#ClassicsCommunity 2021 Reading Challenge discussion
Buddy Reads
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The Count of Monte Cristo
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I did wonder about the Villefort comment, but I didn’t catch anything else connecting them. I kind of want to go back and skim for names now! That’s interesting. I hope they are connected in some way instead of just a tangent, though I see the character building happening. It just doesn’t seem necessary unless he’s building up to something. And I don’t recall any mention of Sinbad being Edmond. We are just left to assume. I think it makes more sense to the modern reader because we know where her story is going. These chapters left crumbs for us to connect the dots between all the names and then establishes the title Count if Monte Cristo, but it’s all a slow reveal, so I wonder if it’s like you said and just obvious to everyone. Sometimes I wish we could be alive while these things were being written! I grew up as Harry Potter grew up and had to wait for books and movies to be released, but it’s not quite the same as a classic like this or Dickens!
So I’m only reading this on weekends since we’re reading slow. Because of that I think I have forgotten a detail. I don’t understand the comments about the draperies in the windows of the Counts home that Albert and Franz keep referring to. It sounds vaguely familiar like they might have been told something in last weeks chapters, but I’m reading too many books to keep the details straight I guess. Help!
The draperies were part of the deal between the count and Vampa that Franz overheard at the Colosseum: If the count should succeed in securing Peppino's pardon he would hang them in a certain colour combination and if he shouldn't in a different one (and he obviously did).
And yep, Albert is definitely Fernand's and Mercédès' child. (I really like the film version (view spoiler).) I think Franz may be either Danglars', or just a random new character?
The breakfast scene in ch. 40 really showed off Dumas' talent for quick dialogue! Loved the duel of wits between the journalist and the ministry secretary. But the count's reveal that the mysterious woman at his side in Rome is not his mistress but his slave was pretty disgusting :( I hope this is part of his plan, because I don't see how it would fit with Edmond's character to approve of slavery. Or with Dumas himself, for that matter.What I don't quite get are the hints that the Morcerf family have a long lineage to trace? Fernand and Mercédès were poor fisherpeople of the Marseille Catalan community, not much of a noble lineage to trace there. Perhaps Fernand has dug up or made up some illustrious ancestors from Spain?
I always read a lot of books, by never this many novels at once! And definitely not this many longer reads at once! It felt so familiar, but I couldn’t think of who Franz or Albert would have talked to about the windows! That makes so much make sense! They overheard it. It seemed obviously connected to the freeing of the man, but that whole story line was also obvious in and of itself that it didn’t *need* another secretive things. Oh well. I enjoyed this week more then last, as I’m getting used to the new characters and I just like Dumas writing. I hope I’m giving him the right amount of hope. With Les Mis everything was beautiful and valuable, even if it was a chapters long tangent, so I just keep holding out that this random building up is important. Of course we see the connection now, but did we need the huge build up? Maybe in the end I’ll decide!
I also enjoyed this week's chapters more than last week's. I think because I now see that there will be a point to the tangent that we seem to be on. However, I still enjoyed everything pre-Rome more. Hopefully it will pick back up soon.I agree that we probably need to hold off on judgement for now When the plan is revealed we will see if all of this was worth it.
The mention of a slave does seem odd. It could be part of his plan.
How are you getting on with the book. I didn't really have any comments for last week's chapters.This week, I enjoyed seeing the Count run rings around Danglers.
I'm intruigedby the preparations he is making with having the boats and horses ready. He obviously wants a quick escape route set up. I wonder what will lead to him needing it.
I am also at the same point in book and really excited to know what Count do to avenge himself but I don’t think it will be related to money only.
I'm sorry to say that I actually read ahead and am now finished :( I thought I'd just read the weekly chapters in one day but got pulled in and couldn't stop, and now here we are.However, if that is any excuse, the book is amazing and I love it and am putting it directly back onto my to-reread shelf! There were so many amazing quotes I didn't copy out because the plot was too exciting at the moment, and I want to make annotations (something I never ever ever ever do to my books!!!) where the original instalment breaks were so that I can read it as it came out originally next time.
Without a single doubt my new favourite book of all time! Which I am kind of surprised at, because my usual reading diet consists of Shakespeare, Austen, Homer, who are arguably "better" writers or have produced more well-rounded masterworks. I do enjoy all of them equally, but for some reason the case is quite clear to me, The Count of Monte Cristo is my favourite book of all time.
Yes!! I'm joining this buddy read at Chapter XVII, I'm reading the Penguin Classics edition/Robin Buss translation!! I have reached a point where I just can't put it down. I'm so empathetic to Dantes' cause (he's still barely Number 34 to me), and he's now found himself a friend within the Chateau d'If.I began reading this book in March, when Covid-19 was first on the news, and I went on mandatory lockdown in California. I felt scared, like my freedoms had been taken away; but then, I started wrestling with grief and had to set this book down. Fast forward to August: I am currently still unemployed and went on a two-month soul-wandering journey. Having come back, and once more resumed reading TCOMC, my emotional and rational mind(s) are drawing so many parallels.
Hi Dana, glad you could join us. It's certainly been a year hasn't it. I'm glad you're doing better now.
I really enjoyed that whole section in Chateau d'If.
I’m just plodding along. I have 3 long reads going, which is what has kept me from finishing any of them too soon. Though I am tempted to just finish one of them! I will grab my book and come back with thoughts later. The last 2 weeks have been another test of my trust in Dumas. When we started the story about Franz and Albert I was bored because it seemed like it was not relevant. Then it was very relevant and I felt bad for not trusting the author. There have been some random stories the last few weeks that are similar. It’s hard to read slow because I want to see how they fit in. But when he went to Mercedes house!!! And she totally does a double take and it obviously stunned to see such a familiar face!! Oh wow! I remember the book being more revenge focused, but when I think about it, I don’t think it’s very likely I’ve read the unabridged version. I’m sure it was the abridged I read in my teen years. So it’s surprising how much is subtle and building, not an evil man bent on getting revenge. I used to say it was my favorite book, but again, I probably only read the abridged. When I started reading I wasn’t sure if it would stay up there, but now that we are around the half way point I know it’s going to be amazing.
His revenge is much more complicated than I expected. Really the length of the book should have given it away but I wasn't expecting the well thought out, subtle plans that we are seeing.
I just started rereading this book. It is a favorite!
I finally started reading again, but I'm almost at chapter 62, so don't know what I can bring up to comment.
I’m thinking back onto last weeks and Caderrouse’s character. He just went along with the whole plan that started this book. He wasn’t an instigator, but he didn’t stop it. Then, a few weeks back, we read the story of his jewel and killing the jeweler who bought it, as well as HIS OWN WIFE!! It doesn’t seem completely planned. He seems to jump at the chance to double dip in his profits and he sees his wife as standing in the way of that. His character is being revealed as very impulsive and focused on his own gain only.
Also, what are your thoughts on Dumas’ style? He doesn’t have long passages catching us up on the story. Each piece of the story is told through dialogue. So we get long stories from Franz and Albert and from Betuccio, for example. The reader learns things this way, even if the characters already know the info. Does this make the novel easier to read? Is it Dumas’ writing style that makes it work? I’m reading Dickens and Tolstoy too, which are very heavy in description. But there are passages of heavy dialogue. Each way works for each author, maybe because their style is different.
Oh yeah! Another thought I keep meaning to bring up. Was it Minnie that said it was disturbing that the woman with him was a slave? We have learned a lot make about her. I read a spoiler on accident, so I don’t think we know exactly who she is just yet, but we’ve had hints that her history is tied up with the Count. He wants her to keep it secret. We also now see that he loves her and is taking care of her. He tells her she can have freedom, but she chooses to stay. Some would say that is a negative stereotype to portray- the slave who wants to stay with the master, but I see some differences in this. He is really loving her like family and trying to protect her. But I also see that it furthers the stereotype, so I can see some objecting to the way the character is portrayed. Also, I think the slave is important to his image as a count with wealth untold. She is key to a successful revenge plot.
How is everyone doing? I finished a couple days ago and loved it! Dumas really can weave a story. He didn’t leave any loose ends and let track of all those characters and story lines. Can’t wait to discuss what you took away!
Yay, I'm so glad you loved it! He definitely has a more "popular", perhaps simplistic style in comparison to Dickens and Tolstoy, but his plots are always cracking and somehow all of that just works so well together. In the meantime I've also read The Black Tulip, which I liked as well, but the Count is just more grand :) Thinking of reading some of his Valois histories next!
Yes! It was an easy thing to pick up in between both Dickens and Tolstoy actually. But still classic and masterful. I am interested to read more of his writings too, but they sent high on my list....which is never ending!!
I thought that we already knew that Edmond, Sinbad and The Count were all the same person. Certainly that was my assumption all along and I went into the book knowing nothing other than it's a revenge story.
That's really interesting Minnie about the family name and them being the kids of the traitors. I hadn't picked up on that. That would give this week's chapters a purpose but it was very subtle. I guess there's a reveal coming to make it clear.