The Count of Monte Cristo

Synopsis

Dashing young Edmond Dantes has everything. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, is about to become the captain of a ship, and is well liked by almost everyone. But his perfect life is shattered when he is framed by a jealous rival and thrown into a dark prison cell for fourteen years.

Written in Dumas's oft-imitated style of adventure and suspense and filled with vivid details of post-Napoleonic France, The Count of Monte Cristo continues to dazzle readers with its thrilling and memorable scenes, including Dantes's miraculous escape from the dreadful Chateau d'If, his amazing discovery of a vast hidden treasure, and his transformation into a man whose astonishing thirst for vengeance is as cruel as it is just.

Loved

• The theme of redemption. This is a story about vengeance, and although the revenge is satisfying, it becomes too dark and painful to be seen as just. Not until the ending do we see portrayed the most satisfying element of this story- Dantes finally understanding that vengeance eats the soul while forgiveness frees it. Without spoiling how he learns this, the scene in which he forgives is very moving and I'm SO sad to learn it's not in the abridged version! Although it takes death, betrayal, and calculated destruction to arrive at this point, it is so powerful to see Edmond give up his thirst for revenge and find redemption through forgiveness and mercy rather than bitterness, resentment, and hatred.

• The theme of justice. For me, the underlying theme of this story is that of justice- do people deserve to be punished by other people or must it be left to God to exact justice? The Count of Monte Cristo truly believes that he was given his fortune to be the "avenging angel" and bring justice on these wicked people. It's fascinating and thought-provoking to watch him finally realize that God is the only all-powerful Being and that it is not for humans to punish and avenge.

• The storytelling. This was my first Dumas read, and I was blown away by his masterful storytelling. Although a little long-winded with details at times, Dumas has a way of captivating readers throughout the whole story and engaging them with characters' words, expressions, and subtle movements. Much of this story does take place at the opera, in drawing rooms, behind desks, and at dinner parties- which can be a little tedious at times, but I found myself engaged through almost all of the 1,065 pages, and many times I was dying to know what would happen.

• The intricacy of the plot. Not only is this story told masterfully, the story itself is incredibly complex and ingeniously thought out. While there is the main plot of Edmond seeking revenge on his enemies, there are countless subplots with many different characters, and all of these plots end up relating to each other and providing details for later in the story. This takes so much ingenuity and creativity on the part of the author, and I kept finding myself amazed at how the small details came to play later in the story. These subplots also allow us to understand and really get to know these characters since we find out so much about their lives through their various doings.

• The complex characters. These characters are complex in that many of them have done heinous things, yet they are living in wealth, fame and prosperity in the fashion of Paris. I sometimes forgot that the villains in the story had done such horrible things and found myself rooting for them at times because we come to know them and their families so well that we come to care about them. Edmond himself is also so complex in that he truly believes he is sent from God to avenge, which skews his sense of justice. His character is fascinating as he begins as an innocent, pure, and unassuming young man whom everyone adores, and becomes cunning, powerful, and cruel in many ways- all the while believing he is just and right in the sight of God. His development is one of the most complex and fascinating elements of this story.

Didn't Love

• My only complaint is that at times this story did become a little boring. Just a few parts in the middle of the story seemed a little long-winded and tangential, and I got lost in some of the details. But overall I was very engaged and pulled along by the story, even for 1,065 pages :)

Content

• Language: 
• Uses of the Lord's name in vain.
• Uses of "damn," and "hell."

• Sexual content: 
• Numerous references to affairs- many of the characters have extra-marital relationships, and one produces a child from this relationship.
• References to uses of prostitutes. One character sells his body out of desperation to get money.
• Lots of reference to flirting, spending the night together, mistresses, etc in Parisian society.

• Violence
• Lots of betrayal, intrigue, poison, murder, and imprisonment throughout the story.
• Main character put in prison and treated very badly during this time.
• Different characters get kidnapped by Italian bandits and are beaten and held for ransom, and threatened to be killed.
• Bandit sets a house on fire and kills a man.
• A man kills his mother by setting her on fire.
• A man attempts to strangle a baby and bury it alive.
• A man stabs another in an act of revenge.
• A man murders another by stabbing.
• A woman shoots a man and murders him, and she is killed.
• Executions are witnesses publicly and described.
• Many members of a family are poisoned and killed by a member of that family.
• A man shoots himself in the head and dies.
• Much talk of suicide.

Overall Thoughts

I went into this story expecting a Princess Bride type of adventure with swashbuckling adventure, romance, and wit. What I got was a dark, slow but powerfully moving drama full of betrayal, destruction, and cunning plans. At first I was frustrated with how slow the plot seemed to move, but then I realized that I should treat this like a Jane Austen (but without the romance ;) in that everything takes place in a drawing room or at the opera, and that much of the story happens through gossip and navigating the nuances of Parisian society. Once I accepted this, I began to really appreciate the story and I didn't expect fast-paced action or a quick-moving plot. Although it is long and there are a lot of details, the story is very engaging and Dumas keeps us hooked with his fabulous storytelling. While this wasn't light-hearted and adventure-packed as I initially thought, it was much more moving than I expected and I found myself self-reflecting and pondering throughout the whole book. This story is rich with powerful and deep themes of vengeance, justice, and redemption, and its poignant message will stay with readers and affect them long after they close the book.