The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics) (original 1844; edition 2003)

A few months ago, someone asked me the question, "What book would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island?" Embarassingly, my first inclination was to cheat. I'd bring The Lord of the Rings and of course, throw in The Hobbit, since it is a prequel. Or, the Harry Potter series - all 7 books. But, if I was limited to just one title, I think I've found my answer - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and I would definitely bring the Blackstone audiobook version, narrated by John Lee. I just finished listening to this audiobook and I can't praise it enough. The story is wonderful. Although originally written in the mid 1800's, the book does not suffer from the blah blah wordiness of many classics. The plot is gripping and the characters are so wonderfully complex. The main character, Edmond Dantes, is on a mission to seek revenge for a plot that resulted in him spending 14 years in prison. The book has adventure, passion, love, justice and revenge - what a great story! And John Lee reads it perfectly, throwing in lots of accents and passion in his narration. And don't forget to bring a lot of batteries or a solar charger, because at 47 hours, it takes awhile to finish this one. But hey, you're on a desert island - time is not an issue.
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Not very impressed. I read it because Ioved "The Three Musketeers," but I didn't like it as much. After a great beginning, it gets dull and too chatty. Nothing much happens in the whole book and the characters speak so much and are so pompous that they turned me off. The biggest flaw for me though was how impersonal the novel is. After the great beginning when we are in Edmond Dantes's head and as soon as he becomes the Count of Montecristo, we stop hearing his thoughts and feelings and he is treated objectively. So much so that by the end of the book we know everything the victims feel and nothing about how he feels. Also, he is given too supernatural powers--nothing comes in his way; his plans roll in undisturbed. In the end also he is so pompous and facetious about his doubts that totally turned me off. The book is overlong like the Three Muskeeter, due to the fact that Dumas wrote in weekly installments at that time and made more money writing longer works. There are still nice things, but not worth 56 hours of listening. Read the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" instead, if you want something monumental, but worth it. ( )

The classic revenge story. Edmond Dantes is happy, progressing in his career and to be married to the woman he loves, but he is betrayed and sent to prison. After meeting a fellow prisoner, who claims to have a secret treasure, Dantes escapes and rises as the powerful and enigmatic Count of Monte Christo.

I started reading this on my phone, at sporadic points of waiting that occurred over several months, then at about the halfway point, I switched to a brick-heavy paperback -- all of which taught me how the format affects my reading experience. While reading on my phone, I had a hard time keeping up with characters and the book seemed like a struggle to get through. Once I switched to paperback and (I assume) a different translation, the story clicked for me and I loved it.

Monte Christo isn't really a like able character. I certainly had sympathy for him in the beginning, when Dantes was struck down and made to suffer, but as the count, the goodness in him dissolved. He became a man so focused on his goal of revenge that it mattered little what effect his plans had on anyone else, even his friends or the innocent. I even felt sorry for the people who wronged him at a certain point. Even as he tries to make reparations for his actions, I'm a little discomfited by how he handled Mercedes and her son, Maximilian, and Hadee.

Ultimately, this did turn out to be a fun adventure yarn (once I switched to print). it was cool to see how all his elaborate plans unfurled and cane to fruition. I'm looking forward to trying The Three Musketeers at some point. ( )

A fascinating tale of personal reinvention, culminating in an intricate plot of divinelike vengeance, deliciously served up to the protagonist's enemies in a drawn-out, meticulously planned and sadistic fashion. Edmund Dantes is a man rising up in the world who appears to have what many would crave, a beautiful fiance, a loving father and a promising career. What he lacks is strength of character, and a trusting, naive, and unsuspecting nature places him in mortal danger. He falls victim to the rats and sharks that inhabit his world and overnight all is lost. Unlike Dickens, Dumas does not send four elements of the supernatural to the rescue, but instead presents a seemingly more likely scenario (still highly improbable), by "educating" Dantes in France's most infamous prison, over a span of 20 years, guided by a "madman". What emerges
is a ruthless, cunning, and unyielding character bent on carrying out his revenge to the very last. Note that it still takes a mass fortune to carry out his intentions. A memorable character study by a great author! ( )

Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" is in many ways the classic story of revenge and justice. The falsely accused Edmund Dantes is imprisoned in an island jail, separated from the love of his life, the beautiful Mercedes. After wallowing in self-pity and anger, a fellow prisoner encourages Dantes to plan a dramatic escape, tempting him with a story of a fabulous treasure hidden on the foreboding island of Monte Cristo.

After his audacious prison break, Dantes makes his way to the isle of Monte Cristo, using his experience as a ship's officer. There he does indeed find a staggering treasure, which he uses to finance his attempt to uncover who had him imprisoned. Dantes creates multiple personae to carry out his investigation and his later attempts at revenge, none more unforgettable than the mysterious and fabulously wealthy Count of Monte Cristo.

Dumas offers a sprawling epic against the backdrop of the social upheaval in early 19th Century Paris. Insinuating himself into association with both the upper crust and criminals, Dantes stops at nothing to discover his betrayers and then to work revenge upon them by destroying their careers and social relationships. It is a gripping tale of intrigue and romance, the satisfaction of revenge and yet its hollowness. ( )