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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Probably about twice as long as it needed to be, but wow what a ride.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord..."
What a ride this book was. At 1276 pages it's quite possibly the longest book I've ever read, but it certainly didn't feel like it. At no point did it drag on or did I feel like it was a struggle to get through, even though I did spend over a month reading it. Definitely read the unabridged version, and make sure it is the Robin Buss translation - nothing else compares to this one.
It also made me feel all the feels while reading it. At times I suffered from palpitations, shakes, feeling sick, you name it, and I actually full-on sobbed at the end.
After an intense first quarter which reminded me a little bit of the Shawshank Redemption (watch that film right away too if you haven't seen it!) the pace does slow down a lot to the point where it feels like a different book, but it's absolutely necessary to create the satisfying slow-burn of revenge that Dumas delivers through this masterpiece. The pace then picks up in the final third of the book when it all starts to come together, and for the past few days I have been staying up late at night reading it, ignoring others around me etc, and now I need to have a good lie down in a dark room to recover.
It must be said however that this isn't just a revenge book. It also explores themes on what happens when man tries to be too much like God, and if man believes himself equal to God then he will inevitably fall, but within that there is still the small possibility of redemption.
Edmond Dantès might also be my dream man, but then I am quite partial to those tortured, anti-hero Heathcliff-types (but not Heathcliff himself - that is a review for another day). He might even have dethroned Mr. Rochester in my hierarchy of miserable wretches that I both adore and would give my life for, even after they have ruined mine.
Ultimately if your life has ever gone to complete shit and you need a reminder that others have had it much worse and still come out the other side, or if you have ever been betrayed and want to get back at your enemies in a spectacular fashion, then read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord..."
What a ride this book was. At 1276 pages it's quite possibly the longest book I've ever read, but it certainly didn't feel like it. At no point did it drag on or did I feel like it was a struggle to get through, even though I did spend over a month reading it. Definitely read the unabridged version, and make sure it is the Robin Buss translation - nothing else compares to this one.
It also made me feel all the feels while reading it. At times I suffered from palpitations, shakes, feeling sick, you name it, and I actually full-on sobbed at the end.
After an intense first quarter which reminded me a little bit of the Shawshank Redemption (watch that film right away too if you haven't seen it!) the pace does slow down a lot to the point where it feels like a different book, but it's absolutely necessary to create the satisfying slow-burn of revenge that Dumas delivers through this masterpiece. The pace then picks up in the final third of the book when it all starts to come together, and for the past few days I have been staying up late at night reading it, ignoring others around me etc, and now I need to have a good lie down in a dark room to recover.
It must be said however that this isn't just a revenge book. It also explores themes on what happens when man tries to be too much like God, and if man believes himself equal to God then he will inevitably fall, but within that there is still the small possibility of redemption.
Edmond Dantès might also be my dream man, but then I am quite partial to those tortured, anti-hero Heathcliff-types (but not Heathcliff himself - that is a review for another day). He might even have dethroned Mr. Rochester in my hierarchy of miserable wretches that I both adore and would give my life for, even after they have ruined mine.
Ultimately if your life has ever gone to complete shit and you need a reminder that others have had it much worse and still come out the other side, or if you have ever been betrayed and want to get back at your enemies in a spectacular fashion, then read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot follows Edmond Dantes, who is wrongly imprisoned by people he considers friends. They're jealous of him, essentially, and decide to get rid of him. One of them becomes an accomplice but doesn’t have the guts to speak up (Caderousse), and a high-ranking official (Villefort) uses Edmond to cover up his own dirty secrets. While Edmond is in prison, his father dies, and his fiancée marries one of the very men who betrayed him, so he can have what Edmond had.
Before reading it, I was warned to be patient, apparently, the first 300 pages are boring. However, I actually really enjoyed the beginning, especially the parts set in prison. That’s where Edmond meets Abbé Faria, who teaches him a lot and ultimately leaves him with the greatest gift, the treasure hidden on Monte Cristo. After Edmond escapes, he sets off on his mission for revenge.
As the plot develops, we see just how despicable some of the characters truly are. Edmond struggles with his faith and morality, questioning why good people suffer while the bad seem to thrive. Eventually, he’s almost given a God-like power, and he uses it to punish those he deems deserving. But the characters are so vile that you could argue their downfall was inevitable. What really stayed with me was the message at the end, summed up in the line: “All human wisdom is contained in these two words – wait and hope.”
To summarise, I thought the book had a strong start and I genuinely enjoyed it. But I found the middle section quite slow and long-winded, with too many unnecessary characters. It picked up again towards the end, but I did find myself thinking, all this wahala just for revenge? It dragged so much in parts that I started to get a bit frustrated, just wanting it to get to the point. That said, I can absolutely see why it’s so loved by many. There’s a lot of depth to it, and although it was a challenge, there were definitely moments I loved, which is why (despite the pacing issues) I gave it a solid rating.
I think I have a new favorite book.
A very very long book that took 2 months to read, but I'm thinking about starting right over and reading it again.
Advice: it may not be a bad idea to sketch out a little chart with the name and relationships of characters. That's one thing that frustrated and confused me (who is who in Paris, who is cheating with who, etc)so I had to keep looking back.
Still stunned this book is so old (but so good). Similar style, language and pace of Stoker's Dracula (which I also enjoyed)
A very very long book that took 2 months to read, but I'm thinking about starting right over and reading it again.
Advice: it may not be a bad idea to sketch out a little chart with the name and relationships of characters. That's one thing that frustrated and confused me (who is who in Paris, who is cheating with who, etc)so I had to keep looking back.
Still stunned this book is so old (but so good). Similar style, language and pace of Stoker's Dracula (which I also enjoyed)
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My absolute favorite book. Tells a story of revenge in such a satisfying way while also leaving hope as the main theme. A masterpiece and classic for a reason
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes