The Count of Monte Cristo in Classics and the Western Canon

Jun 15, 2012 Clif Hostetler rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

The first third of this book is a thriller, the second third a soap opera, and the final third is a murder mystery, and the whole thing is a behemoth. There's also a touch of romance near the end. The principle message through almost all of its 1200 pages (1400 in some editions) is that "revenge is good." There are a few instances near the end of the book where the Count of Monte Cristo wonders if perhaps the revenge should have been left to God. Those brief comments provide a small Band-Aid to The first third of this book is a thriller, the second third a soap opera, and the final third is a murder mystery, and the whole thing is a behemoth. There's also a touch of romance near the end. The principle message through almost all of its 1200 pages (1400 in some editions) is that "revenge is good." There are a few instances near the end of the book where the Count of Monte Cristo wonders if perhaps the revenge should have been left to God. Those brief comments provide a small Band-Aid to a huge gratuitous expression of the human wish for revenge (some would prefer to call it justice). I will grant the author credit for devising clever and drawn out ways of bringing about revenge. And it's revenge with minimal physical violence imposed from others, but there is self-imposed violence brought about by manipulation of affairs by the Count.

There are plenty of things in this fictional story that are not realistic, but it doesn't rise to the level of fantasy. However, I must point out that this is not a good source of information about the ways in which poisons effect the body. The ending of the book involves a couple of manipulated resurrections that come pretty close to the experience of death, visit to hell, passing through purgatory, going to heaven, and living to tell about it. Actually, now that I think about it, the overall plot could be summarized that way.

Continuing with examples of unrealistic scenes, the Count of Monte Cristo is possibly a forerunner of the modern superhero. He uses his enormous gifts, vast resources and hidden identities to fight crime and help the innocent. He is able to go incognito instantly and effortlessly, merely by donning a simple disguise. The satisfaction of retribution experienced in this book is similar to that found in today's stories such as Superman.

By the end of the book, the Count of Monte Cristo begins to wax philosophical with a tilt toward the religious:

“[U]ntil the day when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words,—‘Wait and hope.’”

These words represent Monte Cristo’s final renunciation of his project of vengeance. For most of the book he considered himself the agent of God on earth. But his actions have caused the unintended death of a child, and Monte Cristo has decided to end his mission.

I believe the only claim this book has to being considered "great literature" is its primogenitary position in the history of literature. If published today it would rank at about the same place as a Tom Clancy book.

From the PageADay's Booklover's Calendar for 9/10/12:
ENDURING CLASSIC
Published in 1844? Pity the contemporary reader who’d assume the prose would be old-fashioned and stilted, the story bloated with extraneous details. The heroic story of Edmond Dantès barrels forward through scenes of love, betrayal, fighting, escapes, revenge, and all manner of derring-do. Expect surprise twists. And expect to gobble up the whole thing with pleasure.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO , by Alexandre Dumas; translated by Robin Buss (1844; Penguin Classics, 2003)

The following is from PageADay's "1000 Books to Read Before You Die Calendar" for July 7, 2020:

Want to kick off the summer with a big book that will last for weeks but keep you turning pages with excitement? Try Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, the granddaddy of page-turners. This tale of Edmond Dantes, an upstanding young man whose betrayal sets in motion a scheme of revenge that unfolds over decades (and across more than 1,200 pages), is like an encyclopedia of suspense: Each chapter invents a new way to keep readers riveted to the story--no matter how much other summer fun may beckon.

A Bit of Trivia:
This very big book ends by summing up all human wisdom in two words: wait and hope. ...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Gaijinmama rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, classics

This is 1200 pages long and took me nearly four months to read but it was definitely worth the time. The characters are memorable, the language is brilliant, and the details of 19th-century European history are fascinating.
I think fiction that inspires me to do some research is most awesomely awesome.
Most importantly, though, we have a damn good story here. As an English teacher, I am compelled to come up with a theme, and I'd have to say it is that what goes around, comes around. If you ruin an ...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Paige rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-aloud, favorites

OMG!! Despite the fact that Peter & I have been discussing what book to read next for about a week and we did a chapter countdown, I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that it's over. :'(

There was ONE chapter in this book that I did not like. And the rest I adored. This book captivated both Peter & I by the first half of the first chapter. I had been lugging it around with me for the last 10+ years, not knowing the treasures that lay within it. I almost took it to a swap meet without ev OMG!! Despite the fact that Peter & I have been discussing what book to read next for about a week and we did a chapter countdown, I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that it's over. :'(

There was ONE chapter in this book that I did not like. And the rest I adored. This book captivated both Peter & I by the first half of the first chapter. I had been lugging it around with me for the last 10+ years, not knowing the treasures that lay within it. I almost took it to a swap meet without even reading it. I said to Peter, "It's 1300 pages, written in 19th century France, about [read him description off the back cover]. I don't know...what do you think? It's so long!" Peter said, "1300 pages, that's like, what, two Harry Potters?" So we decided to keep it. And then we started reading it and :D :D :D

Peter was more captivated by the writing style, which he found "elegant" and some words I forget, conveying the nature of the respectable and polite language (for example, "I have already had the pleasure to answer yes"). For some reason, he gave me his rating on a four-star scale: four stars for writing and three for plot--he didn't really love the themes of revenge, grudges, anger, etc. But he did like other threads running through it, like God/Providence, (view spoiler) Personally I LOVED both. I was so into what's going to happen next, guessing this or that. We also had fun dissecting characters' personalities and motivations. The book made its way into our daily language--"You don't think she'll pull a Madame de Villefort, do you?" or "Well the house looks expensive and nice on the outside, but who knows if they decorate like Danglars or not" and such.

This morning Peter said, "Do you want to reread the Count of Monte Cristo?!" I'm sure it will happen eventually ;D Peter told me a few weeks back that after we were done with it, he didn't want to read any classics, anything that was critically acclaimed, or "good or trying to be good," as he put it. It's like that book-depression thing where anything you read after is tainted by the comparison you make against the beloved book that you've finished. So we've elected for some genre fiction.

So so so glad we read this, it was an awesome ride and very enjoyable, and quite accessible. ...more

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Apr 27, 2014 Sunil rated it it was amazing

Today I was forced to choose ONE NOVEL I want my kid to have read before 18. I know it's unusual type of question and found myself picking this one over Moby Dick, and I can think why, but before I need to read it again. ...more

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Sep 16, 2009 Cathy rated it it was amazing

The classic tale of betrayal, lost and regained love, and revenge. Repentance and forgiveness not allowed too much as desirable qualities. Readers want revenge exacted! A must read.

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Jul 10, 2020 Ellen Librarian rated it it was amazing

I finally finished this book which I started and put down three times. I listened to the John Lee audio. I'm not sure who the translator was but I recommend the version.

I'm giving the book five stars because it is definitely a masterpiece - but what a slog! I almost want to read it again because there is so much intricacy and intrigue that I know I missed some important points. But definitely not now!

That said, it was a good book to read during the pandemic as it was total escapism but with seri ...more

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