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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Absolutely Fantastic, insanely fast paced, nothing to be bored about
Such a well written book. From the first chapter, I was very impressed by Dumas' engaging and sharp writing and storytelling skills. If Dumas can keep me hooked for 1,200 pages, I will no longer be making excuses for boring books. If you love a plot-driven novel, this is the ultimate book for you!
I'm giving this book 4/5 stars because I wish the Count had been slightly less evil. I understand that this is a story about vengeance, but to be invested in a character throughout a book of this length, I think it's important to at least understand the protagonist's actions and their motivations. Of course a few of his murders were (in my opinion) justified, but the man had several slaves and intentionally brought the people he "loved" to the brink of death/suicide before saving them. The Count is not a good person — let's be clear. I understand that Dumas has created the character of the Count to explore the nuances of good and evil. I love a morally ambiguous protagonist but the Count is not morally ambiguous, he's just a bad person. Without the slaves (!!!) and his questionable behavior towards those he supposedly loves, I would've been far more engaged with his character.
The ending also felt very clean, with the Count feeling redeemed and seemingly moving on with his life. He also ends up with his slave Haydée (who he referred to as a daughter figure throughout the book), while Mercédes is left to grow old alone. I feel as though the book should've had a darker or more ambiguous ending for the Count given how the whole book is about the dimensions and repercussions of vengeance and seeing yourself as the bearer of justice.
I guess the point of the Count not ending up with Mercédes is to show that his love for her had morphed into the resentment and hatred that we see once the Count is freed, but if he didn't end up with her, I would've preferred he ended up alone!
I'm giving this book 4/5 stars because I wish the Count had been slightly less evil. I understand that this is a story about vengeance, but to be invested in a character throughout a book of this length, I think it's important to at least understand the protagonist's actions and their motivations. Of course a few of his murders were (in my opinion) justified, but the man had several slaves and intentionally brought the people he "loved" to the brink of death/suicide before saving them. The Count is not a good person — let's be clear. I understand that Dumas has created the character of the Count to explore the nuances of good and evil. I love a morally ambiguous protagonist but the Count is not morally ambiguous, he's just a bad person. Without the slaves (!!!) and his questionable behavior towards those he supposedly loves, I would've been far more engaged with his character.
The ending also felt very clean, with the Count feeling redeemed and seemingly moving on with his life. He also ends up with his slave Haydée (who he referred to as a daughter figure throughout the book), while Mercédes is left to grow old alone. I feel as though the book should've had a darker or more ambiguous ending for the Count given how the whole book is about the dimensions and repercussions of vengeance and seeing yourself as the bearer of justice.
I guess the point of the Count not ending up with Mercédes is to show that his love for her had morphed into the resentment and hatred that we see once the Count is freed, but if he didn't end up with her, I would've preferred he ended up alone!
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Great story and great characters, although it has some lulls to it.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WOW I'm finished please clap!!!!
Wasn't sure what I was getting into when my friend asked me to read this book with her but it was a whirlwind and I actually LOVED IT! This is the ultimate tale of revenge and getting back at your haters and holding a grudge to the ends of the earth. I was a bit put off by the old timey language at first but for the most part really didn't have issues. It was surprisingly easy to read, most chapters weren't too long and were very exciting so the story moved pretty quickly. At a few points I read a chapter summary online to make sure I didn't miss anything important, but for the most part it was smooth sailing. It was also surprisingly funny and very clever!
A few favorite parts/notes (spoilers obviously):
- when everyone got the sleepy hahas at Mercédès and Edmond's wedding party
- meeting Abbé Faria, both the actual part where they met through a hole in the wall and also him teaching Edmond all his life lessons...the Abbé basically said nooo dont kill yourself ur so sexy aha
- his ESCAPE!!! this ruled!!! it was so gripping I was on the edge of my seat genuinely
- the sailors just sort of deciding to adopt him into their clan despite him being old and super sus
- Edmond searching for the treasure on Monte Cristo after his escape and faking an injury to get everyone to leave him alone lmfaoooo
- SAVING MORREL FROM BANKRUPTCY AND SUICIDE omg I loved this part so much! when he rebuilt his ship 🥲🥲🥲
- just everything about the way he slowly made his way back into his enemies' lives to completely destroy everything they loved.... I'm sorry but that is next level dedication to destroying your haters
- adding to that, the sheer number of disguises and personalities he took on the whole time is just so hilarious. Love to picture him rummaging through his costume closet every time he had to transform into Abbé Busoni quickly
- Valentine and Max's love was soooo sweet 🥹 why do all the Morrels want to kill themselves so bad tho lol
- when Caderousse died and he just goes "ONE" oh my god I started screaming. that's why they called him the COUNT of Monte Cristo!!!!! HE COUNTS!!!
- when my man was enjoying the opera and Albert just showed up to challenge him to a duel ALSO when Mercédès begged him to let her son live and he was ready to just die.... for real my guy
- when he dressed up in his sailor outfit to show Fernand who he was oh my GOD
- watching Danglars get destroyeedddddd idiot I love to see bad things happen to bad people! Villefort getting his as well! you guys suck so bad! just the creative ways that he destroyed their lives was soooo satisfying and fun to read
- the ending was very sweet and I loved his final reveal to Max about his identity! Every identity reveal was iconic actually!
Overall I really had a good time with this and I'm so glad I read it. Yes it was long, but the payoff was so worth it. And there's something about finishing a 1200 page book that really makes you feel unstoppable! Made me want to visit Château d'If and I can't wait to watch a few movies of this!
Wasn't sure what I was getting into when my friend asked me to read this book with her but it was a whirlwind and I actually LOVED IT! This is the ultimate tale of revenge and getting back at your haters and holding a grudge to the ends of the earth. I was a bit put off by the old timey language at first but for the most part really didn't have issues. It was surprisingly easy to read, most chapters weren't too long and were very exciting so the story moved pretty quickly. At a few points I read a chapter summary online to make sure I didn't miss anything important, but for the most part it was smooth sailing. It was also surprisingly funny and very clever!
A few favorite parts/notes (spoilers obviously):
- meeting Abbé Faria, both the actual part where they met through a hole in the wall and also him teaching Edmond all his life lessons...the Abbé basically said nooo dont kill yourself ur so sexy aha
- his ESCAPE!!! this ruled!!! it was so gripping I was on the edge of my seat genuinely
- the sailors just sort of deciding to adopt him into their clan despite him being old and super sus
- Edmond searching for the treasure on Monte Cristo after his escape and faking an injury to get everyone to leave him alone lmfaoooo
- SAVING MORREL FROM BANKRUPTCY AND SUICIDE omg I loved this part so much! when he rebuilt his ship 🥲🥲🥲
- just everything about the way he slowly made his way back into his enemies' lives to completely destroy everything they loved.... I'm sorry but that is next level dedication to destroying your haters
- adding to that, the sheer number of disguises and personalities he took on the whole time is just so hilarious. Love to picture him rummaging through his costume closet every time he had to transform into Abbé Busoni quickly
- Valentine and Max's love was soooo sweet 🥹 why do all the Morrels want to kill themselves so bad tho lol
- when Caderousse died and he just goes "ONE" oh my god I started screaming. that's why they called him the COUNT of Monte Cristo!!!!! HE COUNTS!!!
- when my man was enjoying the opera and Albert just showed up to challenge him to a duel ALSO when Mercédès begged him to let her son live and he was ready to just die.... for real my guy
- when he dressed up in his sailor outfit to show Fernand who he was oh my GOD
- watching Danglars get destroyeedddddd idiot I love to see bad things happen to bad people! Villefort getting his as well! you guys suck so bad! just the creative ways that he destroyed their lives was soooo satisfying and fun to read
- the ending was very sweet and I loved his final reveal to Max about his identity! Every identity reveal was iconic actually!
Overall I really had a good time with this and I'm so glad I read it. Yes it was long, but the payoff was so worth it. And there's something about finishing a 1200 page book that really makes you feel unstoppable! Made me want to visit Château d'If and I can't wait to watch a few movies of this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Racism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
I didn’t personally love the ending, but I’ll give it credit for being unique.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A beast of a book, but a classic for a reason. Happy to finally check this one off.
This book was a wild ride. I had a vague idea of the plot: man gets unjustly imprisoned and seeks revenge after escaping. Well, let me tell you, yes to that, but it's so extra.
I wouldn't say this book is wonderful purely from a writing point of view, but the plot is absolutely engrossing. It's entirely too long and there are so many characters I had a hard time remembering who was who even with a literal flowchart. Because Dantès goes by several different names and some of the other characters also change identities or are not who you originally thought they were, things get very confusing unless you're taking notes, but once the pieces start clicking together, it's very satisfying.
Also not a fan of the Count keeping her and Ali as slaves for absolutely no reason. I think it's actually worse that he tries to free Haydée several times and she doesn't want to be freed because she wants to keep being his slave. Felt like slavery apologism at its finest. Considering the only reason he ever bought her as a slave was because he needed her as a pawn in his revenge plot also gets him negative points. But anyway, we've determined he's not the best person.
Other than that, I enjoyed all the threads in this novel and the arc Dantès goes through, which doesn't redeem him entirely, but renders him devastatingly human.
The last line really got me:
I wouldn't say this book is wonderful purely from a writing point of view, but the plot is absolutely engrossing. It's entirely too long and there are so many characters I had a hard time remembering who was who even with a literal flowchart. Because Dantès goes by several different names and some of the other characters also change identities or are not who you originally thought they were, things get very confusing unless you're taking notes, but once the pieces start clicking together, it's very satisfying.
Spoiler
Dantès and the Count are almost metaphysically separated into two different people when Dantès as the Count embarks on his odyssey vendetta and starts to abandon his principles along the way, concerned only with getting back at his enemies, no matter the cost. And there is a cost, that eventually dawns on him when it's too late to turn back. I don't necessarily have an issue with his character because of the revenge plot, but getting together with Haydée, who he raised as a father from the time she was 11, made me cringe a lot. Especially because it's said, both by him and by her, that he can be her father, brother and spouse, and, hm, I guess this was a common sentiment at the time (Don Ottavio says the same thing to Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni, based on Zorrilla's [b:Don Juan Tenorio|877693|Don Juan Tenorio|José Zorrilla|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1713829575l/877693._SY75_.jpg|863021], which was written in 1844), but still, ew.Also not a fan of the Count keeping her and Ali as slaves for absolutely no reason. I think it's actually worse that he tries to free Haydée several times and she doesn't want to be freed because she wants to keep being his slave. Felt like slavery apologism at its finest. Considering the only reason he ever bought her as a slave was because he needed her as a pawn in his revenge plot also gets him negative points. But anyway, we've determined he's not the best person.
Other than that, I enjoyed all the threads in this novel and the arc Dantès goes through, which doesn't redeem him entirely, but renders him devastatingly human.
The last line really got me:
“Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words,—'Wait and hope.