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Reviews tagging 'Child death'
Manga Classics Count of Monte Cristo by Crystal S. Chan, Stacy King
3 reviews
deredere_dukes_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I received Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
"I have been heaven's substitute to reward the good. Now the god of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!"
Edmond Dantès, later the Count of Monte Cristo, is a morally grey character bent on repaying those who had shown him kindness in the past, while exacting his revenge on those who wronged him.
One of the original revenge stories that inspired so many after it. This manga adaptation was fun to read as it smartly streamlined the story, retaining the most important plot points. There are of course many things that were left out from the original book, but you'll get the gist of the story from reading this manga—and maybe even decide to venture out and read the classic novel.
But being streamlined has its limitations at certain times: character reactions are so sudden they can cause whiplash, a lot of events happen off-page, and then those that do occur on-page run the risk of being rushed through. Nevertheless, the Manga Classics version is a great alternative if you feel like experiencing this highly addictive story in a matter of hours.
For the most part, the language used felt appropriate for when the original story was written, but there was an odd mix ranging from the archaic (example: “I thank thee”) to the colloquial terms of nowadays (example: "Hoping she would still be single"). While not a deal breaker, but it is noticeable and has the potential to pull you out of the story momentarily.
The art was very well-done! Crisp lines and every character was distinguishable from the other.
There's a reason why this story has stood the test of time and has inspired so many revenge stories; it's so complex and unravels in such a satisfying way. I would definitely recommend the Manga Classic version of The Count of Monte Cristo to longtime fans, as well as to those new to the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Classism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death
Minor: Slavery, Suicide, and Kidnapping
emilyrainsford's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic I've been wanting to read for a while, but to be honest, I've felt too daunted to tackle it. So when I saw the opportunity to read this manga version on Netgalley, it seemed a great chance to become familiar with the story in a more approachable and manageable way.
It tells the tale of a man who is on the brink of great happiness - promotion to captain of a ship and wedding to his love - when jealous rivals frame him and have him sent to rot in prison. After 15 years he escapes, comes upon great fortune, styles himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, and vows to avenge himself on the men who stole his life from beneath him.
The story is interesting but complex, with many intertwining characters and motives. I have to admit I got a little confused at times about all the various names and characters, although I did discover a chart at the back with pictures of the characters and how they relate to one another, which is a great idea. Our main character is an intriguing mix of kindness and vengeance, honesty and duplicity, honour and madness. He thinks that he is the hand of God himself, passing judgement on those who wronged him.
It is, of course, a story of its time and must be taken as such - the sketchiness of the storyline involving Greek slave girl Haydee and her Stockholm Syndrome included.
I have not read the original story but the manga adaptation seems to do a pretty good job of rendering such a complex story into a more simplified version. There are a few pages at the end about the choices made in terms of storyline for the adaptation, and a few artist sketches.
The story is read in traditional manga fashion from right to left - this is explained in the book for those who've not read manga before. It was my first time reading like this and I had no difficulty getting used to it.
After reading this manga, I feel like I have a better understanding of this classic story, and I might even have the confidence to attempt the original one day.
It tells the tale of a man who is on the brink of great happiness - promotion to captain of a ship and wedding to his love - when jealous rivals frame him and have him sent to rot in prison. After 15 years he escapes, comes upon great fortune, styles himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, and vows to avenge himself on the men who stole his life from beneath him.
The story is interesting but complex, with many intertwining characters and motives. I have to admit I got a little confused at times about all the various names and characters, although I did discover a chart at the back with pictures of the characters and how they relate to one another, which is a great idea. Our main character is an intriguing mix of kindness and vengeance, honesty and duplicity, honour and madness. He thinks that he is the hand of God himself, passing judgement on those who wronged him.
It is, of course, a story of its time and must be taken as such - the sketchiness of the storyline involving Greek slave girl Haydee and her Stockholm Syndrome included.
I have not read the original story but the manga adaptation seems to do a pretty good job of rendering such a complex story into a more simplified version. There are a few pages at the end about the choices made in terms of storyline for the adaptation, and a few artist sketches.
The story is read in traditional manga fashion from right to left - this is explained in the book for those who've not read manga before. It was my first time reading like this and I had no difficulty getting used to it.
After reading this manga, I feel like I have a better understanding of this classic story, and I might even have the confidence to attempt the original one day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Confinement, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Most adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo that I have seen tend to be almost jarringly fast-paced, as there is a lot of story to translate into a more digestible format and that hardly leaves much time to linger on the early build up at the start of the tale when most of the entertaining action takes place in the middle of the Count's story and onward from there.
This manga is no exception when it comes to that preference for jumping into the meat of the tale as quickly as possible, but it utilized some creative techniques to smooth the transitions between major events and I feel like, even if I hadn't already been familiar with the story, I would have still been able to follow along without being too shaken by the pacing of the information being delivered to me. I found the convenient character relationship chart at the end of the book extremely helpful in navigating the story as it was happening! Armed with that information about the key players, I was able to better appreciate the exposition revealed to the readers in each chapter.
Watching the story unfold in this way gave me a peculiar feeling of satisfaction that I was able to see all of the pieces of the Count's plan falling into place as it was happening. Like watching someone painstakingly set up dominoes in a swirling pattern one at a time and, when the last domino is finally knocked over, you get to witness how smoothly and beautifully they all fall to create a final pattern on the floor at your feet despite all odds that the momentum wouldn't be enough to get them there. There's that initial tension - the moments where you're holding your breath and trying to calculate in your head "can this person really do it?" - right before you're blown away by how neatly and precisely the preparations paid off, each piece getting taken out one by one, taking each other down with them, while the mastermind watches on in delight.
Once again, I am very appreciative of the attention to detail and the care afforded to the characters of Dumas' work displayed by this Manga Classics team. This trimmed version of the novel did a wonderful job of delivering as much as it could without being extraneous.
This manga is no exception when it comes to that preference for jumping into the meat of the tale as quickly as possible, but it utilized some creative techniques to smooth the transitions between major events and I feel like, even if I hadn't already been familiar with the story, I would have still been able to follow along without being too shaken by the pacing of the information being delivered to me. I found the convenient character relationship chart at the end of the book extremely helpful in navigating the story as it was happening! Armed with that information about the key players, I was able to better appreciate the exposition revealed to the readers in each chapter.
Watching the story unfold in this way gave me a peculiar feeling of satisfaction that I was able to see all of the pieces of the Count's plan falling into place as it was happening. Like watching someone painstakingly set up dominoes in a swirling pattern one at a time and, when the last domino is finally knocked over, you get to witness how smoothly and beautifully they all fall to create a final pattern on the floor at your feet despite all odds that the momentum wouldn't be enough to get them there. There's that initial tension - the moments where you're holding your breath and trying to calculate in your head "can this person really do it?" - right before you're blown away by how neatly and precisely the preparations paid off, each piece getting taken out one by one, taking each other down with them, while the mastermind watches on in delight.
Once again, I am very appreciative of the attention to detail and the care afforded to the characters of Dumas' work displayed by this Manga Classics team. This trimmed version of the novel did a wonderful job of delivering as much as it could without being extraneous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence and Slavery
Minor: Incest and Infidelity
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