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637 reviews for:
The Black Count: Napoleon's Rival, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo – General Alexandre Dumas
Tom Reiss
4.11 AVERAGE
637 reviews for:
The Black Count: Napoleon's Rival, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo – General Alexandre Dumas
Tom Reiss
4.11 AVERAGE
Quem me conhece sabe que eu adoro romances históricos. Adoro, adoro. E foi por essa razão que eu fiquei tão entusiasmada por ler este livro. Isso e o facto de se tratar de uma personagem tão famosa como O Conde de Monte Cristo.
Mas este livro é muito moroso e com poucos diálogos. Ao fim de algum tempo dava por mim perdida na narração e tinha de voltar atrás.
Foi uma desilusão.
Mas este livro é muito moroso e com poucos diálogos. Ao fim de algum tempo dava por mim perdida na narração e tinha de voltar atrás.
Foi uma desilusão.
Amazing. Simply astounding. One of the best books I have ever read, truly. I found the subject to be completely captivating and the writing really solid. Race relations in 18th-early 19th century France was something I had never even considered before. I had no idea that issues of race were so complicated and tragic. Who knew that so many free men of color lived in France during the period of the revolution? Alex Dumas' story itself is full of action, adventure, and ultimately tragedy. I couldn't help but imagine the movie version of this book while reading it, the story was so compelling, the people so full of life. I have another book on hold, but I think I might go out and read "The Count of Monte Cristo" just to see how many parallels his author son really did draw from his father's life, a point Reiss makes quite frequently. There was one thing I really disliked about the book. The author made frequent references to coins with Dumas' face on them, finding the only known photograph of the statue of Dumas that was destroyed by the Nazis, hundreds of handwritten letters etc. I would have really enjoyed seeing reproductions of these in the book. Particularly that notoriously catty letter to Napoleon! What did his handwriting look like? Could we have gotten ANY reproductions of paintings referenced or architecture? I would have loved to connect more visually with the story, but other than maps of campaigns there is nothing. I'll just have to wait for the movie.
This is a fascinating look at one of the inspirations behind “The Count of Monte Cristo.” This luminous figure met a tragic end, the indignity of which must have burned in his son’s gut and found its way into his classic novel. Even without this link, this is a absorbing look at 18th century France and the arrival of a creole General onto the European scene. His rise from enslaved boy in the Caribbean to the swashbuckling hero of France is a part of history I had never encountered.
Excellent read! If you're looking for a new view on Dumas and the French Revolution it is here. Highly recommended!
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
This is a fantastic biography that uses the life of an incredible, dazzling, remarkable man to highlight Revolutionary France and its often contradictory relationship with its black citizens.
The truth about a real hero. Reiss gives a look at who the real County of Monte Cristo was, how he rose to become one of Napolean's greatest generals, why he was imprisoned and how he has been largely forgotten. Truly a must read for history buffs and literature aficionados alike.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced