Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Jun 22, 2011

Joel rated it:

Revenge is a dish best served cold. And unabridged. And translated from the French by Robin Buss.

The greatness of this book can be illustrated by the following simple equations:

(

+

) <

Whereas, the majesty of the Count of Counting added to the deliciousness of a Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigans still does not overmatch the inherent kickass value of the Dumas novel [which is, it can therefore be said, greater than the sum of its parts, both obsessive-com More...

34 comments like (137 people liked it)

Aug 30, 2011

BunWat rated it:

Raising my clasped hands to heaven and casting my eyes upward with an indescribable expression of suffering as the vital force deserts my body causing me to fall senseless to the floor only to rise a moment later filled with a restlessness that cannot be assuaged, pacing endlessly, unconsciously twisting and tearing between my ever moving hands a white cambric cloth soaked with the crystalline tears that drop ceaselessly from my swollen orbs, I cry "Why, why is this book so looong!!" More...

24 comments like (55 people liked it)

Apr 18, 2010

Cynthia rated it:

** Spoiler alert**

First, make sure you find a copy that is unabridged. Most editions in English ARE abridged, but usually don't say they are. Not sure if this Penguin edition is, it's not the one i read.
Readers generally think of this as a tale of revenge. For me, it was much deeper. I'm not a religious person at all, but for me this is a book that makes you question the existence of God or a god. Edmond Dantes is without flaw, a truly good person, and his life is ruined becau More...

17 comments like (71 people liked it)

Jan 20, 2012

Kim rated it:

They don't write novels like this anymore. That's because they make television drama series and soap operas instead. To my mind, this novel is the 19th Century equivalent of a long-running and compelling television series. I can readily imagine being a reader of the Journal des Débats between August 1844 and January 1846, impatiently waiting for the next installment of Le Comte de Monte Cristo to be published, eagerly discussing each installment with my friends around the 19th Century equ More...

26 comments like (24 people liked it)

Oct 11, 2011

Mariel rated it:

Celebrity Death Match.

One, two, three, four... Ohhh, my lady... I will ride in and rescue you, my sweeet laaady, let nothing happen to my sweet laddddy... Horse and carriage of fiiire, let me ride you like I'm your horse and your knight in shining armour... sweet, sweet, sweeeet! laaaaaady-

The three heroic heart throbs who inspire damsels to enter distress stop bumping and gyrating in choreographed rehearsed synchronicity. Athos sings "lady" a touch too long and is angry to be embarrassed and in More...

0 comments like (17 people liked it)

May 19, 2008

J rated it:

What does it say about me as a critic when the best book I’ve read all year was first serialized in the 1840s? From start to finish thoroughly enjoyable, Alexandre Dumas’ 1200 page revenge epic The Count of Monte Cristo wastes little time in not thrusting the plot along, quite violently so at times, and includes within a brief, sketchy history of the return of Napoleon and his subsequent second defeat, a primer on hashish, and a proto-seed for the detective tale that would later blossom under Po More...

4 comments like (45 people liked it)

Nov 18, 2011

Joe rated it:

Every soap opera ever produced owes an enormous amount of debt to The Count of Monte Cristo, a sprawling, messy, over-the-top, gleefully melodramatic bitchslap fest.

In fact, I propose that the grandest of bitchslaps be henceforth referred to as a Monte Cristo Bitchslap because of the masterful manner in which Edmond Dantès delivers one colossal bitchslap after another to all who wronged him. And to those who wronged him by association? Thou shalt also receive a furious bitchslap! Cle More...

9 comments like (17 people liked it)

Feb 09, 2008

Chris rated it:

Why did no one tell me about this book? I mean seriously, I was about a hundred pages in and I wanted to go find my freshman high school English teacher and inflict terrible, intricate revenge on her for depriving me of a great book. I figured first I could assume a new identity, perhaps insinuating myself into her life. I'd make her trust me and put all her faith in me, and then I would UTTERLY CRUSH HER!!! MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Seriously, this was an awesome book. I am not a big fan of More...

8 comments like (48 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2011

Flannery rated it:

Ahhh, life is good on my private island. It's nice and quiet. I've got my copy of The Count of Monte Cristoand a bottomless cup of refreshing water. Don't worry about me though, because if you look carefully, there is a hole on the island. But it isn't just a hole--it's a portal like the wardrobe in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe that leads to a cute little cabin in the woods with a library, a bathroom, and a huge comfortable bed. And enchiladas...lots of enchiladas. I guess Con More...

11 comments like (16 people liked it)

May 02, 2011

Kris rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

6 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2012

Mike (the Paladin) rated it:

I enjoyed this one probably more than Dumas' other books. Just me of course. High adventure and drama, revenge and love (lost and otherwise). Dumas at his best.

I came across Dumas first when I was in high school or Jr. high (I don't suppose that term is used anymore is it? Jr. high was 7th and 8th grade). No it wasn't required reading, it was an old copy of The Three Musketeers I found at my Grandmother's. Since then I've read other of his works and like a lot of people I had to lear More...

4 comments like (11 people liked it)

Nov 06, 2008

Abigail rated it:

One of Alexandre Dumas' most popular works, The Count of Monte Cristo is an epic tale of wrongful imprisonment and masterful revenge, standing at the apex of this kind of nineteenth-century adventure novel. The story of Edmund Dantes, a young sailor from Marseille whose happiness and good fortune arouse the jealousy of his enemies, the novel follows its hero from his terrible years of imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit, through his escape and reinvention of himself as the Count of Monte C More...

12 comments like (14 people liked it)

Jun 17, 2011

Anastasia rated it:

"Oh, diamine. Io non so proprio cosa dire su questo capolavoro! Se cerco dentro di me la prima voce che emerge è un ringraziamento. Un umile ringraziamento. L'avrete provata anche voi quella sorta di gratitudine nel ripercorrere tutta la storia dopo aver letto l'ultima pagina.
No, no.. Un passo indietro, và.
Di solito prima c'è quello strano silenzio immobile, si è intontiti e tutto sembra inverosimile. Poi, almeno nel mio caso, si sorride come inebetiti. E poi c'è quella gratitu More...

7 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 30, 2008

Bakeshow rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

7 comments like (10 people liked it)

Sep 30, 2011

Manny marked it as to-read

For the Celebrity Death Match Review Tournament, Les Trois Mousquetaires (31) versus The Count of Monte Cristo (15)

- Untie the prisoner. Edmond Dantès, the court is now in session.

- Hey! What kind of kangaroo court is this! And what are the charges anyway?

- Look, Dantès, we're all Dumas characters. Only one of us can progress to the next round, so it better be the cooler ones, right? We're charging you with being less cool than Les Trois Mousquetaires.

More...

7 comments like (14 people liked it)

Jan 16, 2009

Becky rated it:

Wow. This book was amazing.

I love well-written classics, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Granted, there were some discrepancies, mainly to do with time and ages (saying Mercedes had a portrait of herself done when she was 25 when she really would have been 32, etc), but if I had not been reading this edition, I probably would not have noticed those things. In any event, it did not detract from the story at all.

Pretty much everyone knows what The Count of Monte Cri More...

9 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jul 15, 2008

HappyHippo rated it:

Do you believe in karma?

So, okay, sometimes intentionally or not we make an awful, rash, bad, or wrong decisions. Decisions we pretty much recognize we're going to grieve over afterwards (sooner or later)
But still...
Once in a blue moon, something deep down inside us decides to conduct an unwise and brainless thing, a thing we conscioulsy aware will doubtless turn around and kick us in the ass! yet we do it anyway...

What I'm trying to say to say is..
We re More...

59 comments like (12 people liked it)

Mar 11, 2008

Olivia rated it:

An essay for English-again, not that great.

The classic French novel, The Count of Monte Cristo was written by Alexandre Dumas. The setting of The Count of Monte Cristo is very important as the politics of the day greatly affect the plot. It takes place primarily in France after the exile of the former emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. The novel begins in 1815 with Napoleon exiled to Elba and continues through the years after his failed revolution to1844.

The protagonist of T More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 03, 2011

idpramudita rated it:

Genius. Breathtaking. I am so amazed with the writer's capability to create such complicated but interesting story. Once I have finished, I watched the movie. But it disappoint me. Same title but different story. The novel is much much better I think.

Kita menuai apa yang kita tanam. Pepatah tersebut terasa lekat dalam novel ini. Cerita mengisahkan tentang seorang pelaut muda yang jujur, berani, dan penuh semangat bernama Edmon Dantes. Di usia 19 tahun, ia akan segera menikahi kek More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2012

Anzu rated it:

I have to say that I actually loved the book until after he escaped. The rest turned out mostly into unnecessary details filled with just a little bit of a plot. His revenge turned out less bloody than I expected it to be and the ending was - excuse me Mr. Dumas I respect you but I have to share my feelings - stupid. It’s obvious that I prefer how things went in the movie and not the book.

I’ll give it four stars though. Why? Because compared to other classics the count of Monte Cris More...

26 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 16, 2011

Hope rated it:

There is something so comforting about a classic. I don’t know if it’s just me? But whenever I get my hands on a classic novel, I suddenly feel like I’m home in the world of books. This is where I grew to love stories, this is the place where I am completely content and I continue to read not simply because I must know what happens next--there’s something so slow and waltzing about a classic, no matter how deep and complex the plot--it’s because of how the words feel; soothing and contenting, More...

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 22, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Oh finally! I’m done. I suppose I’ll just say right off that while this book is certainly well written, I didn’t enjoy it very much. It wasn’t the length or anything, though I wish I’d have chosen the abridged version. I’ll get to what bothered me momentarily. First I should give a short synopsis.

Minor spoilers follow for the rest of the review.

Edmond Dantes, an innocent young fisherman on the brink of marriage, is falsely accused of treason and thrown in prison. He’s stuck t More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 05, 2009

Whitelady3 rated it:

I read it a couple of years ago and, since I don't have the book with me at the moment, I picked up the audiobook. It's simply wonderful, magnificent.

Having read it before doesn't make it shine less, on the contrary, I loved it even more. I don't think it is a book about vengeance; it has more of hope than vengeance. Is hope that keeps Dantès alive, even if to get back at those who done him wrong, in Château d'If. Is hope of making bad things good that moves his vengeance.

More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2008

Elizabeth rated it:

I did it! I made it through 1,365 pages--I seriously had trouble putting this book down but it was so heavy that it hurt my wrists--ha ha! Thanks, Dymphna, for the suggestion. This DRAMATIC book has everything: romance, revenge, intrigue, suffering, triumph, poisoning, suicide, cross dressing, disguises, politics, power, control, greed, subterfuge, ingenuity, blackmail, murder, mystery, resurrection, fortune, betrayal, brilliance, trial, infidelity, a spoiled brat!, swindling, titles, treasure, More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2007

Sylvia rated it:

I can see why this book is a classic. The story is intricate, the writing sophisticated, and the plot masterful. However, the reason that it only gets three stars is because of the main character--Edmond Dantes. I found him to be entirely incongruent. Why was he portrayed as the hero? Why was he the good guy? His revenge was merciless; his cruelty was unlimited. He threw around his money like it was some sort of weapon. He was deceitful, hateful, and greedy. Yet, Dumas portrays him as v More...

16 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 25, 2010

Jillian -always aspiring- rated it:

I probably saw this on Wishbone long before I had ever read it . . . but anyway.

Alexandre Dumas is most well-known for his books The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. I don't care for the "All for One, and One for All!" brigade much (probably saw them on Wishbone at one point too) -- but I adore this tale of vengeance, deception, and intrigues following one man's rise to power after a devastating fall. (And I'll be mum on the details.)

Dumas proba More...

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 09, 2011

Kim (vnfan) rated it:

Ahh...The Count of Monte Cristo.

This is my desert island book, my "if you could only have one book for the rest of your life" book. It was the first classic novel I read, back in the 8th grade for an assignment. I was hooked immediately. When I found out that the format of the book we'd been assigned was an abridged version, I immediately begin badgering our local library to get the unabridged version (back in the days before you could just order on amazon). I was ecsta More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 15, 2008

Teri rated it:

I have read this book about 4 times and I would give the abridged version 5 stars but this unabridged I'm giving 4. Surprisingly the sections that have been "cut out" don't really add that much to the story and I didn't really learn anything new.

11 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 16, 2008

Eliza rated it:

This is by far the longest book I've ever read, and I had to keep notes on the characters, since their relationships and roles were difficult to keep straight. It was ALSO perhaps the most satisfying read I've ever had. An amazing story of the weaving of the most elaborate revenge...If you've seen the movie, you have no idea what this book is about. I highly recommend it!!!

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 19, 2009

Jemmuel rated it:

A classic. An amazing book. A very long read...but worth every letter.

This epic story is of Edmund Dantes, who is rich, handsome, and has the love of his life. Until, that is, his jealous foes intercede and destroy his life. As the story progresses, it turns into the greatest and well brought out revenge story, along with the glimpses of romance and allegiance and life. Alexander Dumas wrote an amazing book, and captures your attention page after page.

Alexander looks i More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

reviews