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John is Currently Reading

John is currently reading

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

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John said: " In 19th century France, a promising young sailor named Edmond Dantes is wrongfully imprisoned and suffers in a dungeon for 14 years. He miraculously escapes and -- thanks to a secret learned while in prison -- discovers an unimaginable treasure on th In 19th century France, a promising young sailor named Edmond Dantes is wrongfully imprisoned and suffers in a dungeon for 14 years. He miraculously escapes and -- thanks to a secret learned while in prison -- discovers an unimaginable treasure on the rocky island of Monte Cristo. He reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo. With chilling subtlety, he sets out to exact revenge on the three men responsible for his imprisonment.
All of this takes more than 1,200 pages in the Penguin Classics edition and many hours of the reader's time, but they were satisfying hours. Don't be intimidated by the length of this classic novel. The story moves quickly; it's filled with intrigue and people behaving badly. It's also filled with many characters and subplots, and I got a little lost at times.
I couldn't help but compare this novel with "Les Miserables," by Alexandre Dumas' contemporary Victor Hugo. The latter is better known these days because Boublil and Schonberg didn't make a musical out of "The Count of Monte Cristo."
But there are many similarities. Both are long novels by 19th century French authors. In both, the central character spends time in prison. In each, the ex-inmate transforms himself, successfully taking on a new identity (or several new identities in the case of Edmond Dantes). Each seems to possess almost superhuman abilities.
The difference, it seems to me, is that "Les Miserables" is permeated by grace. Not so in "Monte Cristo," although grace makes an appearance near the end. For the most part, though, it's very Old Testament. The count is all about eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life; he's not much for turning the other cheek.
We learn all we need to know about the count's theology in this conversation with his one-time fiancee:
"I, who have been betrayed, assassinated and cast into a tomb, I have emerged from that tomb by the grace of God, and I owe it to God to take my revenge. He has sent me for that purpose. Here I am."
Although I am more sympathetic with Hugo's Jean Valjean, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Count of Monte Cristo." As long as it was, I didn't want it to be over; having finished it, I feel as if I've lost a friend.
Some excerpts ...
On journalism:
"But wait: I can hear Beauchamp's voice in the antechamber. You can have an argument; that will pass the time."
"Argument about what?"
"About the newspapers."
"Oh, my dear man," Lucien said, with sovereign contempt, "do you think I read the papers?"
"All the better; then you can argue even more about them."
"Monsieur Beauchamp!" the valet announced.
"Come in, come in, acid pen!" Albert said, getting up and going to meet the young man. "I have Debray here, as you see. He hates you without even reading you, apparently."
"He's quite right," said Beauchamp. "I'm just the same. I criticize him without knowing what he does."
Snide description:
Followed by the count, the baron led the way through a long succession of apartments characterized by tedious ostentation and expensive bad taste. (I'll bet that's even more biting in French.)
Rotten kid:
The count, seeing that the couple were starting to speak in parables, took on an absent-minded air, and began to give the most profound attention and the most marked approval to Edouard, who was pouring ink into the birds' drinking dish. (Young Edouard is nearly always introduced doing something nasty.)
Picking on lawyers:
"But he isn't dead?"
"No, he isn't, as you can very well see. Instead of striking him between the sixth and seventh left rib, as your compatriots usually do, you must have struck higher or lower; and these lawyers, you know, are not easy to kill off."
In context, perhaps the two most poignant sentences, in the mouth of an honest and good doctor:
"Now her," he muttered, letting her fall back on the bed. "Oh God, oh God, when will you tire of this?" ...more "

Jul 31, 2014 06:59PM · see review

John is currently reading

The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe

by Martyn Rady

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John said: " I'm at Page 238 of this history of Central Europe, and I'ver barely reached the 17th century. I hope to finish it at some point, but I'll take it back to the library for now as it doesn't seem to be quite the right companion for an upcoming road trip ...more "

Jul 13, 2025 06:06PM · see review

John’s Quotes

“People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
― D.A. Carson

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