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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Edmond Dantès: an intelligent young man who is beloved by most. On the verge of marrying the girl he loves (Mercédès), and an incredible promotion to ‘ships Captain’ that could better the lives of not only them, but his loving elderly father, Dantès is falsely accused of treason and is sentenced to imprisonment without trial, and its all due to the jealousy and selfish actions of three men: Fernand. Villefort. Danglars.
After fourteen long years of incarceration, Dantès escapes. Thanks to a friendship formed with Abbé Faria (a cell neighbour that became like a second father to him), Edmond finds himself with an incredible fortune. With this newfound wealth, he rewards those who fought to prove him innocent, then simply leaves his old life and name behind and sets out to claim his vengeance on those who cruelly took those precious years from him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Possible Spoilers depending on your views, nothing extreme*
This book genuinely shocked and had me gasping out loud, but it equally kept me questioning. It’s an engaging story that will keep you up late at night, eager to keep turning those pages. Besides that sweet vengeance, there’s wit, sarcasm, love, loss, redemption, drama, poetic writing and descriptions that you will just melt into.
There were SO many characters in this book. I sometimes forgot who was who and I had to look back to remember their roles in this huge story (Château-Renaud and Peppino for example). Some remained very memorable, whilst others kind of faded into the background for most of it when I expected them to have more of a major part (Mercedes would come under this for me).
The count also has several aliases which aren’t always easy to keep up with. There’s an Abbe, an Englishman, and a sailor named Sinbad, so now we have five personas (if we include Edmond himself) that are played by one person. It was remarkable the way he was able to keep up with those different personalities, accents, and backstories – one slip up before the time was right, and his plans would have failed. Still, the side stories that came with these additional characters were just as pleasing as the main plot.
Away from the Count’s characters, the side stories followed the children of the three wrongdoers, the next generation: Valentine, Eugenie, and Albert, as well as those introduced through the life of the Count: Bertuccio, Haydee, and Benedetto. All of these characters added to the final impact of The Count’s revenge.
The count himself is undeniably a compelling character, but I personally am in two minds when it comes to his actions and attitude. He often comes across as cold to those who don’t deserve it, he is manipulative to most of the characters through seemingly friendly conversations, and he always places himself above absolutely everything and everyone else. I completely understand his want for revenge, but I do wonder whether he needed to be so harsh and blind to the relationships he could have been building, especially when in the end, he seemed to be left remorseful and full of regret anyway.
Expanding on the Count’s behaviour, there is one part I will never understand or enjoy. The Count causes misery to Maximillian Morrel (Son of a man who tried to help Edmond) for over a month by not telling him about the last elaborate plan that involved the 'death' of a loved one. Morrel wasn’t always a character that I personally enjoyed (simply due to him wanting to off himself whenever he found himself in despair over his relationship), but the Count genuinely never had an issue with Maximillian and always referred to him as a ‘son’…so why was there a need to keep this man suffering? I believe it mentions Maximillian ‘understanding the value of life after feeling such despair’ but this might have just been a tad over the top and pretty unnecessary. Worst of all, the Count gets away with this without hassle. Maximillian didn't mind this at all?! He and his love practically just waved him off into the sunset, thanking him for his love and generosity. WHAT!?
Overall though, this book is a thrilling read and I'm still thinking about it days later, not yet ready to let it go. I would happily recommend this to anyone looking for a classic read that doesn’t give them headaches or put them to sleep. Don’t let the size of this book put you off! Regardless of the time it takes for you to reach the end, whether it takes a mere few days or a full three months like myself, you’ll be so glad that you got to experience this engrossing adventure.
After fourteen long years of incarceration, Dantès escapes. Thanks to a friendship formed with Abbé Faria (a cell neighbour that became like a second father to him), Edmond finds himself with an incredible fortune. With this newfound wealth, he rewards those who fought to prove him innocent, then simply leaves his old life and name behind and sets out to claim his vengeance on those who cruelly took those precious years from him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Possible Spoilers depending on your views, nothing extreme*
This book genuinely shocked and had me gasping out loud, but it equally kept me questioning. It’s an engaging story that will keep you up late at night, eager to keep turning those pages. Besides that sweet vengeance, there’s wit, sarcasm, love, loss, redemption, drama, poetic writing and descriptions that you will just melt into.
“I know the world is a drawing-room, from which we must retire politely and honestly; that is, with a bow, and our debts of honor paid.”
There were SO many characters in this book. I sometimes forgot who was who and I had to look back to remember their roles in this huge story (Château-Renaud and Peppino for example). Some remained very memorable, whilst others kind of faded into the background for most of it when I expected them to have more of a major part (Mercedes would come under this for me).
The count also has several aliases which aren’t always easy to keep up with. There’s an Abbe, an Englishman, and a sailor named Sinbad, so now we have five personas (if we include Edmond himself) that are played by one person. It was remarkable the way he was able to keep up with those different personalities, accents, and backstories – one slip up before the time was right, and his plans would have failed. Still, the side stories that came with these additional characters were just as pleasing as the main plot.
Away from the Count’s characters, the side stories followed the children of the three wrongdoers, the next generation: Valentine, Eugenie, and Albert, as well as those introduced through the life of the Count: Bertuccio, Haydee, and Benedetto. All of these characters added to the final impact of The Count’s revenge.
The count himself is undeniably a compelling character, but I personally am in two minds when it comes to his actions and attitude. He often comes across as cold to those who don’t deserve it, he is manipulative to most of the characters through seemingly friendly conversations, and he always places himself above absolutely everything and everyone else. I completely understand his want for revenge, but I do wonder whether he needed to be so harsh and blind to the relationships he could have been building, especially when in the end, he seemed to be left remorseful and full of regret anyway.
“Tell the angel who will watch over your future destiny, Morrel, to pray sometimes for a man, who like Satan thought himself for an instant equal to God, but who now acknowledges with Christian humility that God alone possesses supreme power and infinite wisdom. Perhaps those prayers may soften the remorse he feels in his heart.”
Expanding on the Count’s behaviour, there is one part I will never understand or enjoy. The Count causes misery to Maximillian Morrel (Son of a man who tried to help Edmond) for over a month by not telling him about the last elaborate plan that involved the 'death' of a loved one. Morrel wasn’t always a character that I personally enjoyed (simply due to him wanting to off himself whenever he found himself in despair over his relationship), but the Count genuinely never had an issue with Maximillian and always referred to him as a ‘son’…so why was there a need to keep this man suffering? I believe it mentions Maximillian ‘understanding the value of life after feeling such despair’ but this might have just been a tad over the top and pretty unnecessary. Worst of all, the Count gets away with this without hassle. Maximillian didn't mind this at all?! He and his love practically just waved him off into the sunset, thanking him for his love and generosity. WHAT!?
Overall though, this book is a thrilling read and I'm still thinking about it days later, not yet ready to let it go. I would happily recommend this to anyone looking for a classic read that doesn’t give them headaches or put them to sleep. Don’t let the size of this book put you off! Regardless of the time it takes for you to reach the end, whether it takes a mere few days or a full three months like myself, you’ll be so glad that you got to experience this engrossing adventure.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wow, that was quite a journey! The ultimate desert island book - loved it.
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
One thing I particularly enjoyed in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas was the character development. Dumas articulates Edmond Dantes’s hardships and emotions masterfully, chronicling his epic story in a believable matter. When reading the book, it is impossible not to visualize Dantes and his environment in clear detail. Still, the plot is what really sets the novel apart. The Count of Monte Cristo is the ultimate revenge story, and by the end of the book every reader will be enthralled as Dantes’s enemies get their retribution. The only thing I thought Dumas could have improved upon was the pace of the story. The narrative takes forever to complete, and the addition of too many subplots can alienate even the most devoted of readers.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes