lizziaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
In a book that is so dark for the majority of its (very numerous) pages, I found the ending to be incredibly hopeful and joyous. Although the romantic in me hoped . Surprisingly, I found very little of this book to be superfluous; indeed, it was very satisfying to watch the Count weave his complicated web of revenge. I found myself rooting for unlikely heroes, and marveling at the tangled mess where these characters lives had intertwined. I was also utterly surprised and delighted to see two queer characters who find a happy end in this book! Altogether worth the read, even though it was a long time coming for me.
Spoiler
that Dantes and Mercedes would end up together
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Classism, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Confinement, Gun violence, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Torture, War, Homophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Infidelity
catandherbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was just about what I expected, if now better! I'm so happy I was finally able to read it fully. It is an abridged version so I can't help but to wonder if there isn't something missing or far too altered that could have made me give this an even higher rating. Because of this I really want to read the unabridged version. Still, this was a monumental read in so many ways and now that I finished it I can't help but to feel sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War and Slavery
heather_freshparchment's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Gaslighting, and Death
Minor: War and Trafficking
pluvioviophile's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Slavery, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide attempt, War, and Child death
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
Not really feeling it right now, plus I have other books I want to get to.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
sherbertwells's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“‘Do you, then, believe in God” said Caderousse.
‘Had I been so unhappy as not to believe in him until now,’ said the abbé, ‘I must believe on seeing you’” (811)
Hot Take: this book is an inversion of Les Miserables.
Both Hugo’s classic and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, published in 1862 and 1844 respectively, follow unjustly-imprisoned men who, with the assistance of kindly clergymen, reinvent themselves, adopt abused young women and strive to do good according to their specific moral codes in the cutthroat society of post-Napoleonic France. But while Jean Valjean’s escape from hell transforms him into a benevolent angel, Edmond Dantès is not always so merciful.
And the main character is just the beginning. The Count of Monte Cristo’s tone mirrors the mindset of its protagonist: initially cheerful and adventurous before descending into the cynical world of upper-class intrigue and revenge. Unlike Hugo, Dumas’ narrative voice is cool and objective, and lets its characters speak for themselves.
But the characters are my problem with the story. With the exception of Dantès/Monte Cristo himself, the novel’s cast of young lovers, foolish patriarchs and noble adulterers seems more suited to a pantomime than a revenge tragedy. They just aren’t that deep! They aren’t good people, but more importantly, they aren’t even that interesting. They don’t demonstrate the breadth of the human soul; they just gossip! The whole plot of The Count of Monte Cristo is founded on these characters’ gossip: they gossip about marriage, compare finances and the mysterious aristocrat making waves in their nouveau riche milieu.
“Out of the 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 francs which form your real capital, you have just lost nearly 2,000,000 francs, which must, of course, in the same degree, diminish your credit and fictitious fortune; to follow out my simile, your skin has been opened by bleeding, which, repeated three or for times, will cause death—so pay attention to it, M. Danglars. Do you want money? Do you wish me to lend you some?” (636)
In fact, the society of post-Napoleonic France is much more interesting than the characters that inhabit it. Dantès’ enemies owe their fortunes at least in part to the fruits of slavery. For Alexandre Dumas, whose grandmother was enslaved in Saint-Domingue, they are despicable as individuals as well as participants in an exploitative system. But despite his monstrous wealth—or perhaps because of it—Dantès cannot destroy that system. Perhaps it’s hard for me to take an interest in the book because, despite having 1000-odd pages to fill, Dumas is interested only in its most anxious and despicable agents.
In short: reading The Count of Monte Cristo has made me realize how much I appreciate Les Miserables.
Of course there are people who will prefer the personal drama with all its poisons and inheritances. Through trial and error, I have learned that I do not particularly care for this lens, but the centuries of popularity Dumas has enjoyed indicates that I am an outlier in that regard. The Count of Monte Cristo is perfect for people who like their classics long and stabby. And for me, it’s an unexpectedly useful diagnostic for discovering my taste in literature.
You live, you learn.
“God may seem sometimes to forget for a time, while His justice reposes, but there always comes a moment when He remembers” (222)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Death
Minor: Medical content and War
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