The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

8 days to finish the book or we be beheaded by the moderators!

[Louise]

All done. Absolutely loved it.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

beginners? You guys are Heavyweights!

[Rob]

On the home stretch. I love this book. I can just imagine Haydee walking into that courtroom.

[Veljko]

Just a side note - Jules Verne wrote his own 'version' or 'adaptation' of the Count of Monte Cristo - Mathias Sandorf.

As a kid, I loved that book. Partially, because it takes place where I came from, which should be irrelevant, but it never is... finding fiction set in your backyard is always moving.

But it's a lighter tale, without Domas' dark undertones.


Oh, unrelated... I found this on wikipedia. A 'character map' for the Count of Monte Cristo. Talk about connections I missed... wish I had this while reading.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia...

[Veljko]

Louise wrote: "Well I'm no about 70% through the unabridged translation by Robin Buss, so well on time to finish it, I think. Absolutely loving it so far.

I tried to visit Chateu d'If a few years ago when I was ..."

I love the parallel with The Vampyre. Interesting.
Although I just could never get myself to really see Edmond in a negative light. I read most comments and the book is always interpreted as a cautionary tale for the extent to which the desire for revenge can corrupt a 'good soul'. So we are supposed to cringe and be horrified by the lengths to which Edmond goes to find vengeance. We are supposed to see the error in his ways, as he becomes not only judge and executioner, but even writes his own law.

I know. Yet that has never been the way I felt for him. I have always rooted for Dantes and, deep down, always figured I would have been more like him, than Jaen Valjean. Does that make me a bad person?

But it's curious, reading the two books side-by-side really led me to compare Dantes to Jaen. They both suffer injustices - perhaps more personal and terrible for Dantes, but how do we weight suffering? They both build prosperity. They both act charitably. But Dantes, on top of it, seeks revenge. Jaen, almost, turns the other cheek to the world. There were so many moments when I wanted to push Jaen - to shout at him 'You idiot! Go slap the heck out of Marius.' Dantes... well, I can more easily relate to.

[Louise]

Well Dantes was prepared to (view spoiler)[Kill Albert, just for being the child of his enemy and despite their friendship (hide spoiler)] and he is indirectly responsible for (view spoiler)[the triple murder of Valentine's grandparents and Noirtiers servant (or at least was happy to sit by while it happened and would have done the same for Valentine if Morrel hadn't confessed his love (hide spoiler)] so I am quite horrified with the length he goes to for his vengence, yeah, but at the same time I am kindof rooting for him. He's an absolutely compelling character, but he scares me.

And I like the comparison between Jean Valjean and Dantes. It stood out to me as well, reading these two books so close together. They each react to their vaguelly similar circumstances in such completely opposite ways - yet they both consider themselves as dedicating their actions towards god. Jean Valjean seeks redemption from a benign version while Dantes believes himself an 'agent of provedence' for a vengeful 'fire and brimstone' version.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

So at months end we can all talk about the book without fear of spoilers! I am on the last 17 chapters.

[Ali]

I missed the parallel with Vampyre. The adaptation by Verne is interesting.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

Ali wrote: "I missed the parallel with Vampyre. The adaptation by Verne is interesting."

I don't know what you are talking about, Please don't tell me if it is a spoiler at least until I finish the story.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

One fantastic book! Human values... Dieing or ending one's life from a broken heart... Fighting to the death in the honor of a family name... (The insight of the period the book was written...) The aristocracy an exclusive group in which one could be cast out by the caprice of fate...

And then there is the story.

March 1st Spoiler fear ends? We can spill all the details?

(By the way; If it is only jest the beheading of readers that do not finish the group read by the deadline, how can one explain the motivation of GR members that have read a few hundred or a couple thousand books?)

[Louise]

Ok, I'm not bi-polar, but can you not make statements like that please?

Bi-polar disorder is not 'people behaving in ways I don't understand', especially when those people are both fictional and come from a society with completely different values. It's a genuine medical disorder with genuine symptoms that already has enough misinformation and social stigma spread about it without adding more.

I'd be interested to discuss the book (who fell in 'love at first sight' here? I though this book actually avoided that) but I'm right out of here if it's just going to turn into 'the characters all have mental health issues'.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

Louise wrote: "Ok, I'm not bi-polar, but can you not make statements like that please?

Bi-polar disorder is not 'people behaving in ways I don't understand', especially when those people are both fictional and c..."

I'm glad someone aside myself found that kind of thinking offensive.

Comment withdrawn. Focus on the characters. The love at first sight, (I though I worded it differently) was referring to Valentine and Maximilian who only saw each other through a fence.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

We discuss the story should the discussion include how reading the story effected us and influenced our ideas, for example comparing their society to ours? Their values to the newer, latest values.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

This was an adventure story. I don't think values - societal or personal - were what Dumas intended to be drawn. Escapism. Pure and Simple.

ETA: With the exception, perhaps, of the corruption of public officials. Pretty much all of them were corrupt.

[Louise]

Thought it might be. I don't know how their relationship's presented in abridged versions (I can see it being reduced to 'love at first sight' for simplicity's sake) but in my unabridged translation they are already in love - and according to Maximilian have been in love for close to two years before that first 'through the fence' scene that the reader witnesses.

It's hardly a complex relationship but I actually really appreciated that there wasn't a big 'love at first sight' scene between them (which I always find really shallow). It's still a fairly shallow romantic subplot of course, but it didn't feel completely oversentimental and unrealistic in the way Marius/Cossette one in January's group read did.

Of course the real love story of the book is Euginie and Louise. That I would not have minded seeing more of. Hope they ended up scandaling it up all over Europe. Euginie in general needed more page time. She was awesome.

[Joseph “Millennium Man”]

Mademoiselle Dangler was a surprise. She evaded getting married or sent to a convent. It was a bit shocking her cutting her hair, dressing like a man and fleeing with Louise. Fodder for another novel.

The Count was almost like a superhero. Most everything went like clockwork except the duel with Albert and the plea from Mercedes which had an even better result.

I was expecting a sad Moby Dick type ending, including bloodshed. I was surprised again. Part of coming to terms with his past was granting Maximilian and Valentine happiness. The Count starts a new life.

So stuffed dormouse was a Roman delicacy?

[Dave]

Read the abridged version back in 2009 but will be reading the unabridged version sometime this year, as part of my 'A Classic a Month for 2013'.

Looking forward to it!

[Carrie]

Finally finished! Whew! That was a long one but excellent read! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and did find the Count a bit scary. I kind of felt bad for some of the characters that were hurt by the Counts revenge who really were not directly responsible for his misery. Loved Danglars revenge at the end. I really felt bad for Morrel. Did he really have to suffer that long? Overall terrific read! :)