A review by lizziaha
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

In a book that is so dark for the majority of its (very numerous) pages, I found the ending to be incredibly hopeful and joyous. Although the romantic in me hoped

Spoiler

that Dantes and Mercedes would end up together

. Surprisingly, I found very little of this book to be superfluous; indeed, it was very satisfying to watch the Count weave his complicated web of revenge. I found myself rooting for unlikely heroes, and marveling at the tangled mess where these characters lives had intertwined. I was also utterly surprised and delighted to see two queer characters who find a happy end in this book! Altogether worth the read, even though it was a long time coming for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Classism, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Confinement, Gun violence, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Torture, War, Homophobia, Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Infidelity