Rating: 
Summary: Magnificent!!!
Review: I believe this book is excellent, the movie is mediocre compared to the book. The theme and everything is so well written, it won't let you drop the book.
Rating:
Summary: Dumas's Best
Review: This is by far one of the best novels of the 19th century. It is captivating from start to finish, beautifully poetic at times, infuriating at others. Readers should relate to some extent to the feelings of betrayal and vengeance felt during the early portions of the novel, while exalting in the cold, diabolical nature of that vengeance coming to fruition. If you were ever angered by a bully that picked on you, a friend who ratted you out, or a guy who wanted your girl, you will love this work. The three volume masterpiece is recommended over the abridged version, but if ya got no time, the abridged will have to suffice.
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Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: I have just returned to the land of the living, having hidden from the world to read all 1276 pages of "The Count of Monte Cristo" in just under five days. It is definitely my favorite book now, beating out one that has been my top since I was a teenager. You know how you can get through a book, love it, and also be sorry that it's done? Well, with a book of this length, it's as if you read five books that you don't want to end. You get the complete story. Nothing is left out that should have been said. Sheer perfection.
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Summary: Dumas's True Masterpiece
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo is the quitessential Dumas novel. This book is his own creation, not one which his factory of writers wrote and he flourished and embellished. He found a story about a cobbler who after being imprisoned by presumed friends brutally murdered them all. Dumas entrigued by this occurence proceeded to write a glorified version of it. The book provides the tense atmosphere of France during the Napoleonic Era, the political dealings and believable characters. From the most vile villain to the Count everyone seems human and flawed. Dumas has created a world in which one can easily delve into and be absorbed. This work is truly worth reading!!P.S. Do not be daunted by the length- after the first 50 pages or so the story truly moves!
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Summary: an exciting tale of revenge
Review: this book is awesome. Its a little complicated because of all of the characters and the past crimes they have commited but in the end the characters all tie together in weird twists of fate. You'll enjoy every one. The book is so different from the movie. Way better!! It goes into more detail and depth.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest books ever
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo has to be one of my favorite novels. It's full of intricate plot twists, fascinating characters, romance, revenge, hope, despair, deception, betrayal, redemption and all the other emotions and experiences that make up life. All of the characters are multi-layered, no one, not even Edmund Dantes (aka the Count) acting out of easily-defined motives, and are intertwined in such beautifully complex ways with terrific backstories. Edmund takes revenge on these horrible people who ruined his life and took his fiance and future away from him, but one still feels a little sorry for them, because they're real characters. All in all, a fantastic book that really delves into the psyche of revenge. It's quite long, but it's worth it because it is so intricate and detailed and so beautiful.
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Summary: Just make sure you get the Oxford World's Classics edition!
Review: Make sure you get the Oxford World's Classic edition, or another unabridged version. This book is too good to cut out more than 70% of the book like some of the abridged versions have done. I mean who would go to see Matrix Reloaded and be satisfied with only 30% of the movie from random scenes?! Of course not! As far as the story itself, don't try to look at the story and if its perfect or what is believable or not. Start trying to find yourself in there, because you are in this book somewhere. This is a book of human nature, not simple revenge. It explores many facets of humanity, and you need to see how you fit into them!
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Summary: If you loved "Les Miserables" you'll love this too
Review: This book was a gift to me from my sister, and I must say it was one of the best gifts I could have received. Having recently read 'Les Miserables' (the book is so much better than a movie or play) I was primed for The Count. The stories are so similar; two men who escape prison and begin a journey towards enlightenment and salvation. The only difference being that Jean Valjean was a true criminal who redeems himself through selfless philanthropy while Edmund Dante (the Count) is a wrongly convicted man who uses his wealth for revenge. Yet both of these stories ultimately have identical moral themes. Classics such as these transcend time, and for good reason. You will not be able to put it down once you start reading it; it will give you a profound sense of humanity when you put it down, and will keep you thinking well after you have finished it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexander Dumas. Have you heard the saying don't judge a book by its cover? Well I learned that by reading this book. After picking it up I didn't really expect to like it but stranger things have happened. From the first page to the last the book is full of excitement and drama. It starts out with the main character Edmond Dantes sailing on the boat whose captain has died so he takes control till they get back back to the island of Marseilles. Dantes is betrayed by his fellow shipmate and friend and is sent to jail. After escaping he is rescued by a ship that hires him to work from them until he gets back to the island of Marseilles, where he changes his identity to the Count of Monte Cristo after unearthing his hidden family treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. Upon arriving there he finds out his farther has died his friend have left and his wife has moved on and left not to be seen again. He moves to Paris to become one of the richest men there. No longer the poor sailor he use to be leaving his last life behind him to go and do great things. Follow along as the Count lives his rich and wonderful life doing as he wishes living as he does. Learn about how rich people lived back then. Well after reading this book I was pretty impressed by it and would probably read it again some day. So if you are looking for a exciting, dramatic, romantic and adventurous book all in one the Count of Monte Cristo is the right book for you. It was very entertaining from the fist page to the last. So I would give it five out of five.
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.
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