First read this when a college freshman during winter break. Was so mesmerized with the diverse characters and so eager to learn how the darker ones get their comeuppence that I read all through the night, several nights to finish. It has always been my favorite adventure/romance. I unknowingly re-read an abridged version more than a decade later. It was flat, the sub-plots less detailed, and an overall dissapointment. Not many novels can be compared with the original. ( )

Beware the Collector's Library version of this book. It is an abridged version which is so badly abridged that I spotted that large chunks were missing as I read it. This was bad enough that I felt almost sure I had actually skipped parts of the book without realising it, even though I knew I hadn't. I got the unabridged Penguin classics version from the library and read that afterwards, because otherwise it's a great story. ( )

This is actually a re-read for me. This is my second go with this book, as I've decided that this is one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite. This book has it all .... love ..... betrayal ..... adventure ...... history ....... and of course revenge. I can't wait to finish it so I can read it a third time. ( )

300/ 1312 pages

Summary-

So far, this story is about a man named Dante, who is on the peak of this success, he is going to become a captain of a ship and marry a woman, named Mercedes. However, three mean by the names of Danglers, Fernand, and Caderousse start to become jealous of Dantes success and they all accuse him for holding a letter to Napoleon, thus he is sent to a large prison called the Chateau d'If for a lifetime of imprisonment. There, he met Abbe Faria, a priest who begins teaching him.

Major Character-

Dante is a very important character in the story because before going into prison he was a very kind and gentle man on his road to success. However, when he was greatly impacted with the realty of betrayal and the fact that he had to go to prison had a large effect on him. In prison, he is so thirsty of justice and to get back at the people who set him up, which starts to give him this very nasty and bitter towards life.

Does this connect to events in life-

Yes, every one has approached a time where they encounter betrayal in their lives. I have to with my friends, who just back down from you, which makes you go crazy and it gives you so much hatred in your mind and all you think of is that.

Was there anything you didn't like about this book? Why?-

All there is in the book is that it is pretty slow and it gets really complicated. The author likes to give a lot of description,which is hard to understand, especially when he adds a lot of confusing analogies.

To whom would you recommend this book, and why? Which kinds of readers would enjoy it?

This book is like an all-rounder book, if you get the story it really portrays reality and thats why I really like it so far. It has a lot of drama, here and there, but overall, the book seems pretty good.

Who would play the main character in a movie version of the book?

Clint Eastwood, he always looks mad, so he would best fit the role. ( )

I found this book to be a really exciting piece to read. It kept me surprised after every chapter. The movie is nothing compared to this. Every page felt realistic. I could feel Edmond's hatred towards the one's that did him wrong. It really saddened me that he cared more about revenge than his loved ones. He was willing to lose it all just to fill his revenge's appetite. Even when he gets his revenge he has to leave, which really bothered me. He couldn't stay and still love Mercades? Not to mention spend time with the son he never knew until just recently? I would refer this book to anyone who wants to read about adventure, betrayal, and revenge, but do not refer it to anyone who would read it for revenge. ( )