. Had he provided the driver for the carriage? It was never stated. Had he bribed the existing driver? Again, it was never stated, and it seems unlikely that such a bribe could be safely made, and kept completely secret. Had he insinuated an irritant into the horses' equippage? That would have assured them running wild, but not at the exact place and time that they did so, with no chance of overturning the carriage before ever they got to that point. All in all, an incident like that one needs to be explained in order to be at all plausible, and it wasn't. And there were others, too, less obvious, but still implausible. And a last negative, which causes me to drop my rating from three stars to two: Dantes is supposed to be a sympathetic character, terrible to his enemies, benificent to his friends, but all I can say is, preserve me from the pain of such benificence. Toward the end of the book, he saves his best friend's lover's life, by simulating her death. Yet he allows his friend to think that she is dead FOR A WHOLE MONTH in order to "test his mettle" to discern if he "merits happiness". And in fact, years before, in his other act of benificence, to that friend's father, he saves him from financial ruin, but only does so at the eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute, allowing the man to come within a hairsbreadth of committing suicide in despair. If this were done in order to demonstrate that his ordeals have cost him all compassion, it would be one thing, but as I say, he is portrayed as being a marvellously benificent friend; the friends he has treated in this way not only forgive him, but don't seem to be aware that there is anything to forgive; they act as if his treatment of them has been marvellous. No, I cannot say that I enjoyed this book. I cannot rate it highly. I cannot, even, concede that it is (on balance) well done. But there certainly are things to like about it, and any book that can produce the interesting philosopical arguments that this one is capable of can't be all bad.
Rating: 
Summary: The unraveling story of revenge
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the best books ever written, if not the best. It is a great piece of Literature written by the multitalented author, Alexandre Dumas. It is a thrilling and exciting adventure story of a young noble boy named Edmond Dantes. He was young honest sailor who had the privilege of directing the ship called the Pharaon after his captain died. He is then betrayed by two people he thought were his fiends, Monsieur Danglars and Fernand. Danglars was jealous of Edmond because he was the likely candidate to be the captain of the pharaon and Danglars wanted the job. Fernand was jealous that Mercedes was in love with Edmond. The public prosecutor M. de Villefort confiscated Edmond's only proof of innocence. The reason is that the evidence proved that de Villefort's father is a Bonapartist, which would put the prosecutor out of the favor of the court. Edmond was sentenced to life in the infamous dungeon, the Chateau d'If. There he makes friends with a priest. They develop a father, son friendship. He spends fourteen long, hard years in jail. He has a daring escape and finally leaves the oppressing dungeon. He then plans his revenge on his enemies. He joins a smuggler ship to protect his identity. He returns to his village, to find his father dead from hunger. He protects himself by changing his name to the Count of Monte Cristo, and travels to find his enemies with his new found fortune. He comes to find his lover Mercedes married to one of his enemies. The book is an action packed, never ending and very exciting. You will go on the greatest thrill ride of your life and it will not stop until you close the book. I enjoyed the book and I appreciated the author's hard work to write a fine piece of literature. It is an adventure story unlike any other, which involves a great deal of mystery. The use of one character in more than one role might be at first confusing, but it only adds to the drama of the story. The story is an intricate web of what the word vengeance really means. The plot is forever rolling and unraveling until the final resolution. You will be on your toes for most of the book and apprehensive to see what is yet to come. I greatly enjoyed the passion of the protagonist, to make his enemies feel the hurt and despair he went through. The plot is nicely developed to intrigue the minds of young adults and to make them think. The reader feels the joy of Edmond his sorrow is also felt. There are a few negative parts of the book. The length of the book may intimidate the reader at first and might deter them away from it. Edmond playing more than one character could also confuse you at first until you read more about the book. There was also the use of many different characters, which confused me as the story progressed. The positive aspect of the book was incalculable. The author's use of plot was very good and used wisely, this added to the quality of writing. I liked the book a lot and I would recommend it to anybody ages 13-up. This book makes you feel the magic of reading, so enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: This rich story kept me involved from cover to cover!
Review: This is certainly a world classic! Wonderful descriptions of the times and exotic locales! The movies and mini-series do not do this novel justice!
Rating:
Summary: Without question, one of my all-time favorite books.
Review: I hesitated at first to start this full, unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo. Having now finished it after only a few weeks of reading at night, I am so glad I read the long version. This story is so exciting, interesting, thought-provoking, and it flows so beautifully. Edmond Dantes is one of my favorite fictional characters now. Many readers will relate, if not to his horrific situation, at least to his journey from happiness to total despair to redemtion and then onward. I remember seeing in the credits of The Shawshank Redemption that they credited some of the movie's ideas to The CofMC, as well as to Stephen King's Different Seasons. Well, it was fun to see which parts of that favorite movie of mine resembled this book, but the Count of Monte Cristo goes on to greatly surpass the beauty and story-telling of that wonderful movie.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BOOK EVER
Review: THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER. THE STORY IS INCREDIBLY LONG BUT INCREDIBLY INVOLVED AND INTERESTING. THE WRITING IS CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE, AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS REALLY LONG, IT IS REALLY WORTH IT. When I got to the end of the book I was SAD it was over. I also had thought that the whole book was going to be about his imprisonment and then his escape, but that happens in like the first 100-200 pages! The rest of the book is where the whole story unfolds, etc. etc. etc. You MUST read this book. Don't miss it! (TIP: start a list of characters when you begin to read it, so that when they appear a couple hundred pages later you will know who they are)
Rating:
Summary: Intrigue in 19th Century France
Review: This Alexander Dumas classic vies with his "Three Musketeers" in the genre of French adventure novels set in the eventful 19th century. Whereas "Three Musketeers" featured a quartet of swashbuckling heroes, "Monte Cristo" centers around one mysterious, seemingly omnipotent individual. The book opens in Marseilles, where the reader is introduced to the central characters as young men. A plot is laid and carried out against one of these men by his rival for the love of a woman. After the passage of 14 years, the lives of these characters slowly begin to converge once again as the victim of the conspiracy seeks his vengeance. The setting for his revenge, however, is a far different venue than the Mediterranean fishing community of Marseilles. His old enemies have become wealthy and powerful, and move in the highest circles of Paris society. The skeletons in their closets would now be the ruin of lofty reputations. Their families will become unknowing actors in the drama of vengeance that begins to unfold when the Count of Monte Cristo takes up residence in Paris. The victim of the conspiracy of hotheads in Marseilles was an unsophisticated provincial at the time. Upon his return, he is wealthy, subtle, and implacable. He embarks upon his quest for revenge with a well-planned, methodical campaign, marshalling resources that he has devoted years to organize. He uses a dozen or so people as his allies, some unknowingly, others willingly, but none are aware of his ultimate objectives. Yet, as complex and detailed as his plans are, he encounters complications that force him to choose how far to pursue his revenge. I was captivated by the dark and light contrasts of this story. The glitter and elegance and courtliness of French society of that day are set against the darkness of scandalous family secrets and destructive, coldblooded scheming. It's a combination that can't miss, particularly at the hand of a master writer like Dumas. This is a long book to plow through, but the further one gets, the more the threads of the plot come together to the final triumphs and defeats. As you reach the closing chapters, you may be reminded of a line from the movie "An Ideal Husband" -- "no man is rich enough to buy back his past."
Rating:
Summary: Bigger is Better
Review: I can remember when I first picked up this book, and groaned at the 1000+ pages. However, I couldn't put it down and finished it in 3 days. This incredible novel by the author of the Three Musketeers, captures you and whirls you on a journey of epic proportions. This is the story of Edmond Dantes a young man who has it all: the position of captain on his own ship, a beautiful fiance, and money to spare. Suddenly it is all taken away by those who are jealous of him and he is imprisoned for 14 years. The bulk of the novel tells the story of the ingenious way he gets his revenge under the guise of the Count of Monte Cristo. This is a story of romance, treasure, suspense, and revenge. It is all you could ask for in a book and more. The thing that really impressed me was the fact that every tiny detail of information that Dumas gives you is pertinent in how the novel turns out...every character he produces serves a purpose. Trust me, the book zooms by with barely a moment of boredom.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read!
Review: Wat up? I had to read this book for english class. My fist impression was that it was going be the most BORING book i would ever read. Boy was i wrong! I was amazed at how well this book was written. I loved the plot, the characters, basically the whole book. If you are debating whether or not to buy this book, my suggestion is to BUY IT!! It might be kind of hard to follow at first, but here is a little hint. The Count Of Monte Cristo = Edmond Dantes. That will make the book a little easier to follow. Now, BUT IT!!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This book is excellent, the plot is captivating... I can't say enough about this book that already hasn't been said. I only regret that I haven't read the unabridged edition yet. My only complaint would have to be the numerous spelling mistakes. Examples would be, misspelling a character's name in the character list in the beginning of the book... and throughout the book simple words such as was or house are typos. These mistakes distracted me somewhat, because I had to stop reading and figure out what the word was supposed to be... but otherwise the book is great.
Rating:
Summary: Moral of the story? Book of Micah, Chapter 6, Verse 8.
Review: "The Count of Monte Cristo" is definitely a must-read. One can be daunted by the length of this specific translation and the sheer thickness of the paperback, but do not be faint-hearted! It is worth the wait and effort. The story is loosely based on a true account, but this fact doesn't take away from Dumas' genius. He not only reveals to us the eccentricities and fashionable trends of the period, but also uses the protagonist to criticize the obvious faults of the upper class Parisian society. The novel touches on the defects of the society at large, ranging from the lack of accountability in the "justice" system, which condemns him to lifelong imprisonment through trickery and cover-up, to the philandering and adultery, which are rampant and almost EXPECTED among the rich. Edmond Dantes (the Count) is an especially useful tool for Dumas' purposes, because he leads a life of many facades. At one turn, the Count seems to fit right into the gossiping and brokering of influence, but in his private moments he despises and holds those around him in contempt. And with good reason, for most of those folks are his enemies. Like Victor Hugo and his Jean Valjean, Dumas creates a protagonist who is marred by society and abused to the point of no return. The grace (or miracle) of God provides the escape from that point, and both characters use their faith to build new lives. But we see in Edmond Dantes a very different path taken, compared to Jean Valjean. Dantes and Valjean use their faith to opposite ends, one toward revenge and the latter toward reform. The greatest challenge in this book is to go along with Dantes on his quest to destroy his enemies. Edmond Dantes firmly believes God gave him a divine purpose, to bring justice and judgment, and to execute vengeance as the instrument of God. His life after discovering Abbe Faria's fortune is wholly dedicated to this goal. He is a man obsessed, to the point of losing his humanity, and in danger of destroying himself in the process. Dantes does go through at least two situations where he doubts himself, but does not relent until he goes too far; his actions lead to deaths of those who are not his enemies, and he realizes his hubris. Near the end, he is able to forgive his last-remaining enemy; in addition, he becomes a blessing to his friends Maximilien and Valentine. For a man whose entire life has been dedicated to hatred and anger, Dantes is finally able to find hope and love, again. This book is certainly about the fascinating details of vengeance, but ultimately it is about the redemption of one man, Edmond Dantes, and the realization that without mercy, love, and humility, justice cannot be meted out. Finally Dumas includes relevant historical context (such as the return of Napoleon which provides the backdrop), as well as filling out the personal history of some of the characters. This adds much to the story, literally and figuratively. One can appreciate the intricacies of family history and the flashback-style stories, and we applaud Dumas for his brilliance and hard work, but the overabundance of names and historical references can be tiresome at points. It is also slightly annoying to be constantly flipping back to the Notes section in order to find out the significance of certain Italian phrases, when it might be better served to put those references in the footnotes. Overall, this book is highly recommended! I greatly enjoyed it, cover to cover. As great novels usually are, this work is intended not only to entertain, but it also raises questions of justice, faith, and divine purpose. It achieves a balance of social criticism peppered with nostalgic and chivalric romance, perhaps the reason why this book is one of the beloved classics.
|
