Reviews

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

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meghaha's review against another edition

4.0

I'm really mad at Signet Classics for dishonorably abridging this book, and then trying to disguise the fact. At first I couldn't find it stated anywhere on my copy that it had been abridged, but at last, I spotted "Abridged Version" printed in small white (!!) font on the white waves (!!) of the cover. Sly bastards!

Once I get my hands on the unabridged version and read it, I'll probably rate this book 6 stars. It was really clear that bits had been hacked out, sacrificing cohesion and a certain richness, when reading this god-accursed abridged version D:

Still, The Count is definitely one of the most epic fictional characters of all time, and Dumas is surely one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Of death, Dumas said in 1870: "I shall tell her a story, and she will be kind to me.” That's a great quote, and probably what actually happened. The guy sure could tell an amazing story; this is the most fun I've had reading a novel in a long time. What beautiful melodrama!

dwarrowdams's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A delight. Very glad I opted to read the unabridged version because while it's absolutely massive, it's an enjoyable read. There were a couple bits that did get confusing, especially about a third of the way in, but things all come together quickly enough. There is so much to this book, and even as the plot sweeps you along, no emotional depth is lost in the process. It's really a lovely book, and while I was intimidated by the page count for a long time, I'm glad I decided to pick it up.

I think what struck me most about this book is the fact that, after Dantes has spent years planning out his revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment, he modifies or abandons those plans for the sake of people he's come to care about. He did so much work to bring about the ruin of de Morcerf and was planning to kill his son, but changed courses when Mercedes came to him and begged him not to kill Albert. The same for Villefort, but he made sure that Valentine lived because he'd come to see Maximilien Morrel as a son. So yes, it's a story about revenge and how humans may be motivated to carry out justice when God/the gods fail to do so, but it's also a story about how even someone so filled with bitterness and hurt, someone who suffered due to the jealousy and fear of others, can change his course when he's reminded of the love and care that people have for each other.

That being said, seeing the revenge unfold was also super fun, and my jaw definitely dropped at a few points once I started to see how Dantes had manipulated situations (teaching Madame de Villefort about poisons, financially ruining Danglars). It's very much a "come for the revenge/vigilante justice, stay for something that'll restore your hope in humanity" book.

As a final selling point, I have ADHD and although it took me a bit, I was not only able to finish this 1200-page book, but I legitimately enjoyed reading it. That's a testimony to how skilled of a writer Dumas is (which makes sense: since this was originally serialized in a newspaper, he'd have to maintain an engaging plot to keep people reading).

Highly recommend the Penguin edition specifically because the translation is very solid and the end notes are helpful. Also recommend some kind of book stand/page holder tool because holding that thing open when I was at the beginning or end legitimately hurt my hand.

A final fun fact: Dumas was biracial (his paternal grandfather was Black), so if you want to read "classic lit" that wasn't written by a white man, this fits the bill.

Content Warnings

pageofmaddie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

romanstandrd's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

mes91's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is an immense read, the size alone is daunting. However I'd heard how accessible this classic is, and it absolutely is.
Its size means we really get to explore the characters in detail and the payoff when it finally comes is so much more satisfying.

Edmond Dantes is such a loveable character right from the start that his betrayal is infuriating. And for me it makes it all the more sad to see how he molds himself later as the Count of Monte Cristo who can be so cold and unfeeling.

I did find that some of the subplots felt overly long and at the time don't make much sense to the narrative. But they do pay off eventually, but the middle did drag ever so slightly in those parts.

But the writing is so high a quality and the narrative so expertly done that its hard to call this anything but a work of genius.