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booksonmars 's review for:
The Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexandre Dumas
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As a classic, or more accurately, as a 1200-page classic, I found this book surprisingly very readable. It's described as an adventure epic, and while there are elements of this (prison escapes, bandits, vengeful princesses to name a few), it's the pacing that makes it thrilling. From the beginning you are thrust into Edmond on the precipice of realising his most sacred dreams; you witness the enroaching machinations of those agents against his happiness; you follow the genesis of The Count of Monte Cristo, and the setup of his chessboard that will bring the downfall of the men who wronged him.
The Count, in his pursuit of vengeance, becomes an 'agent of Providence', rewarding and punishing those he deems fit. Dumas is excessive in his characterisation: The Count is handsome, rich, a skilled fighter, speaks several languages and has connections from the loftiest banking firms to the lowest crooks. He appears inhumane and impenetrable, removed from his mortal restrictions. Conversely, the men he has sworn vengeance against are portrayed as perpetual evildoers, reinforcing his belief that he is doing God's work by punishing them. It is slow, but satisfying, to watch the Count's plan come to fruition: at first every stranger he interacts with and every event that he orchestrates are seem singular, but are in fact a web of connections that made me gasp in realisation, sometimes even laugh (what can I say, I was swept in the pursuit and was also wishing for their downfall).
The third act(? or the act where his revenge actually begins to take shape) occurs mainly in the cities of Rome and Paris. I might've preferred for all of it to take place in Rome: the twists and turns of the city, its dark underbelly of bandits there seemed like the perfect place, instead of the dazzling sunlit streets of Paris. But Dumas' choice is much better. It's here, in the heart of Parisian society, that the Count ingratiates himself with these men, almost like a snake in their polished and perfect garden. The cast of characters, particularly those in the Parisian set, are incredibly well-written, with their own interests, desires and vices. Their poignant humanity only emphasises how removed the Count is from it all, making him an indomitable character.
This book is a phenomenon of sheer and staggering might, and I'd definitely recommend it. I was not bored for any of the hundreds (and hundreds...and hundreds!) of pages I read.
The Count, in his pursuit of vengeance, becomes an 'agent of Providence', rewarding and punishing those he deems fit. Dumas is excessive in his characterisation: The Count is handsome, rich, a skilled fighter, speaks several languages and has connections from the loftiest banking firms to the lowest crooks. He appears inhumane and impenetrable, removed from his mortal restrictions. Conversely, the men he has sworn vengeance against are portrayed as perpetual evildoers, reinforcing his belief that he is doing God's work by punishing them. It is slow, but satisfying, to watch the Count's plan come to fruition: at first every stranger he interacts with and every event that he orchestrates are seem singular, but are in fact a web of connections that made me gasp in realisation, sometimes even laugh (what can I say, I was swept in the pursuit and was also wishing for their downfall).
The third act(? or the act where his revenge actually begins to take shape) occurs mainly in the cities of Rome and Paris. I might've preferred for all of it to take place in Rome: the twists and turns of the city, its dark underbelly of bandits there seemed like the perfect place, instead of the dazzling sunlit streets of Paris. But Dumas' choice is much better. It's here, in the heart of Parisian society, that the Count ingratiates himself with these men, almost like a snake in their polished and perfect garden. The cast of characters, particularly those in the Parisian set, are incredibly well-written, with their own interests, desires and vices. Their poignant humanity only emphasises how removed the Count is from it all, making him an indomitable character.
This book is a phenomenon of sheer and staggering might, and I'd definitely recommend it. I was not bored for any of the hundreds (and hundreds...and hundreds!) of pages I read.