|
| |||||||||||
What are readers saying about The Count of Monte Cristo?
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-26 02:29:26.
(Language: English)
 
At the beginning, I was so taken in by Edmond. It actually was heartbreaking to think he'd be in prison for that. But the revenge that he sought after was a little too extreme. I mean, okay. He tried to essentially play God, because he felt that he had the correct view of things. And through a lot of things he did... but to completely destroy all the families that hurt him? And he feels remorse at the end? He spend what, 15-20 years of his life only to just say, You know I was probably wrong? A little too much.However. It was an excellent book. I read through it really quickly because I was taken in very easily. I love books where you get so enveloped in the story that you know all these little parts of something so grand. That's what makes it a great book, I think. But I think he would've truly been more amazing if he would've forgiven them from the start. Bad things happening to good people and all that isn't (in my opinion) only an "on earth" form of punishment or justice that needs revenged. Things go one beyond death to me. Again though, I feel it does warrant it's "must read" status. I did enjoy it a lot. 
|
Yes (1) 
No (0) |
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-07 04:28:08.
(Language: English)
here's the short short version for those wish to be spared reading this tome over 1200 pages.Eduard Dantes a simple sailor gets framed by friends. Danted goes to prison for a very long time. Befriends the Abbe Faria an Italian priest and scholar who tutors him in economics, politics, philosophy. The priest dies and Dantes switches his body for Faria's, and thus escapes. He makes it back to France where he plans his revenge. I wont say more but the moral of the story is: revenge is ultimately self-destructive. The book is a real page turner (all 1200 pages), and the suspense never lets up, mostly because Dumas has crafted a palette of villains each with their unique strengths and weakness. A great book for those long Canadian winters, hmm. Read the reviews below for another perspective.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-28 03:18:22.
(Language: English)
Wow, if you've ever read this magnificent work, you understand my difficulty in composing a few lines of praise. The book is nearly 1500 pages. I had never read a book of such length from cover to cover, but this is truly a thrilling page-turner if ever there was one. Dumas is a master. Admiration for his skill of writing alone could keep you invested in every word, even if the story somehow did not interest you. But this story will interest you. Love, betrayal, revenge, forgiveness amidst all sorts of truly fascinating twists and turns. I can't believe this was not required reading when I was in school. I am invigorated and improved for having read it. I am almost tempted to read it again soon, but if not soon, I have no doubt that I shall definitely read it again in my lifetime.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-09 12:26:13.
(Language: English)
Wow. I read an abridged version of this, which had about 600 pages in it, and I finished it in about two days. Wow. Once the plot of this book starts moving, it really picks up and doesn't stop. I wanted so badly to find out what happened! However, I was astonished to find how different the movie was from the book. I first saw the movie adaptation starring Jim Cavezil, and while he was a good choice for the title character, the plot was a complete travesty. The book is so much more satisfying and believable than the movie! Although many books written during this time period are unbelivable long with odd tangents, there is a charm about them. People just don't write like this anymore, and it's a real shame., because when done properly, it's amazing. And "The Count of Monte Cristo" was done properly.
|
|
Mark posted a review at 2009-08-23 08:33:57.
(Language: English)
I loved Dumas' THE THREE MUSKETEERS when I read it in my 20s, so I don't know why it took me this long to get around to reading TEH COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Lately, I've been seeing it on "must read" lists, so I decided to take the plunge. Although the unabridged version is over 1200 pages long, I was never less than engaged and for much of the second half, I just couldn't put it down. This defines "page-turner" for me: the end of each page compelling you to turn to the next one to find out what's going to happen. The story is extraordinary: an epic saga that weaves together so many threads that at times it's hard to keep up with them all. The main characters (and there are a lot of them) are beautifully drawn, with compassion and understanding for even the foulest of them. Other renditions of the story have always emphasized the aspect of revenge, but Dumas is concerned with redemption and forgiveness. The final words say it all "wait" and "hope." It's a true masterpiece, worth every moment of the time it takes to read it.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-08 07:34:03.
(Language: English)
a young and innocent sailor from Marseilles, whom after being betrayed by his jealous best friend Fernand Mondego is imprisoned in the infamous Chateau d'If. During his stay in this hardly hospitable prison—his warden whips him for each anniversary of his stay—he befriends inmate Abbe Farria who teaches him philosophy, science and the art of fencing. Before dying, the priest gives him the location of an immense treasure that Dantes recovers after a daring escape. Returning to France under the name of the lavish Count Monte Cristo, he uses his fortune to get back at those who sent him to jail and meets again with his former fiancee Mercedès, now married to Mondego.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-12 12:24:31.
(Language: English)
I'm going to begin with a slight negative: every once in a while, some detail in this epic 1243-paged mammoth of a novel is glossed over (so what happened to Mercedes?), or is just way too coincidental (Andrea running into Eugenie and Louise at the inn? really?) Other than that, this book is simply one of the most entertaining reads of all time. It took my six months of admittedly-not-steady reading to conquer this unabridged one (after reading 2 decreasingly abridged ones when I was in middle school and college), but every chapter was just so riveting. Do not compare it to the James Caviezel movie. Do not ask me if I've seen the movie. They share very little in common. This book makes any other revenge story seem like a pile of crap. Devote the time to it--you sha'n't be disappointed! It'll take a while to finish, but just "wait and hope" and you'll get there.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2012-11-02 07:56:59.
(Language: English)
I really enjoyed this book - it has romance, intrigue, excitement, suspense, everything you could wish for. Although it's quite long, you don't really notice because it's so fast-paced and full of interesting characters. I feel quite sad to have finished it.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-15 02:47:15.
(Language: English)
A compelling, exciting and morbidly fascinating novel. It portrays it's themes very convincingly and many of the characters are excellently done ... the Count, Villefort, Danglars(my favourite),Noirtier, Eugenie, Andrea, Caderousse; and Mercedes, Vampa and the servants to a lesser extent. It is not without fault though, it is often melodramatic to a silly and comical extent (this may be attributed to Dumas' playwright instincts) , there are tedious love scenes between two of the most stereotyped and annoying characters - Maximillian and Valentine and the book is filled with plotholes and inconsistencies ( this can be attributed to the speed at which Dumas wrote it). All in all it is a romance worth experiencing and no abridged versions please!
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2011-02-09 11:08:05.
(Language: English)
When I first picked up this book, I was dreading reading it. It's huge! Then I opened it, and instead of regular size printing on regular weight paper I saw dust motes on tissue. But I plunged in gamely and as the book went on I found that I was hoping it wouldn't end. This was one of the best books I have ever read. I did find myself wishing I had made a character list at the beginning of the book so I could keep track of all the people in it, who they married and what they changed their names to. But I'm sure now that I've read it once I won't have trouble remembering everyone the next hundred times I read it. The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic for the very best of reasons: it's amazing.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2011-08-12 08:26:29.
(Language: English)
A classic--I can't say if it's rightly so, however, because it rambles on. Granted, everything is neatly tied up in the end, but there were times... The story begins with Edmond Dantes arriving in Marseilles with a letter from Napoleon to one M. Nortier in Paris. He's about to marry his beloved Mercedes, but on the night of their betrothal feast, he's arrested as a Bonapartist, on the strength of an anonymous letter sent to the king's attorney, Villefort. Dantes is imprisoned for fourteen years, then he escapes. What follows is a long tale of revenge, proving the adage that it's a dish best served cold. I'm pretty sure Dumas was publishing his story in weekly installments; it has that feeling, that he was being paid by the chapter. It hasn't got all the flash and swashbuckling of *The Three Musketeers*, but it's really a different sort of tale, more along the lines of a soap opera--or indeed, a very long Italian opera. One of the main themes seems to be what happens to a good man who is thrust into evil circumstances; as well, there is the question of vengeance as a mission from God (to quote the Blues Brothers). The forms that Dantes' vengeance upon his tormenters take are many, but in the end, his lust for revenge is satisfied; all his enemies lose everything they have. Whether the reader will agree with that, only the reader can make up his or her mind.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-15 06:01:47.
(Language: English)
Very unlike the modern movies that were based upon it. This is no swashbuckling Dumas tale; it's an elaborate fantasy about luck bringing unlimited wealth, and imprisonment forging a superior will. The Count is a strangely alien character to high French society. Honored by all who meet him (who perceive his superior character, and if not that, his bank account) he seems to honor nobody in particular. In between his jail sentence and his return to France, he alludes to decades of adventures, in the exotic orient and even among the criminal underworld. His cold revenge at times even shocks himself, but he rationalizes that he is acting as God' instrument. The plot is all melodrama and courtly intrigue, with relatively little physical action compared to other Dumas novels. He is quite prepared to fight and win duels, but his chosen method of assassination is an assault on reputation; for instance, ruining his enemy's bank with a well-timed financial action. In the end Monte Cristo does *not* reunite with the love of his childhood; she is merely reduced to her former circumstances, a wiser but unhappy woman. In contrast, we are given examples of lovers who were ready to die rather than go on living without each other, and these two couples sail off into the sunset -- including Monte Cristo and a slave he purchased, who has become more of a willing captive.
|
|
Gregory posted a review at 2009-03-20 03:47:31.
(Language: English)
A wonderful book, distinguished as much by the quality of the writing as by the turns of the plot. Dumas' hero, having been unjustly imprisoned, is made wealthy by the secret a fellow prisoner has shared, and turns his vast resources to avenging himself. It is a tale that draws on Dumas' own experiences as an undereducated outsider in Parisian society, and in the Count he creates a character as he no doubt wished he could have been. And why not? The Count of Monte Cristo has seemingly psychic powers and insight into human nature that is positively god-like, (as many of his supplicants point out). This is the weakness of the story, in that the Count gets far too much of his own way, and his complex plans rarely have a glove laid on them. As a character, Dantes evolves from an idealistic and naive young man unconcerned with money into someone as money obsessed as Dumas was. In a strange turn, the reader ends up knowing the cost of everything before its value to the characters is ever discussed. This being said, the delicacy of his operations, and their devastating effect has anyone who has ever suffered a wrongdoing cheering the Count from the sidelines, despite the knowledge that the lethal force he unleashes is quite disproportionate. The balance between imagination and fantasy, well kept in the first part of the novel, slowly shifts in the latter's favour as the story progresses. This is especially true after the long gap of eight years that bisects the novel, leaving us with older characters that only vaguely resemble themselves in their youth. Still, a cracking read, and much underestimated.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-27 01:30:57.
(Language: English)
This is a masterpiece of vengeance. Edmond Dantes is thrown into prison to further the goals of three men. His cell companion, a wise old man, helps him uncover their treachery. He escapes and acquires a great treasure, and is reborn as the Count of Monte Cristo, determined to exact his revenge for the crimes committed against him. There are a number of things that make this novel amazing. Part of it is the intricacy and detail of the Count's revenge plots. No silly gimmicks like, "I'll get you to confess while the police are listening in!" (I can't believe they used that in the movie. It disgraces the good name of the book.) Everything is carefully planned and woven together as only a mastermind could do. Part of it is the lack of good and evil. The Count's three betrayers are not portrayed as evil men - they simply had to resort to desperate measures in a difficult time. There is none of this foolish "You are my best friend, but I'm going to betray you and then beat my wife and when I find out who you are I'll try to murder you" tripe like they tried to pull in the movie (can you tell that I didn't like the movie?). It's a long book, and slow in some parts, but still a masterpiece.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-20 03:22:51.
(Language: English)
You're caught in a whirlwind of evil plots and schemes that float out from the sea. The Count of Monte Cristo is a story full of disguises, but you'll always know the main character by his craftiness. It's outrageously creative and precise, there is neither a stone left unturned nor a loose end left untied. I felt myself start to lose my sanity at times if I read this book for too long on end right there with the main character in all his situations without a break in between, but at those breaks I was too excited to find out what would happen next to catch my own breath. Brilliantly written, as everything Alexandre Dumas wrote is, and one to save on the shelves for later re-reads.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-03-30 03:54:43.
(Language: English)
Deserving of its classic status this is a remarkable piece of work that will continue to be cherished by generations to come (I read the Harper Collins print which had a far more attractive cover than the Wordsworth one here - the count was no pudgy, baby-faced dandy!) The characters are extremely melodramatic in the way of much Mediterranean-influenced fiction of the time. It may be overly sentimental for some but the skill Dumas uses to merge his complex web of characters and plot, all converging in the count's ultimate revenge, makes it as good a read today as it would have been in the 19th century.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-08 07:08:28.
(Language: English)
This is possibly the best, most entertaining book I have ever read. Alexandre Dumas is an amazing author, who shows that ingenuity and determination can accomplish anything, but that all actions come at a cost regardless of who we think we are. It really does have it all, injustice, revenge, love, fighting, regret, honor, mystery,scandal, the list could go on. I liked the movies, which was what brought me to the book, and thank goodness I did otherwise I probably would have hated the movie in comparison, had I read the book first. They are nothing alike. There may not be as many straight out fight scenes like The Three Musketeers, but the amount of twists and turns the story takes completely overshadows the need for it. Dantes/Monte Cristo is a character easily related with. He is not the altruistic ne'er-do-wrong golden knight and does not claim to be, but a man that believes he is dealing the hand of justice and sometimes takes it too far. After all, what would you do if everything that you worked for and everyone that you loved was stripped from you and you were left to die all for the selfish gain of another, only to come back and find them prosperous and un-repentent and your loved ones thrown into destitution? The ending is not sugar-sweet like the movie would portray, but is happy nonetheless and fits the atmosphere of the book.
|
|
Bayu posted a review at 2010-07-26 04:08:04.
(Language: English)
While most will identifiy this novel as a tale of vengeance, it had a lot more layers to it than any film adaptation could possibly cover. The way Dantes gets his revenge on Fernand, Danglars, and Villefort may seem a bit contrived at times (as is the convenient deus ex machina riches of the Abbe Faria), it provides an entertaining backdrop to the characters themselves. I find the most interesting to be Villefort due to the dichotomy of his near obsessive attachment to law and order and his two crimes. It's a classic; though it's a time investment (my edition is almost 900 pages) it is worth it.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-18 08:57:25.
(Language: English)
Ini buku paling tebal yg aku baca hahaha...seribu lima ratus halaman dalam empat hari...untung novel, kalo buku pelajaran :-p Sebenarnya buku-buku yg aku baca sih semua versi Indonesia, hanya aja di sini ga ada catalog dalam bahasa Indonesia..trapapalah. Ini cerita tentang seorang lelaki miskin yg dipenjara dan bertemu dengan seorang padri yang telah bertahun-tahun mencoba menggali terowongan untuk jalan melarikan diri, apesnya terowonngan itu justru berakhir di ruangan sel lain. Persahabatan mereka dengan segala pendewasaan yg diberikan padri itu pada pria muda ini membentuk kepribadian baru yang lebih tangguh...sampai akhirnya ia bisa menjadi kaya dan bertemu sang pujaan hati dari masa lalu... wew... honestly, ini buku bagus yang sarat dengan pemikiran bagus, hanya saja kalo sedikit bored dengan kebiasaan penulis yang suka berpanjang-panjangan menggambarkan suatu maksud..good book
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-12 03:21:52.
(Language: English)
Everyone knows what this is about; it's been called the greatest revenge story ever written and I'm not going to argue. Like many people, I'd read the abridged version and had imagined myself finished with the book. I read the unabridged 1400 pages version on a chance and wasn't disappointed. This is a whole different animal; much more darker and nuanced than the 'children's book' copy I'd read. 'Pede poena claudo', Dumas mentions somewhere in the book. That one phrase, 'revenge comes limping' describes what is so great about this book. Dantes' aggressors have done the crime and moved on. They are now busy with the mundane details of their lives and into this scene of domestic bliss Dantes slips in and catches them unawares. Brilliant book!
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-19 02:07:12.
(Language: English)
A great story of life, love, and revenge. A young man wrongfully imprisoned by men who are jealous of his life. While in prison met an old madman who cries of great treasures. The young man learned from the old man patience and knowledge. The yound man escaped imprisonment after 10 yrs or so. Sought out the old man's treasure and found himself beyond rich. After years of strategy, the yound man came back into society as the Count of Monte Cristo and sought out revenge who were responsible for his imprisonment. A great read!!
|
|
Marc posted a review at 2009-11-02 09:42:17.
(Language: English)
This is a review of this translation of the 'Count.' The Oxford version is a stilted translation from the 19th century. I had a difficult time getting in to this version of the book, and only got through the first five of six chapters. I am currently two thirds of the way through the 1996 Penguin translation which flows much better. The Oxford version is also bowdlerized. For one example, the same line the 19th c translation is "I will put an end to my existence." while the 20th c reads "I shall blow out my brains." (For reference the original text is «je me ferai sauter la cervelle» Cervelle is brains in french.)
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-05 11:01:34.
(Language: English)
This is my favorite book ever. It's so long. It's sometimes boring. I have a feeling that it is not easily understood, although I devoured every concept and comprehended it. This is the kind of book that made me so sad when it was over, simply because there was nothing left to read. When something you read makes you realize thoughts and emotions you've never had before, it becomes a part of who you are. Usually a small part, but not in this case. This book has some great significance, even if it's beyond my power to completely explain it
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-14 07:04:35.
(Language: English)
This is simply the most ¡§awesomest¡¨ book I have ever read! That is, aside from the Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia. Alexandre Dumas does a fantastic job keeping action up throughout the story and using intrigue and suspense right up to the very last page ¡V all 1462 pages of the story. Rare talent makes it a no-brainer as to why this book has remained a well-loved classic; I can only imagine what it must have been like during the time this adventure was written, waiting for every edition to come out for the next installment in the Count¡¦s adventures.Reading this book reminded me a lot about what was happening in my life, rather, what is still happening in my life. I'm sure I'll be referring back to this book a lot in the future. M. Dumas skillfully infuses fairly respectable principles and values into the character of Edmond Dantes, up to the point where M. le Comte realizes it¡¦s not really in our place to be the avenging angel or the hand of Providence. Truly, and wonderfully, we need only to live our God-given purpose, and wait and hope.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-10 03:50:35.
(Language: English)
I took a long time reading this book. I started it in the fall of 2005, but got only a third of the way in before I put it down. (Aside from the slightly tedious exposition introducing so many new characters at that point, I was going through a bad breakup, where I felt it best not to read about revenge lest I do anything rash.) I picked it back up a week and a half ago, and made steady progress until I finally finished it last night. (I read the Buss translation, unabridged.) While it's certainly obvious that Dumas was getting paid by the word, the book draws you in with its attention to detail, and at the height of suspense, it is absolutely gripping. Plus, the transformation of Edmond Dantès from his young, happy self, to the enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo, is both fascinating and a fairly astute psychological look into someone who has been betrayed. Granted, Valentine (among other female characters) is a bit too much of a Mary Sue for modern sensibilities, and the Orientalist attitudes towards anything East of the Danube is a bit too fantastical in a world where so much about the Middle East is (supposedly) common knowledge. But these are minor quibbles, really, and are a product of the time more than anything else. It's great fun. A fantastic tale of betrayal and revenge. In typical style of mid-1800s serializations, Dumas writes as though he were being paid by the word (and he probably was), but it's still great fun. This particular English translation is a lively modern version, with extensive notes to detail the things someone not born in France 150+ years ago is unlikely to pick up on. A bit of a hefty package, but it just increases the value all the more.
|
Share your views!
Similar books
