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The Count of Monte Cristo
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2018 Yearly Read: "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
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Allison, Mod Nerd
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Jan 02, 2018 07:11PM
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Nice! I’m in!How many pages is it? A lot I guess...
All the best wishes to you Erin, with your baby girl on the way!http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1184?...
Gutenberg has the ebook. Look at this link, calling me a stranger :-)
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I might get around to it at some point, because I read it in high school and really enjoyed it, but I'm also reading another 1,000+ page book, so we'll see how that goes!
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That sounds like peaceful reading time to me! ;-)
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How many pages is it? A lot I guess..."
Many, many pages...
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Good luck with the other massive book, Kelsey ;-)
Allison wrote: "Pien wrote: "Nice! I’m in!How many pages is it? A lot I guess..."
Many, many pages..."
The free Gutenberg press version that Pien listed earlier weighs in at ~1126 pages (non-illustrated ePub), and the Penguin Classics paperback is about 1275 pages.
Or you could cheat with the "illustrated classic" versions at 48 to 236 pages:
I'm thinking maybe one of the graphic novel/ manga versions available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
(I'm only half-kidding)
Sadly, I've not yet found a "coloring book" version, but those readers still stuck in shades of grey might enjoy the "erotic" version: Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo
I'd like to try reading this one. It's just a challenge to find an edition with legible typeface. Don't have great eyesight.
I am going to try this year to read this one. I have it on my nightstand.
Grace wrote: "I'd like to try reading this one. It's just a challenge to find an edition with legible typeface. Don't have great eyesight."If the Gutenberg versions (see Pien's post from January 3rd) are not good for your eyes, and you are looking for an eBook version, B&N and Amazon have several free versions you can try, and you should be able to adjust the font size.
B&N (Nook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the+...
Amazon (Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&...
There's also an "abridged" ebook version that weighs in (ha) at around 566 pages, about half the length of the full book. Just search for "the count of monte cristo abridged".
StarMan wrote: "Grace wrote: "I'd like to try reading this one. It's just a challenge to find an edition with legible typeface. Don't have great eyesight."If the Gutenberg versions (see Pien's post from January ..."
Wow, thanks so much for the links, StarMan!
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I was surprised to see this won - yay! I'll plan on joining. I've wanted to read it for a long time. I have a print copy in a box somewhere, but I've got the ebook from Gutenberg in case I don't find it reasonably soon.
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I’ve started but not far yet. (Now at chapter 5) I was confused too, thought I read they were in Marseilles but then I thought it was Paris but then it was marseilles... But I like story so far. With your nights reading, you’re a lot further I guess!
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Oh dear, this sounds like a tough cookie...
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Now the ‘political talk’ has started, I have a really hard time reading this one in English. I’m now waiting for the library to get it in Dutch. That means I should officially have finished it in nine weeks, and then it has to be returned to the library mine gets it from... 8-OWell anyway, I’ll read at least part of it in Dutch, and after that I know if I want to continue this enormous epistle :-)
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I’m somewhat struggling with the language of this one as well -though English is my only language :-P
I’ll chip away at it some more though while I wait for the next Aurora Teagarden ebook from my library...
Sounds like this one's a bit harder to get through in a foreign language than The Three Musketeers. I read a major part of that in the original French in high school. For French class, not out of masochism. That was my introduction to Dumas, and I've wanted to read more of his work ever since. Yeah, it's taken me this long to get around to it. :(I appreciate the heads-up about the political details. I'll brace myself, and expect to do a lot of googling. I haven't started yet. :/
‘For French class, not out of masochism’ LOL!
I’m reading this on Serial Reader and I’m finding it a really good way to break it down as it’s so big!
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The Abbe Faria is awesome!
Though there are still parts where I kinda skim over some of the writing because I can’t make complete sense of the language, the story has definitely picked back up again.
Thanks for mentioning Serial Reader, Emma! That’s exactly what I was looking for!
Now at chapter 10, Reading in Dutch. Much better! :-) And enjoying the read a lot. Hopefully I’ll go a bit quicker now!
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I’m definitely not enjoying it nearly as much as I did Gone with the Wind last year, but it’s ok.
I’m actually ready for another “break” though and wish my next Aurora Teagarden book would become available :-P
(or that I had an ebook copy of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography because I’m LOVING that one).
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I enjoy Serial Reader! It's perfect for the classics ;-)
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28% finished
I’ve done 18%, and loving the story! I read it in very small parts though so I’m not going very fast... (busy times here)
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I’m at 31% and I’m basically reading without any comprehension whatsoever. I see the words, but my brain just doesn’t want to process them.
I really enjoyed the part where Dantès was in prison with the Abbe Faria but the story has just gone downhill for me from there.
I’m very close to giving up...
I admit that I've not tackled this book yet. Congrats to anyone who is reading it already!But for anyone who is struggling with the plot line, or fighting the Z-monster (sleep) while attempting to read it, here are some
(view spoiler)
Still reading, now at 24%. I still like the story but agree that it has been (far) more interesting. Too bad to hear you’re maybe done with the story, Erin. Hopefully it gets more exciting very soon! I’ll keep you updated on my progress!
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Part of the problem is also the crazy long sentences that can be hard to follow, for example:
“If a man had by unheard-of and excruciating tortures destroyed your father, your mother, your betrothed,—a being who, when torn from you, left a desolation, a wound that never closes, in your breast,—do you think the reparation that society gives you is sufficient when it interposes the knife of the guillotine between the base of the occiput and the trapezal muscles of the murderer, and allows him who has caused us years of moral sufferings to escape with a few moments of physical pain?”
(This one isn’t as bad as some, but I didn’t feel like putting in much of an effort to find an example.)
And of course, part of the problem is that I’m just not enjoying the story very much at this point.
I’ll be taking another break to read several other books I have lined up and I’ll revisit this in a couple weeks or so.
I’m definitely interested in your thoughts, Pien, especially if you surpass where I’ve gotten to.
Erin wrote: "IPart of the problem is also the crazy long sentences that can be hard to follow, for example:“If a man had by unheard-of and excruciating tortures destroyed your father, your mother, your betrothed,—a being who, when torn from you, left a desolation, a wound that never closes, in your breast,—do you think the reparation that society gives you is sufficient when it interposes the knife of the guillotine between the base of the occiput and the trapezal muscles of the murderer, and allows him who has caused us years of moral sufferings to escape with a few moments of physical pain?”. ..."
wow. that's definitely not the kind of stuff I would like to read when brain-dead at end of day.
i guess back then, writers wouldn't have plainly said:
"If a man murdered your parents and wife, and caused you years of suffering, would his quick death by guillotine be true justice?"
Are any of you Snails attempting an AUDIO book read of this one? Here are a few free audio versions if anyone wants to try it that way:(view spoiler)
StarMan wrote: "Erin wrote: "IPart of the problem is also the crazy long sentences that can be hard to follow, for example:“If a man had by unheard-of and excruciating tortures destroyed your father, your mother..."
Especially not when writers generally got paid by word back then :P thanks for the audio links though! I haven’t read this since I was 16, but I might try it on audio. I’ve never listened to an audio book before, and can barely pay attention to 15 minute podcasts but, we’ll see!
Kelsey wrote: "StarMan wrote: "Especially not when writers generally got paid by word back then... I haven’t read this since I was 16, but I might try it on audio. I’ve never listened to an audio book before, and can barely pay attention to 15 minute podcasts but, we’ll see!..."Paid by the word! Indeed.
According to https://www.readinglength.com/book/is..., the average reader (250 words per minute) will take about 26 hours to read The Count of Monte Cristo. (for fun, you can test your Snail reading speed at the site).
Audiobooks... Pick one with a narrator voice you like, so you can be lulled to sleep gently ;)
I've only tried one audiobook (a Nicholas Sparks one). The narrator was fine, but I kept wanting to speed it up by 2x.. but as I was listening to CDs on an old player, I had no such option. I gave up at about the 1/3 mark.
But I can see how some folks enjoy audiobooks... although I for one would not attempt to listen to one while driving.
I’m at 41% and enjoying the story. It’s definitely slow, compared to modern books, but I’m used to the pace now and almost feel like living in the past reading this. Although the writing is a bit slow (a lot of conversations that get away from the main story), it’s still quite adventurous. I don’t know if I make it with my reading challenge this year though because I’m not getting to the other books. Reading a big novel like this is a challenge on its own though... :-)
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I’ve got 5 ebooks checked out from the library that I need to get through before they go to the next person on the wait list so I won’t be getting back to this one for at least several weeks... though I’m not missing it :-P
I hope I don’t forget too much by the time I get around to it again though, if so, then I’ll probably just give up completely...
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I’m officially declaring it a DNF.
I just don’t see the point to (view spoiler)
Hi Erin, too bad you didn’t get into it anymore. I have more time I think, which makes it easier to ‘accept’ the slower parts. I still enjoy it, reading this opens a door to the past and I like watching everyone in there. And actually there is a lot going on!
It’s a very cynical story, and the writer had so much pleasure writing it. I just like being part of it.
I usually don’t like slow books...
I’m brainwashed, don’t you think?
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I previously read the Count of Monte Cristo and it did take me a long while to get through it. Parts of it I found most interesting. I always pictured the "count" looking like Johnny Depp.
Karol wrote: "I previously read the Count of Monte Cristo and it did take me a long while to get through it. Parts of it I found most interesting. I always pictured the "count" looking like Johnny Depp."Johnny Depp! Good choice for the Count, at least back in the day. I am having a hard time putting this book down! I am loving it. It's been a long time since a book has kept me up 'til one o'clock in the morning, and I pick it up again with my first cuppa.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Gone with the Wind (other topics)Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography (other topics)
The Count of Monte Cristo (other topics)
The Count of Monte Cristo (other topics)
The Count of Monte Cristo (other topics)
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