Reading the Chunksters discussion
Archived 2013 Group Reads
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The Count of Monte Cristo 3: Ch XVI - XXIII p 148 - 227
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Andrea
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Mar 13, 2013 07:18PM
Please post your thoughts here. I apologize for the delay, Im knee deep in work and forgot!
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I don't think I'm caught up yet but I'm thoroughly engaged.By the way, does anyone have any thoughts or insights into the name "Dantes" viz a viz Dante's Inferno? Obviously, he's in the lowest realm when he's in the dungeon. But is he supposedly climbing out rung by rung once he escapes? I read Dante's Inferno ages ago so I don't recall the different levels. But I'm wondering if there are parallels.
Hmm..interesting, I hadn't thought of that. I have never read the Inferno but found this on Wiki: "It (Dante's Inferno) is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil"Is Italian Faria playing the part of Virgil in this story?
And what a stroke of luck for Edmond Faria is. The old abbe is certainly inventive but the fact that he has a rope ladder, medicine, the important scrap of Spada paper etc stretches my credulity a bit. I can see how he would have invented some of his necessities, like the "ink" and some of his tools, but he just seems to have so many things, some of which he brought with him to his cell without anyone finding out. I mean, well done Faria, but isn't he a bit too inventive? If that makes sense.
And forgive me for intruding into book comparison territory, but I read Les Miserables last year and though this book is very different I can't help noticing some parallels. The uncertain political climate of the time is important to both stories, and now I see Faria as playing the same part that the Bishop did in Les Mis - the character is not present for a very long time, but has a profound effect on the major character. Without Faria/the Bishop, we would have had no story.
Book comparison time over:)
There does certainly seem to be a lot of homage to the Italians, but I'm not sure if there is a true link since the novel is about revenge. I guess that possibly each betrayal of Dante would be considered some type of sin, and then each gets the appropriate punishment --- that was the true genius of the Inferno.
