readingisadoingword's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I first read this in French in 1999/2000 and immediately fell in love - even through the barrier of a second language.
This re-read just cemented for me how much I love this book and why.
Edmond Dantes is envied and hated by a small group of peers and rivals. They conspire to have him arrested and he is unjustly imprisoned for fourteen years.
The story examines Dantes' confusion, despair, education, renewal and ascendancy. Upon finally escaping his prison he is bent on revenge -a complex, insidious, torturous revenge - to be visited not only on those who betrayed him but their families also. His belief that he is acting as the hand of God is unfaltering, until perhaps he realises that it is not his place...or is it?
This book almost defies reviewing, there is so much in it. It looks at human nature - what makes a person inherently good or evil, what temptations can man withstand and under which circumstances? Should one misjudged act condemn a whole life? Is remorse required for forgiveness? Can the ills of the past be buried and a positive future emerge?
Reading this again, over 20 years since I first discovered it, I wondered whether I would feel the same compassion for the Count and sympathy for his mission - I did!
His intricately plotted vengeance can't help but inspire admiration, I really wanted him to succeed. As his enemies fall one by one, Dantes is confronted with unforeseen dilemmas -how far should he pursue his revenge and at what cost?
I think overall this book is about reflection and repentance - certain characters learn from their errors and others do not and their fates follow accordingly.
This re-read just cemented for me how much I love this book and why.
Edmond Dantes is envied and hated by a small group of peers and rivals. They conspire to have him arrested and he is unjustly imprisoned for fourteen years.
The story examines Dantes' confusion, despair, education, renewal and ascendancy. Upon finally escaping his prison he is bent on revenge -a complex, insidious, torturous revenge - to be visited not only on those who betrayed him but their families also. His belief that he is acting as the hand of God is unfaltering, until perhaps he realises that it is not his place...or is it?
This book almost defies reviewing, there is so much in it. It looks at human nature - what makes a person inherently good or evil, what temptations can man withstand and under which circumstances? Should one misjudged act condemn a whole life? Is remorse required for forgiveness? Can the ills of the past be buried and a positive future emerge?
Reading this again, over 20 years since I first discovered it, I wondered whether I would feel the same compassion for the Count and sympathy for his mission - I did!
His intricately plotted vengeance can't help but inspire admiration, I really wanted him to succeed. As his enemies fall one by one, Dantes is confronted with unforeseen dilemmas -how far should he pursue his revenge and at what cost?
I think overall this book is about reflection and repentance - certain characters learn from their errors and others do not and their fates follow accordingly.
treehuggeranonymous's review against another edition
2.0
After everything that happens, the ending is a anti-climatic.
hulttio's review against another edition
5.0
How can I begin to review this masterpiece? Well, for starters, this was a buddy read that ended up taking a year… and I actually finished… can’t say the same for my buddy. (That’s ok though, we’ll get there someday.) The length is intimidating, but once you get started, it’s incredibly hard to put down. I only did so because life happened, work or study interfered, and I got easily distracted by other books I just ‘had’ to read. But I don’t regret this book taking me a year at all. It was like savoring the finest of meals over a nice, long period of time—enough to really immerse yourself in the world and the characters. I’ve never cared much for France, but this book almost made me want to do a deep dive into 1800s France.
And that is not to ignore the characters, who are one of the best parts of the book—or at least some of them. The Count is endearing, and his transformation from Edmond Dantès to the Count of Monte Cristo is remarkable and extraordinary. As his morals and attitudes ebb and flow, I could only strengthen my support for his resolve. It is hard to find a truly blameless character in the book; certainly, none of the major ones seem to come to mind. (Maybe Mme. Louise d'Armilly?) Nevertheless, many grasp your heartstrings and others provide much schadenfreude. I was pleasantly surprised by the degree to which Dumas keeps account of the numerous amount of side or occasional characters; they all have a part to play, no matter how small.
There are abridged versions of this book, but the unabridged, complete text (and especially the Robin Buss translation if you are an English reader) is worth reading. I assume the abridged versions remove side stories or characters, and while not ‘necessary’ in a strict sense for the plot, these events and characters still color the narrative and complete the sense of immersion that Dumas gives us. To remove them would be like removing the finishing touches from a decadent cake; it will still taste good, but less refined and complete. The transition of the story from beginning to end is well-done, and I applaud Dumas for keeping things mostly straight by the end of it. There were some moments where I had to go back and refresh myself on previous events, but that is probably because it took me a while to finish.
Still, I wouldn’t mind re-reading this, contrary to my usual stance, because this seems like the type of book that keeps giving on every re-read. (I usually don’t like re-reading things.) I’m also quite excited to read Dumas’s other works, particularly The Three Musketeers, but of course, his style is quite endearing to me now, so anything goes. (In comparison to Hugo, at least, Dumas does not drown the reader in chapters upon chapters of extreme description.) I am also very curious as to how the movie adaptations take something so incredible and relay it to the screen—there are a couple I am looking at, but the French one that is 4 hours long seems like the only possible one that may even attempt at covering most of the material in the book. Anyway, I can’t find it in me to say anything more intelligent about this remarkable and fantastic book, so go read it already if you haven’t!
And that is not to ignore the characters, who are one of the best parts of the book—or at least some of them. The Count is endearing, and his transformation from Edmond Dantès to the Count of Monte Cristo is remarkable and extraordinary. As his morals and attitudes ebb and flow, I could only strengthen my support for his resolve. It is hard to find a truly blameless character in the book; certainly, none of the major ones seem to come to mind. (Maybe Mme. Louise d'Armilly?) Nevertheless, many grasp your heartstrings and others provide much schadenfreude. I was pleasantly surprised by the degree to which Dumas keeps account of the numerous amount of side or occasional characters; they all have a part to play, no matter how small.
There are abridged versions of this book, but the unabridged, complete text (and especially the Robin Buss translation if you are an English reader) is worth reading. I assume the abridged versions remove side stories or characters, and while not ‘necessary’ in a strict sense for the plot, these events and characters still color the narrative and complete the sense of immersion that Dumas gives us. To remove them would be like removing the finishing touches from a decadent cake; it will still taste good, but less refined and complete. The transition of the story from beginning to end is well-done, and I applaud Dumas for keeping things mostly straight by the end of it. There were some moments where I had to go back and refresh myself on previous events, but that is probably because it took me a while to finish.
Still, I wouldn’t mind re-reading this, contrary to my usual stance, because this seems like the type of book that keeps giving on every re-read. (I usually don’t like re-reading things.) I’m also quite excited to read Dumas’s other works, particularly The Three Musketeers, but of course, his style is quite endearing to me now, so anything goes. (In comparison to Hugo, at least, Dumas does not drown the reader in chapters upon chapters of extreme description.) I am also very curious as to how the movie adaptations take something so incredible and relay it to the screen—there are a couple I am looking at, but the French one that is 4 hours long seems like the only possible one that may even attempt at covering most of the material in the book. Anyway, I can’t find it in me to say anything more intelligent about this remarkable and fantastic book, so go read it already if you haven’t!
tensoonreads's review against another edition
5.0
What a masterpiece this is. I’m devastated it’s over. I wish I could erase my memory and read it all over again, savouring every word.
Absolutely adored this book. The plot, characters, setting. Ahh!! <3
Absolutely adored this book. The plot, characters, setting. Ahh!! <3
chronoguard's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic read! One can't help but root for Dantes as he exacts revenge by playing puppet master with the lives of the men who took everything away from him. Everybody should read this book.
anasofiapereira14's review against another edition
After 4 months, I finally finished this 1000-something-page classic. The beginning of this story was one of the best I've read in literature and I was completely captivated since the first pages. Halfway through, the story became more dense and had less action but this story of betrayal and revenge is rightfully considered a masterpiece.
sejl90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25