wombat_88's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lvig's review against another edition
Too many subplots that do not add to the central theme. First third of book was good but them it became a bunch of dead end stories.I was very disappointed.
h_martin's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
evetoi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
mol_123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
anijouk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
yaybaum's review against another edition
4.0
3.6/5 but choosing to round up.
It just feels long and slowly paced. I get into phases where I’m tearing through it and others where it’s dragging and I need a side piece book to get a sense of enjoyment from reading rather than obligation. Some times the interactions are really engaging with some snappy dialogue, these sections of the book are a joy to read through. Then at other times I feel like I’m slogging through so many then-current events, customs, and even older literary references.
I am reading the unabridged Robin Buss translation from penguin classics (aka the one everyone online recommends you read) and I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if was reading an abridged tale with a tighter narrative. To its credit, the footnotes are amazing, but even then I found myself starting to skip them because I really just stopped caring about the historical context.
Perhaps the best and worst aspect of the novel is the lack of the truly omniscient narrator. It adds intrigue as I wonder “just what is the count up to? It’s definitely well calculated, but why is he doing this?” But it also adds frustration as I’m feeling just a bit cut off from the characters and the story. That said when everything comes together at the end and all is revealed in due time it is such a satisfying payoff. I personally just prefer being in the heads of our character a bit more when I read a book.
Does this sound like a bad review? It’s mixed because Dumas STUCK THE LANDING. The last quarter of the book was phenomenal and almooost made up for some of the sloggy bits. Anyway, I’m happy to have read this and feel accomplished for reading a novel this long (1100 pages?!). Just maybe next time I want to experience the story, I’ll opt for an abridged version or dare I say it, a movie
It just feels long and slowly paced. I get into phases where I’m tearing through it and others where it’s dragging and I need a side piece book to get a sense of enjoyment from reading rather than obligation. Some times the interactions are really engaging with some snappy dialogue, these sections of the book are a joy to read through. Then at other times I feel like I’m slogging through so many then-current events, customs, and even older literary references.
I am reading the unabridged Robin Buss translation from penguin classics (aka the one everyone online recommends you read) and I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if was reading an abridged tale with a tighter narrative. To its credit, the footnotes are amazing, but even then I found myself starting to skip them because I really just stopped caring about the historical context.
Perhaps the best and worst aspect of the novel is the lack of the truly omniscient narrator. It adds intrigue as I wonder “just what is the count up to? It’s definitely well calculated, but why is he doing this?” But it also adds frustration as I’m feeling just a bit cut off from the characters and the story. That said when everything comes together at the end and all is revealed in due time it is such a satisfying payoff. I personally just prefer being in the heads of our character a bit more when I read a book.
Does this sound like a bad review? It’s mixed because Dumas STUCK THE LANDING. The last quarter of the book was phenomenal and almooost made up for some of the sloggy bits. Anyway, I’m happy to have read this and feel accomplished for reading a novel this long (1100 pages?!). Just maybe next time I want to experience the story, I’ll opt for an abridged version or dare I say it, a movie