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Summary: One of the Greatest Works of Fiction
Review: I read this novel a couple years ago, and was absolutely enthralled by it; Dumas' writing style is so clear and concise, and yet it still maintains the beauty of story, which is truly amazing. While poring over these fond memories, I decided I would purchase it, simply so I could keep around at my leisure; I will have to admit to you, this book only gets better the second time around (also an excellent trick any time you're reading a difficult text you can't quite get the hang of), and could truly appreciate the depth of this book. Alexander has definitely crafted one of the true classics of his time, and in my opinion it rivals any its cookie-cutter brethren that are churned out now, and I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is just starting out in classic novels, or who has yet to read it.
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Summary: A good woman will land you in jail.
Review: Afraid the woman of your dreams will fall into the hands of another man? Eliminate the competition by falsely accusing all other suitors of conspiracy and have them thrown in jail for fifteen years. She'll eventually lose interest in them' or will she?The Count of Monte Cristo was that very unfortunate competition who found himself incarcerated. But at the time, the young boy in love was 20 year old Edmond Dantes, with the fledgling career of a sailor. By a very bizarre stroke of luck and fate, he is imprisoned with a supposed lunatic who raves of knowing the hiding place of the fortune of the millennia, but only Dantes listens to and befriends this crazy old man. The story is a wild ride that takes us through a daring prison escape, the discovery of unimaginable wealth and how Edmond Dantes finds that if he spreads just enough of those riches in all of the right places, the greedy accusers who had done him wrong will bury themselves in it. If the unabridged version (approximately 1100 pages) were divided, the result would look like 20-60-20. The peril of the first twenty percent of the story was captivating. The middle 60 percent was somewhat dull, dry prose with the occasional high point that roused dear reader from literary hyperspace. The last 20 percent of the story made for an interesting and surprising conclusion. This is definitely a long story and requires quite a bit of dedication, not a light-hearted saga that may be glanced at right before bedtime. Although the prose is sometimes dry, it is far from being strewn with an unintelligible old language that will find the reader more concerned with translation than the actual story. Dumas also has a way of keeping the audience slightly out-of-the-know, so a few surprises shall be enjoyed. I might suggest that those of you considering this book for perusal might take a glance at the Signet (abridged) version of the story (approximately 600 pages). I might also suggest that we consider the morals to be said of the story: 1) A good woman will certainly land you in jail. 2) Single guys are much wealthier than married ones. 3) Why be the guy who gets married and forced to buy jewelry until he's poor? Stay single and find jewelry so that you can sell it to be rich!
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Summary: Timeless revenge story
Review: I purchased the Oxford Worlds Classics version of this book, amounting to over 1100 pages thinking I'd never finish this book. A friend told me how great the book was after the movie came out, and said unabridged was the only way to go. I figured I would give it a try, and I finished the book over a period of time. I was definitely surprised at how much the book kept me on my feet. I have not read many 1000+ page books, and this has to be my favorite. The story of Edmond Dantes' revenge on the people who imprisoned him is a true classic. One would figure that a man who has been locked away for 16 years for something he didn't do would come back with violent intentions, but Dantes does not. He keeps his cool, comes across a huge fortune and over time has truly obtained his revenge. A lot of death occurs in the book, but not by the hands of Dantes. Misfortune strikes each of the people who took everything from Dantes, and each time he reveals his identity to one of them, the suspense is very high. This book kept me on the edge of my seat for a long time, and I enjoyed every page of it.
If you have the time to devote a few chapters of this book a day, by all means get it. It will remain a classic forever, and will hold a spot as one of the best pieces of French literature ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-Paced and Thrilling!
Review: Everything in Edmond Dantes' life is going right-he is about to become the captain of a ship, and about to marry his true love, Mercedes. All the good things in Dantes' life are wrenched from his grasp in an instant, due to the betrayal of men he once considered friends. Dantes is unjustly thrown into prison. In jail, the kind, friendly Dantes the reader is introduced to is transformed into a merciless conspirator, bent on extracting revenge from those who betrayed him.
Dantes comes upon a fortune that he would never have even dreamed of, and with its aid, is able to hide behind the mask of the Count of Monte Cristo, a mysterious, brooding man with a huge amount of power. Dantes slowly and subtly begins to ruin the lives of the men who ruined his own life fourteen years ago.
Alexandre Dumas' tale is thrilling, full of excitement and surprising twists and turns. His writing style is hardly ever slow. In the middle, it seemed like he was abandoning the main story line, but by the end the author cleverly ties all the loose ends together to weave a fantastic story. This book is sure to please anyone who enjoys reading about love, betrayal, revenge, adventure, action, romance, and most importantly, self-discovery and change. Dumas shows the reader, through Dantes, how pain and anguish can change a person so extremely.
I highly recommend this book. Dumas' writing is so good; I was caught up in the story of Dantes instantly. I felt horrible when he was thrown in jail, and triumphant when he finally extracts revenge from his enemies. Though, in the middle of the book, is seems a little slow, the author soon picks up the main plot line again and all the subplots make sense again. The characters are well-developed, and the story, though not quite plausible, is full of exciting and delightful surprising.
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Summary: Dark, rich, and mysterious...
Review: I'm sure everyone is familiar with what the book is about so I won't tell you any of that. This book is a great read. Yes, it is 1000+ pages but it's difficult to put down and easy to get through. The Count of Monte Cristo is an interesting and mysterious character. Although the reader can easily see that Monte Cristo is Edmond Dantes, the author does not state this until near the end of the book, and even then continues to refer to him as Monte Cristo, as though Edmond is no more. This adds greatly to Monte Cristo's appeal, although you come to miss the sailor from Marseille when learning more about the bitter, vengeful count. I have to say, I wished the author would go deeper into Monte Cristo's mind, and show us his thoughts and actions when he was alone, rather than follow wherever there is action or dialogue. Although by no means am I critisizing, I couldn't possibly, being an amateur reader in the classics. I found that the beginning, during his imprisonment, and the end, as the story comes to a close, are the best and most moving parts of the book. It gets a little disturbing near the middle, with the executions and bandit stories and all! The moments when you see some of Edmond in the character of Monte Cristo are a delight. The story stirs your moral ideas, and you ask yourself as the story progresses whether the Count goes too far in seeking revenge. Other characters are equally interesting, such as Villefort, Maximilien, Danglars, Mercedes, The Viscount Albert and even Abbe Faria, who is a bit like the Bishop in Les Miserables. Don't hesitate to read the book because of its size, the pages fly by! And it's mostly action and dialogue anyway. I haven't seen any of the movie versions, but as is often the case, I'm sure they lack a lot of what the book can offer. Same goes for abridgements. So don't waste anymore time, read this book!
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Summary: All About The Count
Review: The novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is a story of a man who is tempted with utter happiness, only to find himself unjutly ripped away and thrown in the face of absolute despair. The majority of this story, however, is his return from the living dead. . .to seek complete revenge.
This is a novel which will have you transfixed to the plot from begining to the very end. It contains all elements to kep you reading, unexpectancies, surprises, suicides, murders, affairs, revenge and undying love. . . anything you could possibly look for in a book. Dumas draws you into a time in history when honor was extremely valuable and fortune, was a must.
So when considering reading a book that colors the imagination and reaches into the depths of your soul, this book has to be it. Because unlike many other modern day "soap oper" books, this one has made a name for itself in history and society, or at least in my eyes, as the best book ever written.
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Summary: Mmmm . . . Edmond Dantes
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo is the best book I've read in quite a long while. I wasn't expecting it to be. Frankly, I tend to have low expectations for 19th-century European novels in regard to sheer readability. Like vegetables and trips to the dentist, they tend to be more good for you than simply good. Add in the fact that the unabridged version is over 1000 pages, and I felt sure that the Count would be a somewhat difficult companion. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Edmond Dantes' adventures kept me fully engrossed from beginning to end. I was disappointed to turn the final page, left longing for more. If you've seen a movie version of Count of Monte Cristo, expect surprises. I had seen both the Richard Chamberlain and Jim Caviezel versions before reading the book (mmmm . . . Jim Caviezel), but neither were entirely true to the storyline or the mood of the original. Edmond himself is a thoroughly satisfying and seductive hero. (The reader must take with a grain of salt the numerous references to his drug habit; at the time, opium was unfortunatly de rigeur for a Romantic hero.) The secondary characters are equally engrossing, from the admirable Maximilian Morrel to the villainous Danglars; and the ingenious machinations by which Edmond contrives to reward the deserving and doom the guilty make the chapters fly by. I would encourage everyone to be sure and get the unabridged version of this masterpiece. It is by no means slow or ponderous, and the thought of what must be left on the cutting room floor to reduce this book to half its size makes me wince.
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Summary: Great plot, and even better moral undertone
Review: Most movie productions of this classic miss out on the main theme of the work - that of the redemption of the hero. After being wronged in many ways, Dantes sets out to take revenge, but in the end comes to realize the theme of Scripture: "Venegence is mine, saith the Lord." Dumas was not known for his righteous lifestyle, but there are some great moral themes in this classic, including fidelity and mercy. An intricate plot followed by an extremely powerful ending, the Count of Monte Cristo should be read by anyone who appreciates novels with a profound moral undercurrent.
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Summary: Amazing Book!
Review: This is the finest piece of literature I have ever read without question. Dumas has a tremendous writing style that is also evident in "The Three Musketeers" as it is in this offering. This is an epic story of love, betrayal, revenge and perserverence. I could not put this book down at times, it kept me riveted and wondering what would happen next like nothing else I have read. You will not regret reading this novel.
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Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo; Sould You Read It?
Review: The Count of Monte Cristo, some people did not know it was a book until the movie came out, some people still don't even know it is a book. I thought it was an exciting, keep you on the edge of your chair, hafta turn the page, cliff hanger. That is, until you get past the first five pages of boring mush (literally only 5 pages). It is a classic story about a man who has everything going for him; until, on his wedding day his supposed friends frame him and send him to the legendary Chateau d'If for the rest of his life. But when he escapes from prison and finds a gigantic treasure, he sets out to reclaim his lost love and exact a slow, fitting punishment on his betrayers. Will he find his beloved Mercedes and get his revenge against his enemies, or will his whole plot go ka-put?
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