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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Apr 07, 2016 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Wow. Wow. I admit that I watched the movie before reading the book. And SPOILER ALERT: They are NOTHING alike! I mean the characters have the same names and they both take place in the same, but other then that...wow!

So Edmond Dantes is a simple 19-year old sailor. He comes home and is promoted to captain because he's a really good sailor. This means that he now makes enough money to marry his Mercedes. Unfortunately Danglers and Fernand aren't down with this plan. Danglers wants to be the capta Wow. Wow. I admit that I watched the movie before reading the book. And SPOILER ALERT: They are NOTHING alike! I mean the characters have the same names and they both take place in the same, but other then that...wow!

So Edmond Dantes is a simple 19-year old sailor. He comes home and is promoted to captain because he's a really good sailor. This means that he now makes enough money to marry his Mercedes. Unfortunately Danglers and Fernand aren't down with this plan. Danglers wants to be the captain and Fernand wants to marry Mercedes. So they frame Dantes as a political enemy and the lawyer goes along with this.

Edmond languishes in prison for 14 years where he befriends another prisoner and stays with him until he dies. When the other guy dies, he reveals the fortune of Monte Cristo and bequeaths it to Edmond. Edmond escapes and restyles himself the Count of Monte Cristo and seeks revenge.

When I told people that I was reading this book, most agreed that it was boring. But they all differed on what part they found boring. I agree. For the most part, this book is really good. The revenge plan is transparent enough that the reader can understand what is going on, but still veiled so that you are interested. Edmond has three people to take revenge on so you're following three different threads.

However, everyone was so EMOTIONAL. I mean everyone. Women were fainting all over the place and men were crying. One guy, when finding out that someone he cares for is actually a murderer is whining "Have mercy." Now, I totally get being upset, but there's a line between lamenting over a problem and just straight out blathering about it. And it wasn't like it was one character. It was EVERYONE.

And the other thing that I didn't really enjoy was the ending. Here's a slight spoiler - Edmond gets his revenge. Though not in the way that you would think. Haha! But then it was like Dumas wasn't sure what to do with him. And you get done feeling a little one note. I read reviews that thought the ending was poetic, but I felt let down.

It was good and kept your attention. I didn't feel like the book dragged. But I would have to take a break every once in a while because everyone was so upset all the time. ...more

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