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mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My absolute favourite book of all time. Dumas is a master at writing slowly-unraveling plots, and I am in a perpetual state of rereading it despite its length.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Slavery, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Updated Review
”There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body’s sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.”
This book is my absolute favorite classic book. I’ve returned to it for re-reads since 2019. (This was my 3rd re-read.) Honestly, I am never disappointed with this book. I also recently got myself a special, leather bound edition of the book which I am so happy with (the blue & gold one with some red accents). I can’t explain why this book has had such an impact on me, but it has. Although it’s long (just over 1,000 pages depending on the edition), it is such an amazing book and deserves at least an attempt to read, if not one read.
”There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body’s sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.”
This book is my absolute favorite classic book. I’ve returned to it for re-reads since 2019. (This was my 3rd re-read.) Honestly, I am never disappointed with this book. I also recently got myself a special, leather bound edition of the book which I am so happy with (the blue & gold one with some red accents). I can’t explain why this book has had such an impact on me, but it has. Although it’s long (just over 1,000 pages depending on the edition), it is such an amazing book and deserves at least an attempt to read, if not one read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery
dark
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not a review, sorry. Just thoughts for myself. Please skip this.
Eugénie real mvp here. Truly an icon. She lived up to Albert calling her Diana, considering she ran off with a woman after saying that all men are terrible. I mean she was not wrong considering there is not a single decent man in the whole book Also, the only woman with a minimum of agency.
apart from Villefort's second wife who killed everyone in her family lol Poor girl said "fuck this shit I'm out" and ran off with her gf
In the time the book was written I'm sure her character was not seen as positive but I don't care. All the other women are... something. Why am I analysing the women of this book? Because the men are all terrible and that's literally the point of the book lol. Mercedes has no personality whatsoever because she's supposed to be the faithful righteous selfless woman who's only interest is her son. Valentine's is more or less the same. Her relationship with her grandpa was cute. The way everyone treats the man is not. But what can I expect from a classical book? Not to be racist, misogynistic and ableist?
I would have liked the book more if the Count did not end up with a girl who is not even 20 and less than half his age, whom he used to call "my child" and referred to as his daughter because that's literally disgusting. Also he's literally a slave owner. "But you have to understand when this book was written!!" Yeah, in a time when slavery was illegal in France. Still a slave owner.
Eugénie real mvp here. Truly an icon. She lived up to Albert calling her Diana,
In the time the book was written I'm sure her character was not seen as positive but I don't care. All the other women are... something. Why am I analysing the women of this book? Because the men are all terrible and that's literally the point of the book lol. Mercedes has no personality whatsoever because she's supposed to be the faithful righteous selfless woman who's only interest is her son. Valentine's is more or less the same. Her relationship with her grandpa was cute. The way everyone treats the man is not. But what can I expect from a classical book? Not to be racist, misogynistic and ableist?
I would have liked the book more if the Count
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It is certainly a book of its time, but I found myself always intrigued and sort of fascinated by Edmond's psyche and looking forward to seeing him manipulate everything and everyone around him after he managed to escape the Château d'If. I was surprised by how straightforward Dumas' writing style is. Unlike other classic authors, he doesn't waste a whole lot of time with descriptive writing and goes straight to what matters. The ending was slightly disappointing to me, but I still enjoyed it. A timeless reflection on what the thirst for revenge can do to one's mind and heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Death of parent, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Slavery
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Murder
Minor: Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Death, Eating disorder, Rape, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, War
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Confinement
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
“‘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: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Suicide, Alcohol
Minor: Medical content, War