The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.

[perusaphone]

Unfortunately you quite correct in the effects of movie/book reading. We are conditioned nowadays to film interpretation, for example... The actors getting into a coach and four outside the big manor house that should actually be brand new if the architecture is contemporary with the plot, then, as if by magic, arriving somewhere else instantly, also the road surfaces are nearly always flat and free of lumps and bumps even if they are not tarmac...I could go on of course..
It is indeed a crying shame that our future generations are growing up, with extremely weak, so called independent characters, despite their own ideas to the contrary. The familiar mantra of "Get into the groove and enjoy the computer, games, and the like you old duffer". Well, I am sorry, but the globally/local neighbourhoods are rife with these malcontents, certainly in my area. Car crime, misbehaviour, not conversant with the effects of their stupid actions, the repercussions, the damage done, robbery, mugging, drug dependancy, ignorance in the educational standards etc etc. I am not saying all should be tarred with the same brush, but it is definitely on the increase. Along with this effect, we get the general lack of interest in books and their contents.
The Count of Monte Cristo is not everyone's taste, it can be rather a plodding story for some, plus many other books as well of course. One needs a certain level of historical education to understand a great number of references in a lot of these books, I personally enjoy that education. I also enjoy the need to refer to dictionaries, thesauri and. the inimitable web.... it is just my way though.....
Would it not be a great idea if one could shift back as an invisible presence to times gone by, to travel the streets, the inns, the great houses and families etc. To understand and learn day to day existence of those times instead of someone's modern ideology and speculation... ? I guess we all have an urge to fantasize about the impossible..... !!

Time to revarnish my false teeth and have a dust bath with the chickens again......!!

[ouzal]

I remember this is the first novel I've ever read in english, my english was so poor that I read its beginner version, with less than 50 page and few new english words in it, now, I regret it, I feel sorry for not having the privilege of reading the full book now in order to enjoy every line of it as if it was the first time ! because this book is everything you wanted in a novel: love, hate, wisdom, happiness, wealth, poverty, prison, freedom, treason, loyalty, and revenge . when you read it, you immediatly become aware that this was the muse and reference for many other great subsequent works.

[perusaphone]

Quite so, well said my friend... !

[levina]

I read this book years ago when a mere teenaged boy, it was as a direct result of watching a televised serial on English tele' featuring the late Alan Badel. The story portrayed in the serial was indeed a gratifying experience for me, it had the main theme of course, but, as I was a 'wet behind the ears' youth, I knew nothing of the finer points of Dumas' writings. I aquired a copy of the book through the local library and began to read. It was most efficacious, the printed word became an imaginationary paradise and my love of books was sealed for ever. However, due to my youthful exuberance in reading material and, lack of knowledge, I missed the fact that what I was in fact reading, was an abridged version, I still own it after all these years.

You are right dear, The whole idea of vengeful purpose, vengeance is a bowl best provided cool and so on so on may seem understated but I experience Dumas implemented situation with a lot of charm and you end up as a audience becoming so spent in the result just expecting that yes actually please let him get his vengeance even is there is a aspect of you that has been trained to think that vengeance is not always the response.

Thanks

[perusaphone]

Indeed, this vengeance anomaly is forever tarnished with religious fervour, parental guidance, social norms etc etc, but throughout history, mankind has hastened to reward badness with their own meted out revengeful badness. Despite this however, mankind always seems to flourish, so, who is right in the scheme of things ??? Dumas used this mannerism to the utmost, as do many other authors of course, without this stratagem we would not have the 'Death Wish' films and others.... It quite probably means that only the laws of people prevent it getting out of hand again.....

[jakespeed18]

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all time favorites. The beauty of this book is that you take away different lessons when reading it at different ages. When I first read it, it was in middle school, and I thought it was a great adventure. Then I read it again just a few years ago, and the experience was completely different(and better).

this the greatest book their is all time

[iuliica]

I also love The count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite childhood reads, I am also an avid watcher of every film made after the book! I cannot comment on which version did I read, but all I can say, it was a darn good one, since I read and re read it several times!

[perusaphone]

In addition to my interest and enjoyment of "The Count Of Monte Cristo', I am about to embark on another book written by the son of Alexandre Dumas. The name Alexandre Dumas (fils), once again confuses the uneducated, however.... apparently, this son had a brief liason with a courtesan of gay Paris who went by the name Marie Duplessis. Dumas then later wrote his book 'La Dame aux camelias' or the 'Lady of the Camelia's'. I need to read this as only a avid, obsessional reader can understand. Evidently, based on this book, we get the opera 'La Traviatta' from. Both book and opera roughly describes the life of Marie Duplessis..... check it out on the web, the book is freely available almost anywhere and, the opera is done all over... !!!!

[Nathrad Sheare]

I was stunned when I first read this one. Of course, I've seen the awesome movie with Jim Caviezel, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see how different its plot was from the novel's. Actually, the book was more intense, in my opinion, especially in the revenge part, and SO much juicier! In the movie, the downfalls of Dantes' enemies were cut up quite a bit, I see, to fit into two hours! I would like to see the originals put into action one of these days. Maybe BBC can do it. Only they can get a classic right! Ha, ha!

Honestly, this was one of the most appalling, most compelling, most entertaining classics I've ever read. The length was no problem; the story moved so fast. I don't think I was taken further aback by any event than by the fall of the house of Villefort, though the case of the foreign king and Mondego was... do I have to say? In the opera "Medea" by Luigi Cherubini, a mother kills all of her children for revenge upon her cheating husband, but something about the way Dumas described Villefort's wife's last actions left me about dumbfounded... Wow... Cherubini's music was fiery, vengeful, and graceful... Dumas' writing was hard- hitting. I can see why he was the big celebrity of all the writers of his day. He was an excellent teller of incredible stories, incredibly dramatic ones for dang sure!

Oh, and I enjoyed the difference between the character of Mercedes in the movie and her character in the book. The melancholy turn was just the kind of thing I read classic literature for! The count is certainly crueler in the book, too. There are certainly moments in which one can believe he has lost his soul to the wrongs committed against him, that he's gone past the point of no return. He's even more human in the novel than in the movie, a character I can definitely share a mind with. I could go on all night about Dumas' best work, and it is his best, isn't it? However, I'll stop my fingers now and depart this forum for now. Thanks for posting about this book, all of you.

[Sweetirishleo7]

I have tried to read this story 3 times and for some reason I just can not get into it. Anyone else have the same experience? Its such a shame too, because I want to read it so bad. I've dedicated this year to reading as many unread "Classics" as possible. I really want this to be one of them, so i'll try again.

[soccerstar95]

I've read this book so many times and it's always a great read. It basically shows that revenge winds up hurting everyone in the end because none of the characters have a happy ending. This ending shows what life is like sometimes because not everyone gets the happy ending that they deserve.

[Nathrad Sheare]

Even the "happily ever after" Villefort's daughter gets in the end comes at a price, doesn't it? Dumas shows skill at delineating the bitter and bittersweet of life. I enjoyed this book so much! I WILL be reading it again one of these days!

[Lady_Delish]

This is undoubtedly one of my favorites! I had to read it when I was a student and at first I was afraid of its spectacular volume. It came out to be so enthralling and dynamic that I actually read it very fast. It has a very complicated plot with a lot of different story lines and characters and yet you don't lose track. The main character shows a lot of great qualities - toughness, courage, ingenuity, not to mention persistence and love! And the revenge (even though the vindictiveness is not the best quality, it is totally deserved here ) is a real masterpiece. It would be wonderful if I have the time to sit a read it again these days.
As for the movie - usually when I am watching one, based on a book, I try to separate them in my mind somehow and remember that the movie makers are not obliged to follow the story in the book line by line. That's how I can enjoy both, even if they are radically different from each other. I know the movie from 2002 with Jim Caviezel differs from the book but that shouldn't be a reason to be mad at the director or not to like it. I enjoyed it very much, even if it couldn't show all the details in such short time.

[debbie smith]

I too, read The Count of Monte Cristo in my younger years and enjoyed it, but did not love it. About a year ago I picked it up again to read and absolutely loved it. Life experience enhanced and shed light on so much more of the story. I guess that is how a classic works. I will read it again further down the road and am sure I will enjoy it even more. So much more to it than I saw as a 'youngster'.

[subzerowon]

great book, some parts struck me as funny.

“I am hungry, feed me; I am bored, amuse me.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo