A review by cpcabaniss
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

5.0

"Joy may sometimes produce strange effects and be as oppressive as sorrow."

This story is brilliant. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to read it, but now that I have, I think it will be a regular reread. I love it.

Now, some notes on translations.

Over March and April I reread The Count of Monte Cristo in the Penguin edition translated by Robin Buss. I had previously read a translation by an unknown translator from around the time of the original release.

I've heard that this edition is the most accurate French to English translation and doesn't leave out content that some Victorian translations do. As far as that goes, the specific scenes I have seen referenced were very similar in the two editions. The biggest difference was a chapter that I could not see being censored for content. It's a chapter close to the end that is a vital turning point from past to present for our main character. And it made so much sense! I can't understand why it would ever be taken out.

While this edition, with the exception of that one chapter, is not very different from the other as far as content or meaning goes, it is a much smoother reading experience. It also handles the translation of the "vous" and "tu" forms of you well when an explanation is needed. The other edition didn't mention a formal and informal address and there were a couple of scenes where it makes a difference.

My overall impression of the two translations is that this one is the easier to read and seems to handle certain language differences well. The other translation is not bad, but I would recommend this one if you're deciding what translation to read.