The Count of Monte Cristo book review

[Emily]

Revenge is a twisted sin that is a constant throughout ,The Count of Monte Cristo, a novel by Alexandre Dumas set in 1815 following the fall of Napoleon in France, Marseille, Paris, and Rome. The story starts with a young man named Edmond Dantes, a confident and successful nineteen year old seeming to have it all. But jealousy turns out to consume the people around him. Fernand Mondego becomes jealous of Dantes’ fiancee, Mercedes. Baron Danglars is jealous of the power Dantes has and Gerard de Villefort, blindly ambitious, sentences Dantes to life in the prison Chateau d’If, a prison for the most dangerous political prisoners. A man named Caderousse, a lazy, drunk, and greedy man, plots to frame Dantes for high treason. Together, the four greedy and jealous men cause Dantes to end up in prison with a life sentence. Dantes escapes prison after fourteen years, in a way that would blow you out of the water. He finds a great treasure then creates many aliases to seek his revenge on those who punished him and reward those who helped him. Because Dantes becomes an educated man in prison, every single one of his plans of revenge are carefully thought out and extremely clever and sly.

Told in third person, this novel focuses almost entirely on outward action rather then delving into the psychological thoughts of the characters. I could read hundreds of books by Alexandre Dumas. The intricate plot line and captivating twists enchant the reader. It keeps you on the edge of your seat through the entirety of the novel. Dumas captures a mature audience with his underlying themes and motifs. Intrigue, betrayal, theft, drugs, adultery, torture, suicide, poisoning, murder, lesbianism, hope and many others fill this book that attracts even the most critical readers.

Dumas’ dark protagonist captures everyone’s heart, while his human villains help connect to the audience. He captivates the attention of the reader with the importance of every detail to the plot. This romantic novel is a great read for anyone with a sense of adventure, action, heroism, and love. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good book that ends with justice being served and peace being found.