The Count of Monte Cristo in Overdue Podcast

Jan 06, 2017 Jason rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Life, how grande when your every endeavor is rewarded and every happiness appears to be opening up to you. Alas, when riches overflow others take notice and covet what promises you have, for Edmond Dantès this especially is true. Robbed of a bright, happy future our protagonist is taken down a path he never expected, one of despair, loss, hatred, and vengeance. This classic adventuresome novel is full of deception, death, and of coarse love. Everything that was given must be repaid, but so too m Life, how grande when your every endeavor is rewarded and every happiness appears to be opening up to you. Alas, when riches overflow others take notice and covet what promises you have, for Edmond Dantès this especially is true. Robbed of a bright, happy future our protagonist is taken down a path he never expected, one of despair, loss, hatred, and vengeance. This classic adventuresome novel is full of deception, death, and of coarse love. Everything that was given must be repaid, but so too must those that took away pay back from their own accounts.

For me the first half was actually stronger than the latter, though the latter should be the more gratifying and certainly has more elements, more twists, more duplicitous natures. The first half captures Dantès' time of imprisonment, the time of inner toil, but also the time of real transformation for our hero. The most rewarding time for me lies during this time as well, the glimmering hope and eventually the means to which Dantès achieves his freedom. These are truly triumphant times, and emotionally hopeful times born out of darkness.

The second half, while intriguing, lacks some of the individual strife and victory of the former. Perhaps this is just me, I found the Count to be too good at manipulating his former tormentors. I found the single minded vengeance loathsome after a while, though love plays it's role as well. It just seemed too easy for the Count; yes, he was an incredible man that accomplished much without much aid, his genius when it comes to how others work was put to use against them, but the struggles of the earlier trials to me had much more heart. That is not to say that we do not continue to root for our protagonist, but the emotional tension is slackened. Though the larger cast does give us some lovely side-characters, some diabolical, others absolutely endearing. M. Noirtier especially holds a place in my mind and heart.

A classic deserving of it's place in the world of literature - a splendid adventure romp. ...more

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