The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

‘Be very careful what you are saying, Monsieur, because you have just touched on the most secret of my heart’s desires.

"pray mind what you say, for you are touching the most secret wishes of my heart."

They always say that joy cannot harm you, which is why I came in without warning. Come now, smile; don’t look at me like that, with those wild eyes. I am back and there is happiness in store for us.’

They say joy never hurts, so I come to you without any warning. Come now, look cheerfully at me, instead of gazing as you do with your eyes so wide. Here I am back again, and we will now be happy.

‘God forgive me,’ the young man said, ‘for rejoicing at good fortune which has brought grief to the family of another.

"God forgive me," said the young man, "for rejoicing at happiness derived from the misery of others;"

‘Because Mercédès is a beautiful girl, and beautiful girls are never short of admirers, especially that one: there are dozens of them after her.’

"Because Mercédès is a very fine girl, and fine girls never lack lovers; she, particularly, has them by dozens." right, it’s a hard life. nice to know someone knows what it’s like to me me. sigh.

‘I understand what that means, Fernand: you want to blame him because I do not love you, and cross his dagger with your Catalan knife!

“I understand you, Fernand; you will be revenged on him because I do not love you; you would cross your Catalan knife with his dirk. What end would that answer? To lose you, my friendship if he were conquered, and see that friendship changed into hate if you were conqueror. Believe me, to seek a quarrel with a man is a bad method of pleasing the woman who loves that man. No, Fernand, you will not thus give way to evil thoughts. Unable to have me for your wife, you’ll still content yourself with having me for your friend and sister."

Fernand remained impassive. He made no attempt to wipe the tears that were running down Mercédès cheeks, yet he would have given a glass of his own blood for each of those tears; but they were shed for another.

Fernand made no reply, nor did he attempt to check the tears which flow down the cheeks of Mercèdès, although for each of these tears, he would have shed his heart’s blood; but these tears flowed for another.

‘But suppose he is dead?’ ‘If he is dead, I shall die.’ ‘And if he forgets you?’ ‘Mercédès!’ cried a happy voice outside the house. ‘Mercédès!’ ‘Ah!’ the girl exclaimed, reddening with joy and leaping up, filled with love. ‘You see that he has not forgotten me: he is here!’

‘One always hurries towards happiness, Monsieur Danglars, because when one has suffered much, one is at pains to believe in it. But I am not impelled by mere selfishness. I have to go to Paris.’

We are always in a hurry to be happy, M. Danglars; for when we have suffered a long time, we have great difficulty in believing in good fortune. omg. real.

‘What?’ ‘I wanted to put my knife into the creature, but the girl said that if her fiancé was harmed, she would kill herself.’

"I would stab the man, but the woman told me that if any misfortune happened to her betrothed she would kill herself." she is so real for that.

A curse on those who fear wine: it’s because they have evil thoughts and they are afraid that wine will loosen their tongues.’

The Flood proved it beyond a doubt: All wicked men do water drink.

tous les méchants sont beuveurs d’eau; c’est bien prouvé par le déluge all villains are water-drinkers; proven by the flood

Do it, Danglars. I’ve stuck up for you. Tell him that Dantès doesn’t have to die. In any case, it would be a pity if he died. He’s a good lad, Dantès. I like him. Your health, Dantès.’

i have a feeling this isn’t true.

‘Yes, but people get out of prison,’ said Caderousse, who was gripping on to the conversation with what remained of his wits. ‘And when you get out of prison and you are called Edmond Dantès, you take revenge.’

“Yes; only people get out of prison,” said Caderousse, who, with what was left of him, listen eagerly to the conversation, “and when they get out, and their names are Edmond Dantès, they revenge—" …uh oh.

‘What does that matter!’ said Fernand. ‘In any event,’ Caderousse continued, ‘why should they put Dantès in prison? He hasn’t stolen anything, killed anyone, committed any murder.’ ‘Shut up,’ said Danglars. ‘I don’t want to shut up,’ said Caderousse. ‘I want to know why they should put Dantès in prison. I like Dantès. Dantès! Your health!’

“What matters that?” muttered Fernand. “And why, I should like to know,” persisted Caderousse; “should they put Dantès in prison; he has neither robbed, nor killed, nor murdered." "Hold your tongue." said Danglars “I won’t hold my tongue!” replied Caderousse; “I say I want to know why they should put Dantès in prison; I like Dantès; Dantès your, health!" and he swallowed another glass of wine. oh…he’s a good guy now?

‘Kill Dantès!’ he said. ‘Who’s talking about killing Dantès? I don’t want him killed. He’s my friend. This morning, he offered to share his money with me, as I shared mine with him. I don’t want anyone to kill Dantès.’ ‘Who said anything about killing him, idiot?’ Danglars went on. ‘It’s nothing more than a joke. Drink to his health and leave us be,’ he added, filling Caderousse’s glass.

he’s confusing me.

‘Huh! A husband is not always merry,’ said Caderousse. ‘The fact is,’ Dantès said, ‘that I am too happy at this moment to be merry. If that’s what you mean, neighbour, you are right. Joy may sometimes produce strange effects and be as oppressive as sorrow.’ Danglars was watching Fernand, whose impressionable nature absorbed and reflected his every feeling.

"Ah!" sighed Caderousse, “a man cannot always feel happy because he’s about to be married!” “The truth is,” replied Dantès, “that I am too happy for a noisy mirth; if that is what you meant by your observation, my worthy friend, you were right; joy takes a strange effect at times, it seems to oppress almost as much as sorrow.” aww.. joy takes a strange effect at times, it seems to oppress almost as much as sorrow..

‘That is precisely what terrifies me,’ said Dantès. ‘I cannot think that man is meant to find happiness so easily! Happiness is like one of those palaces on an enchanted island, its gates guarded by dragons. One must fight to gain it; and, in truth, I do not know what I have done to deserve the good fortune of becoming Mercédès’ husband.’

“And that is the very thing that alarms me,” returned Dantès. “Man does not appear to me to be intended to enjoy felicity so unmixed; happiness is like the enchanted palace we read in our childhood, where fierce, fiery dragons, defend the entrance and approach; and monsters of all shapes and kinds, requiring to be overcome ere victory is ours. I own that I am lost in wonder to find myself promoted to an honor of which I feel myself unworthy,— that of being the husband of Mercédès." if my man doesn’t talk about me like this, i don’t want him.

whatever disaster may befall an individual, business must not suffer.’

‘What was that, Madame la Marquise? Excuse me, I was not following the conversation.’

"I beg your pardon, madam! I must pray you to excuse me—but— in truth— I was not attending to the conversation." can’t wait to use this one

‘Have no fear, Renée: for the sake of our love, I shall be merciful.’

“Fear not, for your dear sake my justice shall be tempered with mercy,“

‘My political opinions, Monsieur? Alas, I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I have never had what you might call an opinion: I am barely nineteen, as I had the honour to tell you. I know nothing and I am not destined to play any public role. The little that I am and shall be, if I gain the position to which I aspire, I owe to Monsieur Morrel. So all my opinions – I would not say political, but private opinions – are confined to three feelings: I love my father, I respect Monsieur Morrel and I adore Mercédès. That, Monsieur, is all I can tell Justice: you see that there is little to interest it there.’

“My political opinions!" replied Dantès. "Alas! Sir, I never had any opinions. I am hardly nineteen; I know nothing; I have no part to play. If I obtain the situation I desire, I shall owe it to M. Morrel. Thus all my opinions— I will not say public, but private, or confined to these three sentiments— I love my father, I respect M. Morrel, and I adore Mercédès. This, sir, is all I can tell you, and you can see how uninteresting it is."

This young man, one might even say this child, plain, unaffected, eloquent with the heartfelt eloquence that is never found by those who seek it, full of affection for everyone, because he was happy and happiness makes even wicked men good, was so effectively spreading the warmth that overflowed from his heart that the accuser himself was not immune to it. Rough and stern though Villefort had been towards him, Edmond’s look, tone and gestures expressed nothing but kindness and goodwill towards his interrogator.

This lad, for he was scarcely a man, simple, natural, eloquent with the eloquence of the heart, never found when sought for, full of affection for everybody, because he was happy, because happiness renders even the wicked good, extended his affection, even to his judge, spite of Villefort’s severe look and stern accent. Dantès seemed full of kindness. so…he’ll be released then? right? RIGHT?

‘But, if you have no enemies, you may have inspired envy: you are about to be made captain at the age of nineteen, which is a distinction for someone of your class; you are about to marry a pretty girl who loves you, which is a rare fortune for someone of any class at all. Fortune having favoured you in these ways, you may have aroused jealousy.’ ‘Yes, you are right. You must know human nature better than I do, and what you say is possible. But I confess that if these envious men were to be among my friends, I should rather not know who they are, so as not to be obliged to hate them.’

“But instead of enemies, you may have excited jealousy. You are about to become captain at nineteen, and elevated post; you are about to marry a pretty girl, who loves you, and those two pieces of good fortune may have excited the envy of some one." “You are right; you know, men better than I do, and what you say may possibly be the case, I confess; I prefer not knowing them, because then I should be forced to hate them." he’s actually so real for that but friend…they’re right behind you.

When the first rays of dawn started to bring a little light into this den, the jailer returned with orders to leave the prisoner where he was. Dantès had not moved. An iron hand seemed to have nailed him to the very spot where he had stopped the night before: only his deep-set eyes were now hidden behind the swelling caused by the moisture of his tears. He was motionless, staring at the floor. He had spent the whole night in this way, standing, and not sleeping for an instant.

With the first dawn of the day the gaoler returned, with orders to leave Dantès where he was. He found the prisoner in the same position, as if fixed there,— his eyes swollen with weeping. aww 🤕

The jailer came over to him and walked round him, but Dantès appeared not to notice. He tapped him on the shoulder, and Dantès shuddered and shook his head. ‘Haven’t you slept?’ asked the jailer. ‘I don’t know,’ Dantès replied. The jailer looked at him in astonishment. ‘Aren’t you hungry?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Dantès replied again. ‘Do you want anything?’ ‘I want to see the governor.’

:(

At this his chest seemed to be torn apart by a profound sob. The tears that filled it burst out like two streams, he fell down, pressed his face to the ground and prayed for a long time, mentally going through the whole of his past life and wondering what crime he had committed in so brief a span that could merit such cruel punishment.

All his emotion then burst forth; he cast himself to the ground, weeping bitterly, and ask himself what crime he had committed that he was thus punished. NO OMG WHY

‘Oh! Don’t get obsessed by one single thing that is impossible to obtain, otherwise in a fortnight you’ll be mad.’

"Ah!" said the gaoler, “do not always brood over what is impossible, or you will be mad in a fortnight.“

Danglars was one of those calculating men who are born with a pen behind their ear and an inkwell instead of a heart. To him, everything in this world was subtraction or multiplication, and a numeral was much dearer than a man, when it was a numeral that would increase the total (while a man might reduce it). So Danglars had gone to bed at his usual hour and slept peacefully.

Danglars was one of those men with a pen behind his ear, and an ink stand in place of a heart. everything with him was multiplication or subtraction, and he estimated the life of a man is less precious than a figure, when that figure could increase, and that life would diminish, the total of the amount. I HATE EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK OMG. Villefort, Danglars, Fernand, Caderousse, all of y’all gotta go.

‘Blacas, my friend, you understand nothing. I told you that Villefort was ambitious: to make his way, Villefort will sacrifice everything, even his father.’

“Blacas, my friend, you have limited comprehension. I told you Villefort was ambitious, and to attain his ambition Villefort would sacrifice everything, even his father.” oh wow it’s like that?? the king even knows about him?

‘The king! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, that in politics there are no people, only ideas; no feelings, only interests. In politics, you don’t kill a man, you remove an obstacle, that’s all.

‘Heavens, it’s simple enough. You people, who hold power, have only what can be bought for money; we, who are waiting to gain power, have what is given out of devotion.’

‘Yes, devotion. That is the honest way to describe ambition when it has expectations.’

“Yes, devotion, for that is, I believe, the phrase for hopeful ambition.“

‘With the greatest pleasure. Dantès might have been guilty then, but he is innocent now and it is my duty to have him released, just as it was once my duty to have him imprisoned.’

‘Yes, Monsieur. Consider how the poor lad must be waiting, suffering and perhaps giving way to despair.’ Villefort shuddered at the idea of the prisoner cursing him in the darkness and silence, but he had gone too far to retreat. Dantès would have to be broken between the cogs of his ambition.

“That is true. Only think that perhaps this poor young man is pining in captivity." Villefort shuttered at this picture: but he was too far gone to recede: Dantès must be crushed beneath the weight of Villefort’s ambition. dude you are so dirty for that.

Old Dantès, who had been sustained only by hope, lost hope when the emperor fell. Five months to the day after being separated from his son, and almost at the very hour when Dantès was arrested, he breathed his last in Mercédès’ arms.

omg…he died??? :o

Seventeen months of prison, for a man accustomed to the sea air, to a sailor’s independence, to space, immensity, infinity! Monsieur, seventeen months of prison is more than enough punishment for all the crimes reviled by the most odious names known to the tongues of men. Have pity on me, Monsieur, and beg for me, not indulgence, but firmness; not a pardon, but a verdict. A judge, Monsieur, I ask only for a judge: an accused man cannot be refused a judge.’

“Seventeen months’ captivity to a sailor accustomed to the boundless ocean is a worse punishment than human crime ever merited. Have pity on me, then, and ask for me, not indulgence, but a trial— let me know my crime in my sentence, for incertitude is worse than all.”

to a happy man, a prayer is a monotonous composition, void of meaning, until the day when suffering deciphers the sublime language through which the poor victim addresses God.

He decided that it was human hatred and not divine vengeance that had plunged him into this abyss.

He said that it was the vengeance of man, and not of Heaven, that had thus plunged him into the deepest misery.

‘I am alone in the world.’ ‘Then you shall love me. If you are young, I shall be your friend; if you are old, your son. I have a father who must be seventy years old, if he is still alive. I loved only him and a young woman called Mercédès. My father has not forgotten me, I am sure; but as for her – God knows if she still thinks of me. I shall love you as I loved my father.’

“But you will not leave me; you will come to me, or you will let me come to you. We will escape, and if we cannot escape, we will talk, you of those whom you love, and I of those whom I love. You must love somebody?” “No, I am alone in the world.” “Then you will love me. If you’re young, I will be your comrade; if you’re old, I will be your son. I have a father who is seventy if he yet lives; I only love him and a young girl called Mercédès. My father has not yet forgotten me, I am sure; but God alone knows if she loves me still: I shall love you as I love my father.” aww he’s still so sweet even after all of this.

He was certainly no longer going to be alone, he might perhaps even be free. The worst case, should he remain a prisoner, was to have a companion: captivity shared is only semi-captivity.

He then gave himself up to his happiness: he would no longer be alone. He was, perhaps, about to regain his liberty.; at the worst, he would have a companion, and captivity that shared is but half captivity.

Misfortune is needed to plumb certain mysterious depths in the understanding of men; pressure is needed to explode the charge. My captivity concentrated all my faculties on a single point. They had previously been dispersed, now they clashed in a narrow space; and, as you know, the clash of clouds produces electricity, electricity produces lightning and lightning gives light.’

Learning does not make one learned: there are those who have knowledge and those who have understanding. The first requires memory, the second philosophy.’

"there are the learners and the learned. Memories make the one, philosophy, the other.” i feel so philosophical right now

But now, out of love for you, I have forgiven the world,

Since he had first met Faria, everything about the man had spoken of such reasoning, such grandeur, such logical consistency, that he could not understand how this supreme wisdom over all others could be combined with unreason about this one single matter: was it that Faria was wrong about his treasure, or that everyone else was wrong about Faria?

All was so rational, so grand, so logical, with Faria, since he had known him, that he could not understand how so much wisdom on all points could be allied to madness in any one;—was Faria decided as to his treasure, or was all the world decided as to Faria?

As for treasure, they found nothing, except the treasures of knowledge contained in his library and his laboratories.

‘Now,’ Faria went on, looking at Dantès with an almost paternal expression, ‘now, my friend, you know as much as I do. If we should ever manage to escape together, half of my treasure is yours; if I should die here and you alone escape, all of it belongs to you.’

‘This treasure is yours, my friend,’ said Dantès. ‘It belongs to you alone and I have no right to it. We are not related.’ ‘You are my son, Dantès!’ the old man cried. ‘You are the child of my captivity. My priestly office condemned me to celibacy: God sent you to me both to console the man who could not be a father and the prisoner who could not be free.’

"This treasure belongs to you, my dear friend," replied Dantès, "and to you only. I have no right to it. I am no relation of yours." "You are my son, Dantès," exclaimed the old man. "You are the child of my captivity. My profession condemns me to celibacy. God has sent you to me to console, at one and the same time, the man who could not be a father and a prisoner who could not get free." omg don’t make me cry rn.

‘Now, my friend,’ said Faria, ‘the only consolation of my unhappy life, you whom heaven has given me – late, but given me none the less – an inestimable present, for which I thank it … at this moment when we are to be separated for ever, I wish you all the happiness and prosperity that you deserve: my son, I bless you!’

"And now, my dear friend," said Faria, "sole consolation of my wretched existence,—you whom Heaven gave me somewhat late, but still gave me, a priceless gift, and for which I am most grateful, at the moment of separating from you for ever, I wish you all the happiness and all the prosperity you so well deserve. My son, I bless thee!" 😭😭😭

‘Do not be deceived: I am suffering less, because I have less strength in me to suffer. At your age, you have faith in life; it is a privilege of youth to believe and to hope. But old men see death more clearly.

"Do not mistake! I suffer less because there is in me less strength to endure it. At your age we have faith in life; it is the privilege of youth to believe and hope, but old men see death more clearly."

The sea is the graveyard of the Château d’If.

omg…jaw dropped.