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A review by sigynmoon
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Suicide attempt
The protagonist keeps a slave who is often referred to with racist terms. The protagonist is written like a hero, so the fact he has a slave (who he dehumanizes) is very uncomfortable. There is also quite a lot of orientalism.
As for the sexual assault, there is a story told where a woman is taken by bandits and raped. She is also then killed by her lover, which the book portrays as a mercy killing. This is very upsetting. There is also an attempted abduction with intentions to rape after, although the girl is saved. Torture is a theme in the book at times although I cannot remember if it ever gets graphic (I am fairly certain it doesn't.), the book is quite misogynistic in nature on how the female characters are treated (such as one being portrayed as unfaithful for marrying a man after her lover was imprisoned for years and she literally thought he was dead.) Suicide is a theme throughout the book including suicidal thoughts and various attempts. There are characters who also do go through with it.