The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)
by Alexandre Dumas père
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Book Reviews of The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Startling, refreshing, unpredictable and soulful--
Summary: 5 Stars
I keep hearing that The Count of Monte Cristo is a great swashbuckling book of vengeance. I keep wondering if same said "readers" actually read the book. Au contraire, Dumas' serialized story that we now receive in a 1200+ page novel is actually an intricate waltz of a character study, that when read with patience and expectation almost feels as if the reader has been supernaturally imbued with the wisdom and experience of the 24 years that the novel covers.
The story opens with an innocent Edmond Dantes who is brutally betrayed by those who abuse their positions, and it continues with ever increasing progression of Dantes' understanding: his understanding of suffering, of evil; his understanding of wisdom from the dear Abbe; his understanding of the abuse of position that originated his personal hell, his understanding of others' human natures, both good and evil; and finally, his understanding of his own self. After multiple sub-plots that orbit the Count and illuminate both the characters that revolve around him, as well as himself, Dumas wraps up the novel with a fitting and satisfactory conclusion that flirts with the philosophical.
The novel's pace more than makes up for its daunting length-there are rarely slow moments. If it seems like Dumas is about to do something predictable, keep reading: his follow-up is always unexpected. I can only criticize Dumas for trivial concerns, which I won't get into here, but his handling of the plot is beyond reproach.
What sticks beyond the reading itself, however, is the study of people that Dumas puts forward, replete with a sweeping spiritual hypothesis on the nature of humanity itself that can only be proposed using the method of the adage, "show, don't tell." There are so many characters that we get to know well, who stay with us, reinforcing Dumas' observations. From the evil, such as Fernand and Danglars, to the pathetic, like Caderousse, to the unexpected--in Nortier, Albert, Eugenie--and even the angelic, Morrel, Haydee, the Abbe, we see a great slice of humanity parade before us in the vivid pages. And every one of them is somehow kindled by Dantes, the sparkling youth, then the supernatural catalyst and demigod, and finally, simply and totally, the man, soul bared and naked before his God. It is a breathtaking epic far deeper than the adolescent revenge romp that its literary reputation has been reduced to.
Robin Buss' translation, notes and introduction are essential and very well done, worthy of the work itself, and sure to be the preeminent English version for a very long time. In short, this is not one of those books that you check out from the library and return: this is a work to be bought in hardback, to be read, re-read, and passed down.
Book Review: Metamorphosis and Omnipotence
Summary: 4 Stars
The Count of Monte Cristo is perhaps one of the best books I've ever read. I cannot say this for certain because of the doubts that arose in my mind whilst reading it; however, I felt that each chapter was better than the one before it, and the book has 117 chapters in all! That is why, even though I have some complaints regarding this book, I think it does deserve four stars, because one quality of richness is able to eliminate any deficiencies one may find.
I cannot refrain from being critical of the fact that Edmond Dantes changes so drastically - from a naïve young lad to a supreme being who has an `infallible' scheming mind. Alexandre Dumas doesn't do much to attenuate the effect that such a radical change in the personality of the main protagonist may have on the reader. It is true that Dantes spends fourteen whole years in the Chateau d'If, but it is only in the very first parts of the book that this suffering is portrayed; the revenge takes many, many more pages to be effected than the imprisonment and the madness itself. It should be the task of the author to keep reminding the reader of the real internal suffering of Dantes more, or at par, than emphasising his feelings of revenge. On the other hand, such a well constructed plot is nothing less than admirable - one would think that only God could plan events so ably, making things happen to other people and being ready to see to the consequences as Dantes does. This is, according to me, the marvellous side of The Count of Monte Cristo - a character who, although quite inconsistent with the initial portrayal of his personality, has the opportunity to show his genius through such a strong feeling as vengeance.
Another element I don't like in certain classics is the too-frequent mention of suicide, which is shown as something easily done or easily decided upon, just like this being the consequence of someone's whim. Maybe in the past centuries this act was more commonly done to protect one's honour, however, I will still insist that suicide shouldn't be so commonly mentioned, especially not as it is in this book, where more than one character resorts to it. It is on this point, however, that I was mostly struck in the whole load of Dantes' reflections, or more exactly, in his reflections made during the concluding chapters. He realises that life has a meaning and that it is to be preserved, so he eventually becomes a life-giver instead of a life-taker. Dantes finds true value in the words "wait" and "hope" - something that, when one reads the whole book, will understand in the same depth as Alexandre Dumas does, the latter being the real mind behind this great work.
Book Review: The mother of all grudges
Summary: 5 Stars
Two jealous men plot to have Edmond Dantes thrown into a hellhole of a dungeon on false charges, and a third self-serving government man arranges to have Dantes kept there for life in order to protect his own interests. However, after fourteen years Dantes manages to escape and soon finds that his life as he once knew it is over: his promising career as a merchant ship's captain was aborted, his father had long ago starved himself to death out of grief, and his former beloved fiancee had married another. Yeah if I were in Dantes' shoes I'd hold a pretty serious grudge too.
Fortunately Dantes' only friend in the dungeon had divulged to him, just before his death, the secret location of a buried treasure on the uninhabited isle of Monte Cristo near the French coast. Dantes soon becomes the fabulously wealthy Count of Monte Cristo and proceeds to gradually but relentlessly exact total retribution on his betrayers, two decades after they'd first hatched their plot.
This long tale of revenge satisfies. The basic plot is quite drawn out as Dantes' master plan requires him to befriend and gain the trust of the men who destroyed his prospects in youth. He accomplishes this mainly by becoming somewhat intimate with these mens' families, so there are various sub-plots that comprise the middle third or so of the book. Following this section, the Count has his chess pieces where he wants them and proceeds to rapidly and systematically destroy his enemies. Of course the best parts are their horrified aspects when he finally reveals his identity to them.
Though 'Count' is replete with rich renderings of scenes in various parts of Paris, Marseilles and the French Riviera, and Rome and rural Italy, his emphasis is on the dialogue and action more than on the settings. Unlike for example Victor Hugo, who puts much more weight on describing the stage upon which the actors walk, through delightfully sudden tangents on history and philosophy that do in fact relate to the subject at hand. Dumas's style is much more focused and to the point.
Though rather simple in plot development and resolution, 'Count' stands among the finest of the classics. An absolute must for teen readers. For adults it's still a great read, though most of the events and the ending are somewhat predictable and almost always go the way of the hero. Also, Dantes' transformation from a poorly educated happy-go-lucky sailor boy to a cultured single-minded demi-god with seemingly infinite knowledge / wisdom and superhuman insight is a bit too much to believe!
Book Review: A Fantastic Classic, but Has Many Flaws
Summary: 3 Stars
Of all the books I've ever read, this is one of my favorite. But all my good memories of it come from the first third of the book. Up until the end of chapter 30 I'd give the book five stars, but after that it's pretty long-winded and drawn out (And that's 87 more chapters!) . Furthermore I didn't even like any of the characters introduced after the first 30 chapters, except two I'll mention below, two of which were very minor characters.
The first thirty chapters deal with Dantes being unjustly imprisoned and spending a miserable 14 years in the Chateau d'If. The story of his imprisonment, escape, and coming to riches and power culminates in his saving his old boss from financial ruin and suicide. It's a fantastic story but after that it's on to a long, drawn out, extremely wordy, and ultimately not-very-satisfying revenge on those who put him in prison. The main characters during these 87 chapters, aside from Dantes, his woman, and the four men who put him in prison are Haydee (the beautiful, but disturbingly reclusive Greek woman), Albert (the hotheaded son of Monte Cristo's old rival Fernand), Madame Danglars (the shrewish wife of Danglars), Héloïse de Villefort (the one-dimensional murderer whose love for her child is her only emotion), Franz d'Epinay, (a nice guy, but forgettable), and a host of other forgettable characters. Finally, there are Valentine de Villefort and Maximilien Morrel: two annoying and sappy lovers who remind me exactly of Cosette and Marius from Les Miserables. If you liked those two you'll love the latter half of the book. I detested them and the latter half of the book gave them an unfortunately large amount of sappy-time.
So that's the principle problem with the last 87 chapters: I don't like any of the characters. I wasn't even all that fond of Dantès during this part. The only characters I even remotely liked were Ali, Monte Cristo's slave, and Noitier de Villefort, who talks by blinking. Everyone else is either annoying or forgettable. This means that the almost the entire last 87 chapters are dedicated to conversations among all these annoying or forgettable people, very little of which was interesting.
Still, my memories are mostly fond. It's only when I put on my critic's hat that I began to realize how bored I was during the last two-thirds of the book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a good long read. The abridged version would probably be better for the non-OCD type, as it'll cut out a lot of the superfluous stuff.
Book Review: A powerful classic, not to be missed
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never been disappointed by a Dumas book, and this one is certainly no exception. With a gripping and intricate plot situated in a turbulent time in French history, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO represents one of the the most widely recognized and important books of all time. More subtle and serious than the swashbuckling THREE MUSKETEERS, this one really speaks to the soul with highly emotional and real ethical dilemmas. Full of adventure, suspense, love, and drama, this book is hard to put down for the entire 1300+ pages. Even though you probably already know the basic jist of the story, don't hesitate to pick this one up. Knowledge of the outcome doesn't take away anything from the enjoyment of reading this top-notch novel. I can't speak to the abridged version, but I can't imagine it could be nearly as good, as the detail of this story is part of what makes it so gratifying.
The best thing about this book is certainly the character of Edmond Dantes. Perhaps the best character in all of literature, the Count of Monte Cristo is a real delight. He represents everything you like about a hero to the extreme. Mysterious, powerful, intelligent, and caring, the Count is what drives this book. Watching as his absurdly complex, but brilliant, schemes for vengeance come to fruition represents one of the most enjoyable reading experiences to be had. While many of the characters in the book are great, they are all completely overshadowed by the immense figure of the Count.
Alexandre Dumas makes numerous political statements in this book. Very satirical about the nobility, politics, and high society in general, this book represents the cultural tendencies of the time. Published during the reign of King Louis-Philippe, during a time of political unrest, uncertain future, and revolutionist ideas, this book was certainly well-received by some but not by others. Only a couple of years after this book's publication, the Second French Republic was founded under which Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was elected president. So, the conflicts we find in this book between the royalists and the republicans were still in evidence during its writing.
I digress. This is a truly excellent book that shouldn't be missed by any fan of good literature. Don't let the length scare you away, as it is not wasted space and creates a wonderfully complex and beautiful story. Give yourself a month and read this masterpiece.