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Alexandre Dumas: The Count Of Monte Cristo

fluffy bunny

fluffy bunny

Member
Well, it keeps getting mentioned but there's no real discussion about the book version here as of yet. What did people think of the book and its characters?


I'm going to give the ***SPOILER WARNING*** in advance since those blacked out boxes can get annoying.



Personally I enjoyed it when I read it a few months ago, but wouldn't say it was consistently good all the way through. The trip to Rome after the jailbreak was pretty boring and superfluous to the plot. It was a shame as the act in the prison was gripping.

I was expecting the count to take a more active role in the destruction of his persecutors. Instead, he just turned up and let the characters' pasts destroy each other, reminiscent of Priestley's An Inspector Calls.

WTF was all that with Fernand? The character before Dante's incarceration is totally different to that later in the book, and I find it difficult to understand how one could become the other.

How well do people think the story's aged? Granted some of this may have been shocking 200 years ago, but by today's audience, desensitised by TV/film, a lot of it must appear tame.
 
I borrowed it from the library a few days ago and I'm looking forward to read it! Just have to finish "Great Expectations" first. :)
 
I read the book years ago and enjoyed it. I believe he also wrote "The Man in the Iron Mask" which I liked much better. That book was based on some truth as there was a man in prison whose face was hidden by a cloth. To this day, no one knows who was for certain although there is speculation.
 
I finished this book about 2 weeks ago. I thought it was a real good read. I loved the 3 musketeers by him and thought I'd give the Count a try. As you said Fluffy Bunny I felt that the Count had more of a passive role in the destruction of his enemies.

What I liked most about the book, as in the 3 musketeers, is the honour that each character has. I suppose it's mostly just a trait of that era in France. How M. Morrel was going to take his life because he didn't want his name tainted with bankruptcy. Or how they challenge themselves to death and being so civil about it.
 
Good point. There are so many anti-heroes out there in this day and age that the honour system seems to have become the exception rather than the norm.

How well do you think the concept of 'natural justice' would have held up if the book had been written by a modern author for today's audience?
 
I think the general public expects too much from the heroes of today. In this book the story is mostly of how the main character was wronged, and then his enemies receiving what they deserve. And not how the main character took his revenge upon his enemies.

I don't believe this story would've held up written in the present time. I think now we want to read about how one or a few character exacted their revenge upon hundreds of enemies without knowing too much about the cause. Even the movie about the Count of Monte Cristo was written in that way, where Edmond was the one who gave revenge to all his enemies. What do you think?
 
I have only read the first volume yet, and lord knows when I’ll get the second one from the library, so I thought I might as well just express my opinions about what I’ve read so far.

I think it started very well. It had my full attention from the beginning. However there are some exaggerated expressions to be found and they are on the verge of being melodramatic. For instance how can a girl be so upset (in this case Mercedes), that she doesn’t realize she is being kissed. (I know she was only being kissed on her hand, but still, the guy (Fernand) was like practically all over her, she should have punched him!)
Maybe it’s the translation (I’m not reading the English translation).

Bernard said:
What I liked most about the book, as in the 3 musketeers, is the honour that each character has. I suppose it's mostly just a trait of that era in France. How M. Morrel was going to take his life because he didn't want his name tainted with bankruptcy. Or how they challenge themselves to death and being so civil about it.
Click to expand...

What I didn't get was that Morell's son understood it. How odd is that? The man was his father, you can't be ok with the reason he gives for killing himself?!

I felt like most of the time things went as I had foreseen, nothing big happens, Dantés goes to Monte Cristo, finds the "treasure", everything is good, no one recognises him, everyone loves him, blah blah blah...
From the chapter about "Monsieur Bertuccio" and so on, is when things starts getting interesting again. Before that, after he escapes from prison, it's like your waiting for something to happen, I know I did. It's not like nothing happens. It's just that it goes a little slow from there on.

Was it just me, or does the author tell too much? At times I felt like he (the author) should slow down a little, with all the adjectives in the dictionary to describe people and places. At times I felt like I was being spoonfed. I mean, you can leave a little to the readers to find out themselves, you know.

By the way, how does Dantés keep up with all those identities, Sinbad the Sailor, Abbé Busoni, Lord Wilmore etc. ?

Bernard said:
As you said Fluffy Bunny I felt that the Count had more of a passive role in the destruction of his enemies.
Click to expand...

That's too bad, because I was looking forward to him doing something spectacularly to revenge himself. I knew I had too high expectations!

Overall, I think of it as a brilliant work of fiction, as far I have read.
I'll let you know more. :)
 
It's good to see somone enjoying a decent read. I see where you're coming from with the spoonfeeding aspect. I'm wondering why books marketed at the mass populance assume their readers have a short attention span and need to explain every nuance?

How many people here have also read the Arabian Nights (which Dumas studied heavily prior to the novel)? How much would you say Arabian Nights influenced this novel (beyond taking characters such as Sinbad the Sailor)?
 
I haven't read The Count of Monte Cristo for many years now, but until A Tale of Two Cities came along, it was my favorite book. Just to get it out of the way quickly, I hated the movie they made. The beauty of the story was how Edmond (the Count) exacted his revenge on his enemies in a subtle, non-violent way. He used his mind, not his hands as his weapon of choice.

To the people who say Edmond had a passive role in his enemies destruction, it is true. He did not go out and shoot his enemies in the back of the head as would please the simple minds of movie-goers these days. He waited years. Cultivated his new personality. Became a man far more powerful than his powerful enemies. Found ways to make his enemies indebted to him (which was an awkward position in those times for powerful men), such as saving the son's life in Rome. However, he did cause their demise. He did not simply sit back and watch.

Admittedly, I have not read the book for some time and I am a bit fuzzy on details now, but as I remember it, the Count orchestrated the downfall of his victims. Through his extensive economic means, I know that he caused one of them (I believe his main enemy, the one who married his beloved) to become bankrupt, which he knew would lead to the enemy's suicide, for in those days, suicide was the only way to spare your family the debts you had left.

I believe that should answer the one comment regard M. Morrel's son standing by while his father is about to commit suicide. From my understanding of those times, when you became heavily indebted and could not buy your way out, you committed suicide. If you did not, you not only shame your family and yourself, but you would go to debtor's prison and your family would be left to fend for themselves. If; however, you took what was considered to be the "honorable" way out, the creditors would cut their losses and leave your family with what little was left and they could continue to live their lives with some dignity.

I should really read it again some time soon, but for now, that's all I have to say on the matter. I still find it to be an incredible book (though I do admit that Dumas' writing style sometimes was a bit dull).

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It took me absolutely ages to read this book. For about a year I picked it up and put it down but finally I picked it up permently but it still took me three months to get through. Phew.

I really enjoyed it although the bit with Ferdinand and whathisface... Albert did tire me somewhat in Rome.

I admired the count, he could have turned into a mean, nasty spiteful person. He was powered for his desire for revenge but in the end learnt to forgive. What he did in the end was an honourable thing to do, he spacred the lives of those he wanted to kill.

On the other hand, what he did might be seen as worse then actually going out and killing anyone, come to think of it and I thought of it at the time. His actions no matter how passive he seemed, did end in the result of a child's death - could he have prevented it? Does the fact that his own hand did not touch them excuse him? No. He was the catylyst. It might never have happened.
 
well, it took me about a month to read it because he was so long. it was my first dumas book. My mom gives me this HUGE(1462 page) book by an author i didn't know and says "it's a classic. here. read it" and i thought she was kiding, but i started it and coulnd't stop. It took me a month because there were some boring bits(i agree, franz is a bit of an extra character, and the few years passing and rome is too much, as well as the imprisonment getting boring), but otherwise, it was ...well, i don't want to say good, it's to simple a word. it was phenomenal. His revenge takes quite a while and I was getting impatient, but when edmond finally says "i am edmond dantes!" it is definately worth it.

As for honor, yes, dumas wrote this at the time when romance novels with heroes, treason, revenge, love, murder etc.. were very popular. And I would say that yes, edmond changes a bit too much, and the characters are bigger then life(they're brave and honorable, but i just can't see someone agreeing to die so calmly), but the suspense, and the general storyline are captivating,a nd the characters, no matter how much they change, are still appealing.

and also, about the child's death. I think he hadn't forseen it and Dumas uses it to make Dantes see what he's really done, and what his revenge means. However, It also serves to punish villefort , who will never see his children again like dantes' father never saw him again. Part of the point of the book is that when you kill someone, so what? if you want revenge you should make them suffer. And from what I remember, the kid wasn't too nice anyway.
whew. that was long.
 
Well, I have finally finished it. While I enjoyed the way Edmond allowed his enemies to destroy themselves, it would have been somewhat nice for a little more action.

The count's devotion when he makes a promise was touching. Like when he stayed vigil at Valentine's side for four days so that she wouldn't die from drinking the poison her stepmother slipped her.

In all honesty though I didn't like Mercedes much in the novel. Am I alone in this opinion? However, I did like Haydee. :)
 
ok, i think this is the most amazing book. It's my number one favorite. And yea, he doesn't necessarily kill his enemies with his own hands, but thats the point. He got his revenge, without being directly connected. It's ingenious!
 
I read this book when I was about sixteen; it was the first - how shall I say - the first `grown-up` book that I read - my introduction, if you like, to classic (19th Cent) literature.

I think I probably read it beforehand in comic form; there were some excellent comic books (Classics` Illustrated?) featuring all the great authors - Jack London (Call of the Wild), Charles Dickens (Tale of Two Cities), Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe), Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), and of course, Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte-Cristo.

I have a lot to thank those comics for - for without them, I may never have taken `The Count` down from my grandfather`s shelf and asked him to loan it to me - I say `it` there were two volumes as I recall...

I loved the Monte Christo character - this Byronic figure, dressed all in black - dark, brooding and bent on revenge!

I never looked back after reading The Count of Monte-Cristo - I owe a great deal to that book.

My favourite quote by the Count "Punctuality is the politeness of kings".
 
Ahh a thread on Le Comte de Monte Cristo!!

*****SPOILERS*****
One of my favorite novels, and imo Dumas greatest work.
where to begin... i fell in love with the brooding, byronic count. This character has so many layers, complex, one of the greatest characters ever written (also imo). From the young, idealistic, naive trusting Edmond, to the raving lunatic imprisoned in the Chateau D'if, to the raging archangel of divine retribution, to the man wracked with doubt and uncertainity but also hope of a life that is finially returned to him as he sails away with the words wait and hope on his lips... I especially found the moment when Dantes is plagued with self-doubt about being an agent of the divine when his revenge on Villefort mows down the innocent bystanders as well...

It seems to me that some arn;t happy about the count's passive approach to fulfulling his vengence, yet this is what i loved soo much about it.
As they say revenge is a dish best served cold... the way the count weaves a web of death, destruction and dishonor is absolutely fascinating and much more satisfying than watching the bad guys get run thru by a sword (the movies was crap).

someone mentioned it just before, and yes i just wanted to slap Mercedes..

one problem that i had with the count tho, was there was too much coincidence in it, Andrea, Bertuccio, the tailor(forget his name). its just to convenient that the count somehow managed to find their deepest secrets which just happened to be the what was needed to GG fernand,villefort and danglars..
 
There are a few things common to all Dumas books, and a couple of them are that a)there's lots of coincidences and b)the main character always falls in love with the first pretty girl he sees and that girl 'coincidentially' is important to the plot. Mercedes was there to satisfy the story, so that it could have romance, as in most of Dumas's books. He has a lot of female characters men fall in love with, and you can't always tell why.

Moving on....the POINT of the book is that running someone through with a sword isn't enough as revenge, because for all you know, the person could be hating life. So, in that way the movie fails. At least the modern one...do any of you know of any good adaptations? I know there's quite a lot of them.

Have any of you read any good sequels to this book? There's lots published by different authors.
 
This is one of my all time favorite books. One thing that I think people miss when talking about this book is that Monte Cristo (Edmond Dantes) ends up being a notorious villain in this book. I think it's cool because all of us are pulling for this victim to exact revenge on the people who have grossly wronged him, but what he ends up doing is causing the innocent to suffer along with the people who deserve it. Families are destroyed and lives are lost.

I love this book and have read it twice.
 
Hermione....Bravo did a great adaptation to this book.

Unfortunately, Gerard Depardieu is Edmond, but they stay true to the story for the most part.
 
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